d Larry, with a smile. "Do I know meself?"

This argument was unanswerable, so Nelly made no reply, and Larry went
on. "Yes, avic, I know'd her, an' faix I hope to know her better. But
here's her picture for ye."

Larry then gave the earnest listener at his side a graphic description
of her sister Kate's personal appearance, and described her brother
also, but he did not, at that time, acquaint her with the death of the
latter. He also spoke of Black Jim, and described the circumstances of
her being carried off. "So ye see, darlin'," said he, "I know all about
ye; an' now I want ye to tell me what happened to ye after that."

"It's a sad story," said the child, in a low tone, as if her mind were
recalling melancholy incidents in her career. Then she told rapidly,
how she had been forsaken by those to whom she had been intrusted, and
left to perish in the mountain snow; and how, in her extremity, God had
sent help; how another party of emigrants found her and carried her on;
how, one by one, they all died, till she was left alone a second time;
and how a Mexican horseman found her, and carried her to his home, and
kept her there as his adopted daughter, till he was killed while taming
a wild horse. After that, Nelly's story was a repetition of what Larry
had already overheard accidentally in the concert-room.

"Now, dear," said Larry, "we haven't time to waste, will ye go with me
to San Francisco?"

The tones of the rough man's voice, rather than his words, had
completely won the confidence of the poor child, so she said, "Yes,"
without hesitation. "But how am I to escape from Mr Jolly?" she added;
"he has begun to suspect Mr Jones, I see quite well."

"Lave that to me, darlin', an' do you kape as much as ye can in the
house the nixt day or two, an' be lookin' out for what may turn up.
Good day to ye, mavourneen; we must part here, for fear we're seen by
any lynx-eyed blackguards. Kape up yer heart."

Nelly walked quickly away, half laughing at, and half perplexed by, the
ambiguity of her new friend's parting advice.

The four friends now set themselves to work to outwit Mr Jolly, and rob
him of Mademoiselle Nelina. At last they hit upon a device, which did
not, indeed, say much for the ingenuity of the party, but which, like
many other bold plans, succeeded admirably.

A steamer was to start in three days for San Francisco--one of those
splendid new vessels which, like floating palaces, had suddenly m