r of making my house your
home," said the General. "And pray do not forget that in September we
of California hold a statehood convention at Monterey, to frame a State
constitution. All good citizens are requested to be present."

"The State of California, already! Think of that!" exclaimed Mr.
Grigsby.

"And a free State, too, if we can make it so," added Colonel Fremont,
his blue eyes aglow. "California's free now, to everybody. One man is
as good as another. I was born in the South, but I'm against slavery.
California has started gloriously free, and she ought to remain so."

"I'm with you, there, gentlemen," quoth Mr. Grigsby. "Certainly this
is the one population, away out here like a big family, where slavery
has no place or reason. Anybody who will work ought to be allowed to
make a living. This gold and land weren't put here for the benefit of
a few."

They all shook hands again. The Colonel and the General paced away, on
their business. Mr. Grigsby and Charley went ahead on theirs. And
Charley never forgot his first meeting with the celebrated Pathfinder
and the stately ex-governor.

He was tired enough when he and Mr. Grigsby had completed their
errands. But he found his father rested and up, and waiting with the
home letter just finished. Charley added four pages; but he had so
much to tell that he didn't say half of it. 'Twas a wonderful country,
let alone the marvelous journey behind it. He only regretted that he
didn't pick up a little gold, in the streets, so as to enclose that in
the letter, too.

His father had made arrangements to store their trunk, and what clothes
they would not need while at the mines.

"Now all that remains is to get our washing early--and, by the way, the
Frenchman promises to have it ready by six o'clock--and a pack animal
at Sacramento," he pronounced. "That is, if we can find one."

"If Captain Sutter is there, we'll find our pack animal," asserted Mr.
Grigsby.

"And if we don't, we can carry our own packs," declared Mr. Adams.
"That's the way the majority of the people are going in. By the way,
several persons have told me we ought to try the southern mines, up the
San Joaquin, beyond the new town called Stockton. But of course we
have our reasons."

"It's all luck, to the greenhorn," replied the Fremonter. "But I think
the American or the Feather country fits that map better."

After supper they took a stroll, before they turned in early to g