wn home with the setting sun.

Sometimes the men who had tried to keep the children at school, would
come that way, and with a shy smile, talk very wisely about whether or
not the new miners would "strike it" under the cool oak among the
flowers on the hill. But Jim never stopped to talk much. He dug and
wrestled away, day after day, now up to his waist in the pit.

One Saturday evening the old man limped up the hillside to help the
young miners "clean up."

He sat down at the head of the sluice-box and gave directions how they
should turn off the most of the water, wash down the "toilings" very
low, lift up the "riffle," brush down the "apron," and finally set the
pan in the lower end of the "sluice-toil" and pour in the quicksilver to
gather up and hold the gold.

"What for you put your hand in de water for, papa?" queried Little
Stumps, who had left off his work, which consisted mainly of pulling
flowers and putting them in the sluice-box to see them float away. He
was sitting by his father's side, and he looked up in his face as he
spoke.

"Hush, child," said the old man softly, as he again dipped his thumb and
finger in his vest pocket as if about to take snuff. But he did not take
snuff. Again his hand was reached down to the rippling water at the head
of the sluice-box. And this time curious but obedient Little Stumps was
silent.

Suddenly there was a shout, such a shout from Jim as the hills had not
heard since he was a schoolboy.

He had found the "color." "Two colors! three, four, five--a dozen!" The
boy shouted like a Modoc, threw down the brush and scraper, and kissed
his little sister over and over, and cried as he did so; then he
whispered softly to her as he again took up his brush and scraper, that
it was "for papa; all for poor papa; that he did not care for himself,
but he did want to help poor, tired, and crippled papa." But papa did
not seem to be excited so very much.

The little miners were now continually wild with excitement. They were
up and at work Monday morning at dawn. The men who were in the father's
tender secret, congratulated the children heartily and made them
presents of several small nuggets to add to their little horde.

In this way they kept steadily at work for half the summer. All the gold
was given to papa to keep. Papa weighed it each week, and I suppose
secretly congratulated himself that he was getting back about as much as
he put in.

Before quite the end of the