lwood replaced the watch in his pocket, disheartened at the failure of
his offer.

"We have no money; if you will call at my father's the next time you go
to San Francisco, he will gladly give you your price."

"Don't know as we shall go to San Francisco for the next five years;
shan't go any way until we are loaded down with gold, and then we won't
care about calling on your father--more likely he'll want to call on
us."

An idea struck Howard.

"You are pleased with our blanket. Will you exchange your guns for
that?"

Ned shook his head.

"Got all the blankets we want; don't want it; keep it yourself."

"Will you not give us one gun for both the blanket and watch?"

The miner now laughed, and shook his head again.

"Don't want either; can't do it."

The boys now despaired.

"Well, we may as well give up. We can't get any guns of you."

"What is the reason you can't?"

"You seem unwilling to trade, and we can not buy them."

"Of course you can't; but----"

And thereupon the miner rose to his feet and handed one gun to Elwood
and the other to Howard.

"What does this mean?" asked the latter, not comprehending him.

"You don't suppose we would be _mean_ enough to _sell_ you anything you
needed so bad, do you? No; take them both, and here's a lot of lead,
gun-caps and ammunition."

"But----"

"No _buts_ about it. Take 'em, you're welcome, for you need 'em. I was
only joking with you."

CHAPTER XIX.

THE CANOE.

Ned Trimble would not hear the repeated thanks of our friends, but waved
them an impressive and magnificent farewell as they took their
departure. They were not yet beyond sight of each other when they heard
him calling to them in excited tones, and the next moment he came
running after them.

"I think you said you was going to undertake to foller the river down
the valley, didn't you?"

They made answer that such was their intention, whereupon he hastened to
add:

"About a mile down, under some bushes that stick out by a big rock, on
the same side that you're traveling, is a little Injin canoe that is
just the thing you want. You're welcome to it."

"But how shall we thank you?"

"I don't know; again, my noble friends, I bid thee farewell, and if
forever, still forever, fare thee well."

The eccentric miner lifted his hat, bowed very low, and sauntered back
to his friends with the air of a monarch who had just indulged in some
gracious act of condescension, while our