and
dignified, in its black beard, his forehead was high and broad, and his
dark eyes piercing.

Mr. Grigsby introduced Charley, and they both shook hands with him.

"We're off to the mines in the morning, and I wanted to pay my respects
and introduce this boy, here, before we left," explained Mr. Grigsby.
"Are your family here, Colonel? And yours, General?"

"The General's are north at Sonoma, I believe," answered the
Pathfinder. "Mine are on their way back to Monterey. What trail do
you take, Grigsby? The northern mines, or the southern?"

"We'll try the northern, up the American; by boat as far as Sacramento."

"Our old stamping-ground of the American fork, eh?" remarked the
Colonel. "I well recall our first trip in, across the mountains, in
that winter of early Forty-four, when Sutter's Fort was the only
habitation. Who'd have thought that in five years there'd be towns all
along the old trail, and thousands of white men pushing in from
mountains and ocean both, to scratch and burrow like gophers! You
won't know the place, Grigsby! When were you there last?"

"A year ago."

"You won't know it, just the same."

"No," agreed General Vallejo, earnestly.

"There's still plenty of gold, is there?" queried Mr. Grigsby. This
was an important question, to Charley.

The Colonel shrugged his shoulders and laughed. The General gravely
smiled. Answered the Colonel:

"Gold? Lots of it, and people finding it. The diggings along the
American and the Yuba and the Feather are in full blast; and then there
are the southern mines, up the San Joaquin Valley, in the Mokelumne and
Calaveras districts. I'm going over there myself to-morrow or next
day. If you see Captain Sutter up north, tell him that any help he can
give you will be appreciated by me."

"Your rancho is prosperous, Colonel?"

"Fairly so. You know we've named it Mariposa, or Lily Ranch. I had
intended to stock it to cattle, but the mining excitement has changed
my plans and all my ranch machinery is stored here in town. The land
has so much mineral on it, we've discovered, that I'll work that first
if the Government doesn't object. Unfortunately mineral claims are not
supposed to go with Mexican land grants. While my family are here we
make our quarters in the Happy Valley section. I have a saw-mill
started back of San Jose, too. Should you come that way, be sure and
stop off with me."

"And should you come to Sonoma, do me the hono