really
looked good, Jim had told him the true history of the nugget he had
brought home, and how much they owed to Frank; and he so far overcame
his shrinking from intercourse with his neighbours, as to become really
cordial with Frank, who, when supper was over, often strolled across and
smoked a pipe with Jim in the tent.

Frank often wondered what could have brought a man of some sixty years
of age, and evidently well educated, and a gentleman, but, as was
equally clear, wholly unfitted by age, habits, and constitution for
rough labour in such a country as that. The son had not denied that he
was English, but as he had not admitted it in so many words, Frank
thought that his father might object to any questions on the subject,
and in their many conversations the past was seldom alluded to.

Turk, who was Frank's constant companion, took remarkably to the old
man, and in the daytime, when the latter was sitting watching the
baskets coming up from below, generally took up his position by him,
sometimes lying blinking lazily in the sun, at other times sitting up
and watching the operations gravely, as if he were thoroughly aware of
their importance.

While the ground was still unpromising, Frank and his party had bought
up, for a few dollars, the claims of several of the men who had staked
out ground next to their own, and now held six on either side of the
claim they were sinking on. Beyond these, as soon as the gravel was
known to contain gold, other miners began to work--for the most part in
parties, as the depth at which paying ground lay beneath the surface was
so great that it could only be reached by joint labour--and the flat so
long neglected now became one of the busiest points in the camp.

"The gravel is getting richer and richer every day," Frank said to the
elder Adams, five weeks after they began work. "I think now it would be
as well to hire half a dozen men to carry it down to the stream and wash
it there; you could superintend them, and one of us will work at the
cradle. The stuff will pay splendidly now, I am sure, and there's a big
heap on the bank."

"If you think so, by all means let us do so," the old man said. "I
should like to begin to get some gold; we are in your debt more than a
hundred dollars already, since you have been advancing money for our
living as the work has gone on."

"There is no hurry on that account," Frank said. "Ever since we washed
the first pail of gravel it has bee