ines, and fell back exhausted.

"You write; I sign," he whispered, to Charley. Charley obediently took
pad and pencil, and the man dictated. "Date. Say 'For service
rendered I give--bearer--all my rights in--Golden West mining
claim--California.' I sign. Quick." And he motioned for the pencil.

Charley held the pad, and watched him feebly scrawl a "T" and what
might have been an "o"--and a haggling "m"; and then the pencil
dropped. He looked so strange, he scarcely breathed; and frightened,
Charley darted into the other room where his father was lying resting.

"Oh, dad! Dad!"

"Hello? What's the matter?"

"Come, quick!"

Mr. Adams jumped to the floor and at rapid limp hastened for the
living-room.

"He acts worse," explained Charley, pointing. "See? He talked, and
started to write, and fell back."

Mr. Adams bent over the sofa and with ear down listened. He put his
hand upon the stranger's forehead.

"Get the doctor as quick as you can, Charley," he bade.

Out bolted Charley, but he did not have far to go, for he met the
doctor at the gate. A glance at the sofa decided Doctor Paulis. He
soberly shook his head. His examination need be very short.

"I can do no more," he said.

"I feared so," confessed Charley's father. "To bad. Well, now what
can _we_ do, I wonder."

"I'll notify the coroner," proffered the old doctor. "Meanwhile, you'd
better look through the clothes and see if you can find out anything
more."

The doctor left. Mr. Adams gently searched the man's trouser pockets,
finding nothing, not even a knife.

"Now for the coat again," he directed.

Charley brought the coat from the closet. His father handled it. It
was heavy with the two little buckskin sacks; but the pockets contained
nothing else--and yet Mr. Adams's fingers paused in their search, as he
was about to lay the coat aside.

"There's a paper in here somewhere," he said. "I felt it. It's inside
the lining." He fished out his pen-knife; and ripping a seam,
extracted the paper from under the lining.

It seemed to be several pages from an old diary, and was worn so that
the pencilings could scarcely be read. Charley and his father could
make out names of places in California, evidently--"Sutter's,"
"American R.," "Coloma,"--and stray words such as "good camp,"
"prospects bright," "ounces," "pan," "rain," "home"; on an inside page
was sketched a rough map.

But this penciled map was so worn and faint th