u'll be green enough to marry one of them 'ere Ingine gals."

"Prudence, you're spunk!" exclaimed Mose, in terms of the warmest
admiration. "Good by! And I swow I'll marry you jest as soon as you
set foot in Calliforny."

Not to amplify on details, our adventurer landed there safely, and
was, of course, like all verdant voyagers, much surprised at the
tariff of prices subjected to his notice. The porter who carried his
trunk to the hotel charged him ten dollars; and though that same hotel
was a leaky tent, a plate of tough beef was charged seventy-five
cents, and a watery potato fifty. Business was very dull, too, at the
moment of his arrival; the accounts from the mines were disastrous,
and every thing announced an approaching crisis. Moses confided his
griefs to Colonel Hateful Slowboy, his fellow-townsman, who was really
one of the richest men in California, winding up with lamentations
over the expected arrival of Prudence, whom he had promised to marry.

"What kin I do with a wife," said he, "when I can't support myself,
even?"

"Very true," said the colonel. "Now, if it were me, the case would be
very different."

"Prudence done all the courtin' herself, curnil," said our hero,
sulkily. "I never should have offered if it hadn't been for her. I
kinder like 'er pretty well, though: she's a sort of pretty nice gal."

"Well, Mose," said the colonel, "what do you say to giving up your
claim?"

"Eh?" said Mose, pricking up his ears.

"What'll you take for your right and title--cash down--no questions
asked?"

"Wall, I dunnow," said Mose, opening his jackknife and picking up a
chip. "Prudence is a pretty nice gal, as you said, curnil."

"As _you_ said, Mr. Jenkins."

"Wall, it's all the same. The critter's very fond of me and so be I of
her. I had plaguy hard work, I tell you, to get her consent."

"Come, come," said the colonel, "you want to drive a hard bargain with
me. I'm willing to give you a fair price, say twenty thousand; but I
don't want to be swindled."

"Say twenty-five thousand and take her, curnil."

"No--twenty."

"Cash down?"

"Cash down."

"Done."

"The money's ready whenever Prudence is."

In a few days another ship from Boston came in, and Prudence was among
the first to land. Mose met her with very little ardor, the colonel
remaining in the background. After some little conversation, the young
lady reminded her lover of their agreement.

"I can't do it, Prudence; I've swore