ust a quantity of silver into Kate's hand, and sprang
upon his horse.

"I don't need it, thank 'ee," said Kate, hurriedly.

"But you _may_ need it; at any rate, _he_ does. Stay, what was the name
of the man who used to visit you?"

"O'Neil, sir--Larry O'Neil."

"Indeed! he is one of my mates. My name is Sinton--Edward Sinton; you
shall hear from me again ere long."

Ned put spurs to his horse as he spoke, and in another moment was out of
sight.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

NED DECIDES ON VISITING SAN FRANCISCO--LARRY PAYS A VISIT, AND RECEIVES
A SEVERE DISAPPOINTMENT--THE ROAD AND THE CITY--UNEXPECTED NEWS.

Few joys in this life are altogether without alloy. The delight
experienced by Larry O'Neil and Captain Bunting, when they heard the
hearty tones of Ned Sinton's voice, and the satisfaction with which they
beheld his face, when, in their anxiety to prevent his falling headlong
into "the hole," they both sprang out of the tent and rushed into his
arms, were somewhat damped on their observing that Tom Collins was not
with him. But their anxieties were speedily relieved on learning that
Tom was at Sacramento City, and, it was to be hoped, doing well.

As Ned had eaten nothing on the day of his arrival since early morning,
the first care of his friends was to cook some food for him; and Larry
took special care to brew for him, as soon as possible, a stiff tumbler
of hot brandy and water, which, as he was wet and weary, was
particularly acceptable.

While enjoying this over the fire in front of the tent, Ned related the
adventures of himself and Tom Collins circumstantially; in the course of
which narration he explained, what the reader does not yet know, how
that, after Tom had recovered from his illness sufficiently to ride, he
had conducted him by easy stages to the banks of the great San Joaquin
river, down which they had proceeded by boat until they reached
Sacramento.

Here Ned saw him comfortably settled in the best room of the best hotel
in the town, and then, purchasing the largest and strongest horse he
could find, he set off, in spite of the rains, to let his comrades know
that they were both safe, and, in Ned's case at least, sound.

"And, now, with reference to that letter."

"Ay, that letter," echoed the captain; "that's what I've bin wantin' you
to come to. What can it mean?"

"I am as ignorant of that as yourself," answered Ned; "if it had only
been you who were mentioned in the lette