ith us from Sacramento a few bottles of fever medicine,
and other things likely to be wanted here, and if any of them would be
of use you will be heartily welcome to them. We ought all to help each
other, for no one knows whether he himself may not want a helping hand
next."

"Thank you," the man said, somewhat gruffly; "we shall get on all right,
and my mate isn't fond of strangers."

"I need not trouble him myself," Frank said; "I can bring you round any
medicines here, and you can give them to him without saying how you got
them."

"Thank you; medicine wouldn't do him any good," the man said, and
resumed his work as if anxious to avoid further conversation.

Frank, however, was not to be discouraged. The man looked thin and
haggard, and Frank suspected that it might be food rather than medicine
of which the man's mate was in need. He therefore stood his ground.

"I am afraid you haven't hit on a very good spot," he said. "I don't
know much about it myself, for I have only been here about a month; but
I hear every one say that there have been several trials made here, and
that none of them have found anything to speak of."

"We must work where we can," the man said. "The places were pretty well
all taken up when we came, and it didn't suit us to go further."

"Well," said Frank, "I don't want to be inquisitive, mate, or to
interfere in other people's affairs, but I noticed your mate looked an
elderly man, and that you seemed pretty much alone. I am only just out
here myself, and I and the party I am working with are doing fairly; so
I thought it would be only neighbourly to come over and see if I could
be of use in any way."

"No, thank you," the man repeated; "there's nothing we want."

Frank saw that at present he could do nothing; but he had little doubt
that the two men were really suffering severely. Still he understood and
respected their pride, and with a friendly "Good evening," strolled off
to his own hut.

The next evening he again went round to the solitary workman.

"How is your mate?" he asked.

The man shook his head. "He's pretty bad."

The tone was softer and less repellent than that which he had used the
evening before. He was a young man of not more than three or four and
twenty, and Frank saw that his lip quivered as he turned away from him
and dug his shovel into the ground.

"If your mate is worse," Frank said, "you have no right to refuse my
offer. I cannot help feeling that you