e internal injuries. As it was utterly impossible for me to have
found my way to him that night, I determined to take a short nap and
hurry to him the following morning.

During Don Luis's recital I did not for one moment think of the gold
which we had lost; all my sympathies were with my poor friend. But, at
the conclusion of Don Luis's narrative, I saw that but few of my
associates participated in my grief. Don Luis was immediately assailed
with inquiries rudely addressed to him in reference to the missing
gold. In reply, he stated that we all knew that Malcolm carried in his
saddle-bags the great bulk of the gold they were conveying to San
Francisco; and that, of course, when the robbers drove off the horse,
the gold went with it. "It is the doctor you have to thank for that,"
growled out Bradley; and though I could not see the matter in this
light, still I could not help thinking of my own distrustful
disposition, which, in reality, had been the cause of making Malcolm a
party to the conveyance of the treasure; this, in fact, had in all
probability sacrificed my friend's life. I thought of his poor wife and
children in Oregon, who would bewailing in vain for his return, which
he, poor follow, had delayed so long, in the hope of going back to them
laden with wealth. Throughout the whole of the night most of the party
remained gathered around the camp-fire-now in sullen silence, and now
expressing their bitter dissatisfaction at the arrangements which had
led to the day's misfortune. And when the first faint light of daybreak
showed over the tall peaks of the snowy mountains, it discovered us
looking haggard and dejected, alike wearied and disgusted with
everything around.

CHAPTER XXII.

The stock of gold remaining weighed and shared
Squabbling over it
The party separate
The Author and others start off
They meet with Lacosse and the trapper
Lacosse's explanation
Arrive at Sutter's
Purchase flour at eighty-five dollars a barrel
Camps of miners
A gold-washing colony
Encamped for the night
Horses and flour missing in the morning
Visit a big bony American
A hole threatened in their skulls
How quarrels are settled
Lacosse promises to join the party at Sutter's
The march resumes
Arrive at Malcolm's shanty
The doctor prescribes for his patient
Malcolm's first idea of the lasso
The party leave for Sutter's.

We made a hasty meal from our scanty stock of provisi