face thither till I came
through Oregon as far as this place, which is still considerable to the
west, I think, eh?"

And he laughed lightly, as if he did not care to talk much of home or
its associations.

"I don't think it's quite right, though," suggested Mr Rawlings in his
grave, kind way, "altogether to abandon one's relatives and friends in
that fashion."

"No?" said the young man inquiringly; and then added more frankly,
impressed by the manner of the other, "Well, perhaps it isn't quite the
right thing to do; but I have been a rover almost all my life, and a
wanderer from home. Besides, my parents are both dead, and there's
nobody now who particularly cares about me or my welfare in old
England."

"_Not_ anybody?" persisted Mr Rawlings, who thought it strange that
such a nice, handsome fellow as the young engineer appeared should be
without some tie in the world to hold him to his country.

"I certainly have an uncle and aunt and some cousins," said Ernest
Wilton, acknowledging his relatives as if he were confessing some
peccadillo; "and my aunt used to be fond of me as a boy, I remember
well."

"Then I should write to her," said Mr Rawlings. "When you get as old
as I am, you won't like to feel yourself alone amongst strangers, and
without some one to connect you with the past of your childhood."

"I will write to my aunt, then, as you have reminded me of my
shortcomings," said Ernest Wilton, laughing. "I promise you that at any
rate."

"That's a good fellow. I'm sure you won't regret it afterwards," said
Mr Rawlings, who was then proceeding to ask the young engineer
something about his journey from California to Dakota when Seth, who had
listened patiently to their conversation so far, now interrupted them.

"Come, mister," said he, addressing Ernest Wilton, "I suggest--"

"Do call me by my right name, please," interposed the good-humoured
young fellow, speaking in such a sort of pleading way that Seth could
not take offence.

"Waal, thin, ef yer are so partick'ler," replied that worthy, with a
very bad pretence of being angry, "kim along, Wilton, thaar now! and see
to this mine of ourn that you've now got to look arter. How does yer
like that style anyhow?"

"Decidedly better," responded the young engineer, with his frank,
light-hearted laugh, in which Mr Rawlings joined.

And the four then proceeded in the direction of the shaft, Seth leading
the way, with Sailor Bill, as usual behind