g with himself:

"Yes; it is close upon half a century. How times flies! I was a small
boy, and I often wonder how it was Providence took such good care of
me."

"True, you were a young lad, but you had the best of companions."

"That is hardly correct, so far at least as one was concerned. When I
left home in the East to join my father, who had come to California
ahead of me, my companion was an Irishman named Micky McGuigan, who
was as green as I."

"I have heard you speak of another comrade--a four-footed one."

"Ah, yes, our dog Towser, one of the most faithful and intelligent
brutes that ever lived. He died long ago of old age and I have showed
my gratitude and love for his memory by placing a monument over his
remains. Micky--peace to the memory of the good fellow--has also
rested in the tomb for years, and it was not long after that my good
father followed him,--so of all my companions on my first coming to
the Pacific coast, not one remains."

"You could hardly have passed safely through the many dangers without
the help of others," suggested Mr. Starland.

"I admit that. No braver man than Micky McGuigan ever lived. He had
the traditional Irishman's love of a fight and he got plenty of it.
But, Tom, our perils began, as you know, before we touched foot in
California. Off the southern coast our steamer, the _Western Star_,
was sunk in a collision. Teddy and I were left on the uninhabited
coast (so far as white people are concerned), without so much as even
a gun or pistol. Finding ourselves marooned, we struck into the
interior, stole a couple of guns and some ammunition (what's the use
of denying it at this late day?) from some Indians, and then went it
blindly."

"I recall something of a partnership you made with an experienced
miner."

"Yes; good fortune brought us together, and it was a lucky thing
indeed for us that we were picked up by Jo Harman, who piloted us
through no end of dangers. We spent weeks in hunting for gold in what
was then one of the wildest regions in the world."

"How did you make out?"

"We picked up a few particles, just enough to keep hope alive, but, in
the end, had to give it up and take our chances in the diggings like
the rest of the fortune hunters."

"Well, Teddy, we have proved that there are other ways of getting
treasure than by digging in the earth for it."

"Yes, though it takes digging in any circumstances, and we had as hard
times, at the beginning, as an