Charles W. Thomas. Serelda Gilstrap-Thomas. 
 
 Charles W. Thomas, Jr. 
 
 The Thomas Collection. 
 
 (MISCELLANEOUS LIBRARY.) 
 
 "Although most of my friends are toad arithmeticians, 
 they are all good book-keepers." Walter Scott. 
 
 Bate 
 
 No 
 
 Price 
 
 University of California Berkeley 
 
THE 
 
 GOLD-SEEKER 
 
 FROM THE GERMAN. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. LEVI C. SHEIP, A. M 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : 
 
 LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY. 
 1883. 
 
This translation is respectfully inscribed to 
 the pupils of the Doylestown Borough Public 
 Schools, in whose welfare the translator is deep- 
 ly interested. 
 
 Copyright, 1883, 
 
 BY THE 
 
 LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY. 
 
 WESTCOTT & THOMSON, 
 Streatypers and Electretypers, Philada, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 THE Two BROTHERS 5 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 THE EMIGRANT 23 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST 40 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 THE FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY 72 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 THE TREASURE 97 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A NEW DISCOVERY 130 
 
 3 
 
4 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. PAGB 
 
 NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS 154 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 BROTHER-LOVE 176 
 
THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE TWO BROTHERS. 
 
 YOU may not be acquainted with the 
 charming valleys of the Rhine. They 
 surpass many other portions of the German 
 fatherland. They excel not only in romantic 
 beauty, but also in fertility and the rich prod- 
 ucts of the soil, and in the untiring industry 
 and good nature of the inhabitants. 
 
 Leaving the picturesque banks of the 
 Rhine on a summer day for a stroll, and 
 taking a foot-path to the right or left lead- 
 ing into one of these valleys, we find luxu- 
 riant fields with waving seas of golden har- 
 
 1* 5 
 
6 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 vest. Large orchards are laden with immense 
 quantities of ripening fruit. Terraced hills 
 are seen clad in the green vine-leaf, beneath 
 which, in the warm' rays of the sun, ripen 
 great clusters of luscious grapes. Clapper- 
 ing mills, whose huge sluggish water-wheels 
 turn incessantly, mingle their " tic-a-tack " 
 with the rippling waters of murmuring 
 streamlets. Best of all, we meet here also, 
 for the most part, a cheerful, contented and 
 social people. They pass their days free 
 from care, but they also enjoy with thank- 
 ful hearts the rich blessings with which our 
 heavenly Father, the Giver of all good, has 
 so lavishly crowned their native valley. 
 
 In such a valley one of the most beau- 
 tiful and fertile of the Rhine region there 
 dwelt, not long ago, two brothers, Ernst and 
 George Reinberg, to whom their deceased 
 father, whose only children they were, had 
 left a comfortable patrimony. After his de- 
 
THE TWO BROTHERS. / 
 
 cease, as designated in the will, his posses- 
 sions were divided into two equal portions. 
 The one embraced the farm, with the or- 
 chards and a fine stock of cattle ; the other 
 consisted of a large handsome mill, with the 
 vineyards, which were under the best culti- 
 vation and planted with choicest vines. The 
 portions had such nearly equal value that it 
 would have been difficult to decide between 
 them had a choice been required. 
 
 But old Herr Reinberg thoughtfully pro- 
 vided against such a contingency. In his 
 will he had ordered that his sons should 
 determine their respective portions by lot. 
 In casting lots the farm fell to George, the 
 younger brother, and the mill to the older. 
 Ernst was well pleased with his portion of 
 the estate, and George did not murmur as he 
 glanced from the mill to his rich cornfields 
 and orchards, whose possession made him 
 one of the wealthiest dwellers of the valley. 
 
8 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 The brothers now warmly clasped hands, 
 pledging to each other more than a neigh- 
 borly feeling. Ernst took possession of the 
 mill, and George continued to occupy the 
 neat farmhouse, situated in about the centre 
 of his property. 
 
