ck to him. He was
mother's boy again as in those old days before hate and drink and sin
had hurt his life. For a moment the tears came. He forgot himself, he
struggled to rise. He would go to mother and put his head in her lap
and tell her he loved her still. Then the clouds crept over the stars,
the bitter wind whistled above the snow. Mother--ah! He could not go
to her; she had gone forever out of his life; never in this world
would he see her again. And then, like a knife that cut him through
and through, came the bitter consciousness that there was no hope of
seeing mother in the world to come; that long ago he had gone away
from her and the old innocent life of childhood so far that if she
could come back from her grave by the turbid Sacramento, she would not
even know her boy.

The night chill crept over him; the tears froze on his cheeks. He
thought of Dan and Jane and the life he had lived, and love froze in
his heart. And then, alone in the snow-drift, dying, he hated Dan, he
hated Jane, he hated all the world and hated God, and waited, with the
fear of a lost soul, the outer darkness that was coming--coming nearer
and nearer.

* * * * *

They found him there, numb and unconscious, long after midnight, Hans
and Tony, Malden's men, who had searched for him.

* * * * *

The snow had melted on the hill-tops and the flowers were peeping
above the earth, when Job threw aside his crutches and whistled to
Shot that the time had come for another quail hunt.

CHAPTER V.

THE CAMP MEETING.

"It's the biggest thing out--beats a horse-race! My! it's a sight!
Don't miss it, boys. See you all down at Wilkins', sure."

It was "Nickel John" who was speaking, the fellow that the boys said
would do any evil deed for a nickel. It was down in front of the
Miners' Home among a great crowd of the boys, in the midst of whom
stood Job as an interested listener.

The coming event was no less than a Methodist camp-meeting down in
Coyote Valley the next Sunday. Of course he would go, said Job, as he
rode home; anything nowadays to avoid being alone with himself. Up at
the mill he told the fellows about it; and, when they dared him to be
there and go to the altar, he vowed that he would do it.

"All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall."

Strong and clear, a great volume of sound, it rang out on the air that
never-to-be-for