my prayers."

The eminent Christian, Bill Crane, rode off from the Chinese camp,
calmly confident of his moral superiority to the two benighted heathen
whom he left behind him. Whether he remembered his promise to intercede
for them in prayer is a little doubtful, or would have been, if he had
had occasion to pray himself. It is to be feared that prayer and William
Crane had long been strangers.

As Crane rode away, the two Chinamen exchanged glances. A gentle smile
lighted up their yellow faces, and they were doubtless thinking of
something pleasant. They exchanged a few guttural remarks which I should
like to be able to translate, for they doubtless referred to Bill Crane,
whom they had kindly supplied with a cup of tea gratis. Yet, perhaps,
considering all things, it was the dearest cup of tea Crane had ever
drank, since it was the only return he got for a bag of gold-dust worth
over two hundred dollars. But there is an old saying, "Where ignorance
is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." Crane was just as happy as if the bag
really contained gold-dust. But this happy ignorance was not to last
long.

After riding five or six miles our traveller thought he might venture to
dismount for rest and refreshment. He selected as his breakfast-table
the green sward beside a sparkling mountain streamlet. He dismounted,
permitting his horse to graze while he took out the stale provisions
which must constitute his morning meal. They were not very palatable,
and Crane sighed for the breakfasts of old, the memory of which at this
moment was very tantalizing. But he comforted himself with the thought
that he had the means of making up for his enforced self-denial when he
reached San Francisco.

This naturally led him to open the bag, and feast his eyes over his
easily obtained wealth. He untied the string, and with a smile of
pleased anticipation peered at the contents.

His face changed suddenly.

Was he dreaming? In place of the shining dust, his eyes rested on--sand.

He hastily thrust in his finger, and stirred the grains. But nothing
else was to be discovered. The bag contained nothing but worthless sand.

Crane stared at the deceptive bag in the most lugubrious astonishment.
Surely the bag contained gold-dust when he concealed it. There could be
no doubt on that point, for he had opened it and seen the contents for
himself. But in that case, how could such a change have been effected in
one night? It had not been touched;