 The stream of water which, splashing, 
 turned the mill-wheels formed the bound- 
 ary-line between their estates. The mill was 
 seated on the left bank, the farm on the right, 
 and a bridge crossed the stream. So close 
 together lay their properties that if they 
 wished they could visit each other hourly. 
 
 One would have supposed that these broth- 
 ers, who were so universally envied for their 
 independent circumstances, would lead the 
 most happy life together. God had bestowed 
 upon them infinitely more than upon millions 
 of their fellow-beings. He favored them with 
 good health, abundance, beautiful and attractive 
 homes with enough, and more than enough, 
 
THE TWO BROTHERS. 9 
 
 for which to be thankful. Although Ernst, 
 the elder, felt happy with his lot, the same 
 could not be said of George, the younger, 
 who was restless and dissatisfied. They dif- 
 fered widely in disposition and in mode of 
 thinking. 
 
 Ernst was justly esteemed a plain, thought- 
 ful, and at the same a thoroughly upright 
 and diligent, young man. Restlessly indus- 
 trious early and late, he found no time for 
 needless racking of the brain or vain mus- 
 ings; as a good economist, he watched his 
 interests closely, exerting his powers to the 
 utmost, and deemed himself so happy amid 
 this restless activity that he envied no one 
 in all the world not even him who was, 
 perhaps, far more prosperous or possessed 
 still greater riches. The mill supplied his 
 wants, and a good deal more, as the poor 
 and needy in the community well realized. 
 The noble young man desired nothing be- 
 
IO THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 yond this. After being actively engaged 
 during the day, he would often in the even- 
 ing visit his revered friend Parson Seebach, 
 who lived in Lauerthal, a neighboring vil- 
 lage, whose instructive as well as attractive 
 conversation he enjoyed either at his house 
 or during a walk. Other good friends would 
 also meet at the parsonage, or perhaps occa- 
 sionally at the mill, which afforded an excel- 
 lent opportunity, after the labors of the day, 
 for a refreshing and acceptable evening en- 
 tainment. 
 
 On the Lord's day the mill-wheels stood 
 still ; their busy rattling did not sound up 
 and down the valley as on week-days. Ernst, 
 as a true Christian, loved devotionally to spend 
 the day which celebrates Christ's resurrection 
 from the dead. His dusty mill- coat being 
 laid aside, in neat and becoming attire he 
 could be seen on a Sabbath morning wend- 
 ing his way devoutly to the neighboring 
 
THE TWO BROTHERS. II 
 
 church. There he met on holy ground the 
 assembly for which his simple, pious heart 
 sincerely longed. There he offered a silent 
 prayer, thanking God for his providential and 
 gracious gifts bestowed on him during the 
 week. Being thoroughly instructed in the 
 divine truth, and having his spirit refreshed 
 by the dews of the sanctuary, he returned to 
 spend the remainder of the holy day either 
 in earnest meditation t>n God's revealed will, 
 or in reading a good and instructive book, or 
 in wandering out into the beautiful valley of 
 his home, admiring the rich beauty which 
 crowned it. Or sometimes he visited his 
 brother and the neighbors, if they did not 
 prefer coming to him. The evening was 
 spent in pious conversation under the state- 
 ly linden before the mill. 
 
 Thus Ernst passed his days in the midst 
 of happiness and contentment. He found 
 full satisfaction in what he possessed, and 
 
12 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 never longed, not even for a moment, for a 
 bettering of his circumstances. 
 
 George was very differently minded. In 
 fact, no two- brothers could have been more 
 opposite constituted. While Ernst sought 
 and found his happiness in God, George 
 sought satisfaction in the whirlpools of the 
 world, but, unlike his brother, without rind- 
 ing it. Insatiable and aspiring, he was dis- 
 contented with his possessions. He had, it 
 is true, a good maintenance, but many had 
 that : he thirsted for riches, pomp and lord- 
 ship. In his very soul he envied the wealthy 
 nobles and principalities whose proud and 
 stately castles loomed up before him in the 
 distance from his plain but inviting resi- 
 dence. 
 
 "Why am I not just as high-born and 
 rich ?" he muttered, morosely, as his eyes 
 rested on the towers and pinnacles and the 
 crystal windows of the several castles. 
 
