miner in
Pine-tree Gulch.

Red George worked no more at the diggings, but after seeing the stone
laid in its place, went east, and with what little money came to him
when the common fund of the company was divided after the flood on the
Yuba, bought a small farm, and settled down there; but to the end of his
life he was never weary of telling those who would listen to it the
story of Pine-tree Gulch.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE,

AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

It was early in December that H.M.S. _Perseus_ was cruising off the
mouth of the Canton River. War had been declared with China in
consequence of her continued evasions of the treaty she had made with
us, and it was expected that a strong naval force would soon gather to
bring her to reason. In the meantime the ships on the station had a busy
time of it, chasing the enemy's junks when they ventured to show
themselves beyond the reach of the guns of their forts, and occasionally
having a brush with the piratical boats which took advantage of the
general confusion to plunder friend as well as foe.

The _Perseus_ had that afternoon chased two Government junks up a creek.
The sun had already set when they took refuge there, and the captain
did not care to send his boats after them in the dark, as many of the
creeks ran up for miles into the flat country; and as they not
unfrequently had many arms or branches, the boats might, in the dark,
miss the junks altogether. Orders were issued that four boats should be
ready for starting at daybreak the next morning. The _Perseus_ anchored
off the mouth of the creek, and two boats were ordered to row backwards
and forwards off its mouth all night to insure that the enemy did not
slip out in the darkness.

Jack Fothergill, the senior midshipman, was commanding the gig, and two
of the other midshipmen were going in the pinnace and launch, commanded
respectively by the first lieutenant and the master. The three other
midshipmen of the _Perseus_ were loud in their lamentations that they
were not to take share in the fun.

"You can't all go, you know," Fothergill said, "and it's no use making a
row about it; the captain has been very good to let three of us go."

"It's all very well for you, Jack," Percy Adcock, the youngest of the
lads, replied, "because you are one of those chosen; and it is not so
hard for Simmons and Linthorpe, because they went the other day in the
boat that chased th