our house
after you had gone to bring all the children round here in a cab.

"You will find everything in the house, mother, and you must get a grand
tea as soon as possible. I have got a servant for you--for, you know,
you must have a servant now."

The next minute the children came bounding in, wild with delight, and a
happier party never assembled than those who sat round the table of
"John Holl, Dust Contractor," on the evening of his first taking
possession of his new property.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XVII.

THE LONELY DIGGERS.

THE camp increased rapidly, for although no extraordinarily rich finds
were made, the valley bottom widened out at this point, and the gold was
generally disseminated in quantities sufficient to enable the miners; to
live, and every one hoped that, as they got deeper, their claims would
increase in value. Every day added to the number of tents and huts.
Three bars competed with each other for the favour of the diggers, and
two large stores drove a profitable trade in food and mining tools and
materials; brawls at the gambling-tables were of nightly occurrence, and
no small proportion of the gold obtained by the more fortunate diggers
found its way into the pockets of the gamblers.

"I tell you what, Abe," Frank said, a short time after their arrival,
when they heard that a young man had been shot down by one of the most
notorious ruffians in the camp, "I think it would be a good plan if we
were all to agree that we will not enter one of these saloons. I know
it's a temptation, after work is over, to saunter in there; but I think
such a party as we are are enough for each other. We have done well
enough for months out on the plains, and I don't see why we should not
do so now. We are friends, and should be awfully sorry to see any one of
our number losing his share of our joint earnings at the
gambling-tables, or brought home with a bullet-hole in his head.

"If we want a little change, we can always ask one or two of the quiet
men to join us round our fire. If we want drink, it is cheaper and
better to buy it by the bottle, and have a glass in company here. There
is no doubt that any one who takes to drink here may as well hang
himself at once, for he will never do any good. I don't know that any of
us are inclined that way, but I think it would be a good plan to enter
into a sort of agreement with each other that, as long as we are in
partnership, none of us shall enter