THE TWO BROTHERS. 1 3 
 
 "What crime have I committed, that I can- 
 not call lofty towers, costly apartments, splen- 
 did equipages and fiery steeds mine, as well 
 as they, who are only mortals and no more 
 than I? Why, when they possess .hundreds 
 of acres, must I be contented with a few 
 hides of land ? Why dwell in a hut, when 
 those strut about in palaces? Why is 
 there for me so little, and for them so 
 much ?" 
 
 Thus soliloquized George. Such foolish, 
 and in his circumstances wicked, ideas haunt- 
 ed him, while for a lesson in contentment he 
 need but have glanced at his brother, who, 
 similarly situated and surrounded, was so en- 
 tirely satisfied and happy. But for such quiet 
 and unostentatious happiness he had neither 
 taste nor disposition. He longed for gold, 
 for show and for splendor ; he wished to be 
 admired, envied, noticed not as he was en- 
 vied by the humbler dwellers of his native 
 
14 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 valley, but to be envied by all the world, 
 even by the great and the wealthy. He 
 might have been happy, but his insatiable 
 spirit rendered him restive and wretched.' 
 Fie esteemed his inheritance as nothing 
 compared with what Fate had denied him. 
 A dissatisfied person is not only unhappy, 
 but also irritable, morose and negligent. To 
 this rule George formed no exception. He 
 made no progress in his domestic concerns 
 rather the reverse, because his mind was oc- 
 cupied with other than his rightful employ- 
 ment. Seldom did he put his hand to the 
 plough. When the soil was to be ordured 
 or the crops gathered, he depended on his 
 hired help, whom he paid for their service, 
 and whose business, he said, it was to do 
 the work. He the rather joined merry circles, 
 squandered his means, sought joy and diver- 
 sion everywhere, and amid all the passing 
 scenes found neither felicity nor contentment, 
 
THE TWO BROTHERS. 15 
 
 but simply vexation, regret and self-reproach. 
 He was wretched and sighed for a bettering 
 of his circumstances, which at present were 
 to him by no means satisfactory. 
 
 Thus, one day, morose and dejected as 
 usual, in order to pass time George went 
 to the village, several miles distant from his 
 residence and located so near the Rhine that 
 the houses are reflected in its crystal waters. 
 Here he took his position at a landing-place 
 where steamers usually lay to in their going 
 and coming. He listlessly observed the stir, 
 the business and the occupations which en- 
 livened the shore. 
 
 A large steamer came down the river ; the 
 huge splurging wheels- struck the foaming wa- 
 ters; black smoke whirled in thick clouds 
 over the vessel ; and, suddenly describing a 
 large arc, the boat swept up to the landing. 
 The bell rang; passengers streamed in and 
 out ; baggage and bales of merchandise were 
 
1 6 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 lugged to and from the vessel. Again the 
 bell rang. The captain shouted. Again 
 the wheels, until now silent, forcibly struck 
 the heaving waters. 
 
 Dreamily the eye of George followed the 
 steamer, which like a huge bird moved off 
 on the strong pinions of steam. 
 
 "Oh that I could sail along and see the 
 wide world !" sighed he, in half-smothered 
 tones. 
 
 "And why can't you ?" inquired a voice 
 by his side. "What hinders you?" 
 
 George looked up and saw a party of men, 
 women and children sitting by the wharf. 
 Before him stood a young man with a keen, 
 open countenance, looking half boldly, half 
 mockingly, into his face. 
 
 " Well," said he, " what is there to pre- 
 vent you? You lack neither youth nor 
 health, and as much money as you may need 
 for the journey you will also be able to se- 
 
THE TWO BROTHERS. I 1 / 
 
 cure; you certainly do not look poverty- 
 stricken. But undoubtedly you are a dar- 
 ling pet and dare not let go the apron-strings 
 of your anxious mamma." 
 
 "What do you say?" exclaimed George, 
 angrily and with knitted brow. " I am un- 
 der no one's control and call no man mas- 
 ter. But who are you and these people?" 
 
