sleep continued. A Chinaman does not set a high value upon
human life, and the long stiletto would have been plunged into the
'Melican man before he was well aware of what was going on. Bill Crane's
good genius saved him from this sudden exit by continuing the profound
slumber in which he was repairing the ravages of fatigue.

The Chinamen therefore met with no interruption in their work. They drew
out from its place of concealment the buried bag, and emptying the
contents of their own poured into it the combined treasures of Miles and
poor Tom. Then they filled the first bag with the worthless dust which
they had brought with them, and carefully reburied it in the ground.

They did their work so carefully and well that no one was likely to
suspect that the bag had been tampered with.

Having done their work, Ah Sin and his friend smiled upon each other in
bland satisfaction, which was further expressed by a low guttural
chuckle.

"All light," said Ah Sin, with a nod.

"All light," chimed in Ah Jim, nodding in return.

A consciousness of lofty virtue could not have produced a happier
expression upon any face than appeared on the mild countenance of the
Chinamen.

"'Melican man much supplised when he wake up," remarked Ah Jim.

"Chinamen make much money," returned his friend.

The two enterprising visitors returned to their quarters, and concealed
their booty in a safe place. Then they too lay down and slept the sleep
of confiding innocence.

Bret Harte has not told us whether the heathen Chinee has a conscience;
but if he has, neither Ah Sin nor Ah Jim experienced any inconvenience
from its possession. Neither they nor Bill perhaps can fairly be taken
as fair representatives of the different religious systems under which
they were trained. Bill Crane could hardly claim any superiority over
the heathen Chinee in point of honesty.

CHAPTER VIII.

BILL CRANE'S DISAGREEABLE DISCOVERY.

It was five o'clock in the morning when Bill Crane opened his eyes. He
felt refreshed by his night's sleep, yet under ordinary circumstances
would have deferred getting up for at least an hour. But the
consciousness that he had a treasure to guard, and the knowledge that he
was at any moment liable to be called to account by the real owner,
whose camp was scarcely more than a mile distant, aroused him to
exertion.

"I must get away while John Miles is still asleep," he bethought
himself. "Let me get to Frisco first,