" cried the man, quickly.

"Why!" inquired Tom, smacking his lips.

The miner took the empty cup and gazed inquiringly into it.

"Humph! you've drunk it, every grain."

"Drop, you mean," suggested Tom, laughing at the man's expression; "of
course I have, and why not? There's plenty more of the same tap here."

"Oh, I wouldn't mind the water," replied the man, "if ye had only left
the gold-dust behind, but you've finished that too."

"You _don't_ mean it!" gasped Tom, while the questions flashed across
his mind--Is gold-dust poison? And if not, is it digestible? "How--how
much have I swallowed?"

"Only about two dollars--it don't signify," answered the man, joining in
the burst of laughter to which Ned and Tom gave way on this
announcement.

"I'm afraid we must owe you the sum, then," said Ned, recovering his
composure, "for we have only one dollar left, having been robbed last
night; but as we mean to work in this neighbourhood, I dare say you will
trust us."

The man agreed to this, and having directed the travellers to the
settlement of Weaver Creek, resumed his work, while they proceeded on
their way. Tom's digestion did not suffer in consequence of his golden
draught, and we may here remark, for the benefit of the curious, that he
never afterwards experienced any evil effects from it. We may further
add, that he did not forget to discharge the debt.

After half-an-hour's ride they came in sight of a few straggling
diggers, from whom they learned that the settlement, or village, or town
of Weaver Creek was about two miles further on, and in a quarter of an
hour they reached it.

The spot on which it stood was wild and romantic, embosomed among lofty
wooded hills, whose sides were indented by many a rich ravine, and
seamed by many a brawling water-course. Here digging was, as the miners
have it, in full blast. Pick, and shovel, and cradle, and long-tom, and
prospecting-pan--all were being plied with the utmost energy and with
unwearied perseverance. The whole valley was cut up and converted into
a net-work of holes and mud-heaps, and the mountain slopes were covered
with the cabins, huts, and canvas tents of the miners.

About the centre of the settlement, which was a very scattered one,
stood a log-house or cabin, of somewhat larger dimensions than the
generality of those around it. This was the grand hotel, restaurant,
and gambling-house of the place, besides being the scene of the trials
and