" he said, "two years ago, I had just forty
dollars left after paying the expenses of my trip. I couldn't find
anything to do in the city, so I set out for the mines."
"Where did you go?" asked Luke, becoming interested.
"To Oreville. At least, that's what they call it now. Then it didn't have
a name."
"I hope you prospered," said Ernest.
"Well, not just at first, but luck came after a while. When I reached the
mines I was dead broke, and went to work for somebody else. After a while
I staked out a claim for myself. Well, I won't go into particulars, but
I've got six thousand dollars salted down with a trust company in 'Frisco,
and I've got a few hundred dollars about my clothes besides."
"That's the place for us, Ernest," said Luke.
"So I think," answered Ernest.
"Do you want to go to the mines?" asked the miner.
"Yes; we have our fortunes to make, and are willing to work."
"Then go out to Oreville with me. Have you got any money?"
"We have enough to get there, and perhaps a little over."
"That will do. I'll set you to work on one of my claims. We will share and
share alike. How will that suit you?"
"It seems fair. Do you think we can make enough to live upon?"
"That depends partly on yourselves and partly upon luck."
"At any rate, we are willing to work," said Ernest.
"Then I'm your friend, and will help you," said the miner heartily. "Tom
Ashton never goes back on his friends."
This was very encouraging. Luke and Ernest were not dead broke, but were
near it. They had less than forty dollars between them, and they had
already found out that living was high in California. They remained but a
day in San Francisco, and then started for Oreville with Mr. Ashton.
The two friends knew nothing of mining, but as practiced in those days it
took very little time to learn. They found that their new friend was a man
of consideration at Oreville. He owned several claims, and had no
difficulty in finding them employment. They set to work at once, for they
were almost penniless.
It may easily be supposed that the miners were not fastidious about
living. The cabins or huts which they occupied were primitive to the last
degree. Generally they did their own cooking, such as it was. Three of
these cabins Tom Ashton owned, and one was assigned to the use of Ernest
and his friend.
For years Ernest, with his old friend and supposed uncle, Peter Brant, had
lived in a cabin at Oak Forks, but it was su
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