r's Fort for provisions--Don Gaspar's beautiful
chestnut refused to be a pack-horse on any terms. We took the
opportunity of sending our accumulations of gold dust to Talbot for
safekeeping. I do not know just how much my companions forwarded. Of
course I could compute their shares; but had no means of telling just
what deductions to allow for the delights of Hangman's Gulch. For Talbot
I laid aside as his share of our entire product of four hundred and
eighty-six ounces a total of one hundred and ten ounces. This included
the half of my own share, as agreed. Roughly speaking, the value of a
partnership third, after Don Gaspar's portion had been deducted, was a
trifle over a thousand dollars for six weeks' work. There seemed to us
also an excellent chance to realize something on the two cradles. I went
about among the miners, and without trouble got bids for a hundred
dollars each. Johnny was by no means satisfied with this. He insisted
that late in the afternoon we drag the formidable engines up the trail
to the town, where he deposited them in the middle of the street. There
he proceeded to auction them; attracting the crowd by the simple
expedient of firing his Colt's revolver. The bidding was sluggish at
first, but Johnny's facetious oratory warmed it. The first cradle was
knocked down at one hundred and sixty dollars. The second was about to
go for approximately the same amount, when Johnny held up his hand.

"Gentlemen," said he impressively, "I do not think you quite realize
that for what you are bidding. This is no ordinary cradle, like the
other. This is the very identical warranted genuine cradle into which
that enormous lump of gold, weighing three and three-quarter ounces--the
finest nugget ever unearthed at Hangman's Gulch--was _about to be_
shovelled by that largest and most enormous lump of a lad, the gentleman
at my right, when seized upon and claimed as private property in
accordance with the laws of these diggings. This is the very identical
historical cradle! Now, how much am I bid!"

The crowd laughed--but it bid! We got two hundred and forty dollars for
it.

Our purveyors returned the second day after. They reported prices very
high at Sutter's Fort, and a great congestion of people there; both of
those ascending the river from San Francisco, and of overlanders. Prices
had consequently gone up. Indeed, so high were all provisions that our
hard-headed partners had contented themselves with buying o