 " Emigrants. Why, you can see it," re- 
 plied the fellow. "All these are bound for 
 the Western country of America, and are 
 stopping here to meet friends and acquaint- 
 ances to-morrow morning. But I have some- 
 thing better in view." 
 
 "And what?" asked George, inquisitively. 
 " Do you not accompany them ?" 
 
 " No ; I'd be foolish to do so. I am going 
 to California, the gold-country, where the 
 gold-pieces lie scattered like pebbles in a 
 stream and one has but to gather them," 
 
 said the young man. 
 2* B 
 
1 8 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 George listened intently. He had, it is 
 true, heard of California and that vast treas- 
 ures of gold could be secured there; but 
 that he, or any one else, could go there to 
 seek the glittering prize had never occurred 
 to him. 
 
 " But," said he, after a moment's reflec- 
 tion, " since there is so much gold in that 
 country, and you are going there, why do 
 not all these go with you?" 
 
 "Bah! With wives and children?" ex- 
 claimed the young stranger. " They would 
 fare badly. To go to California, one must 
 be young and robust, brave and resolute, 
 vigorous, and, above all, untrammelled by 
 wife and children. A family is only an ob- 
 stacle there. Alone, young, brave, hale and 
 resolute, that's the way to win a fortune. 
 For this reason I am going alone, on my 
 own responsibility. At home I have noth- 
 ing to lose ; there, everything to win. If 
 
THE TWO BROTHERS. 19 
 
 you have sufficient courage, accompany me." 
 After this speech he walked away and min- 
 gled with the other emigrants, who collected 
 their baggage to go into the town to seek 
 lodging for the night. 
 
 George remained standing by the landing 
 and musingly gazed over the railing into the 
 green, gently-flowing waters of the river. 
 The words of the young fellow who had 
 addressed him still rang in his ears. 
 
 " California !" . muttered he " California ! 
 * When young, courageous, hale, resolute, 
 Fortune smiles upon one there/ said he. If 
 he was right ! And why should he not be ? 
 I well know that gold exists there in great 
 masses : the parson himself lately related the 
 fact to Ernst and read from the newspaper 
 of startling discoveries of gold in that coun- 
 try. Even if California be far distant from 
 the Rhine, I can certainly get there as well 
 as this one. Why should I not be as sue- 
 
2O THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 cessful as he? Am I not young, robust, 
 strong and brave? Have I not already in 
 vain courted success? Yes, then, to Cali- 
 fornia I mean to go to ascertain whether 
 prosperity will not smile on me there." 
 
 George pondered yet a good while on the 
 rich gold-country, and in golden dreams pic- 
 tured to himself what he would do and ac- 
 complish when, after years, he would return 
 as an exceedingly rich man, rolling in wealth 
 and scattering it with a liberal hand, without 
 even knowing any further want of it. How 
 he could then build, close to the Rhine, on 
 an elevation, a splendid castle whose proud 
 pinnacles would be reflected in the waters, 
 and buy large tracts and live like the first 
 nobleman in the land ! 
 
 Finally, his brow became feverish and his 
 head dizzy from dreaming, planning and the 
 air-castles which he reared in the blue fir- 
 mament of his imagination. Until evening he 
 
THE TWO BROTHERS. 21 
 
 stood on the landing, and only after a cool 
 wind blew from the Rhine and the frosty 
 night-air chilled him did he turn his steps 
 slowly away not to go to his home, how- 
 ever, but to go into the village to seek the 
 headquarters of the emigrants, in order again 
 to meet the young stranger. Having found, 
 him, he ordered for him a glass of wine, and 
 still another, listening all the while intently to 
 every golden word which fell from his lips. 
 Of course there was little truth in what 
 he so readily communicated; still, it served 
 to stimulate the longing of George for the 
 gold-country, and finally, when he separated 
 from his newly-made friend, after midnight, 
 his resolution was formed. He purposed dis- 
 posing of his effects and at once sailing to 
 the New World, where his fond anticipations 
 would certainly be realized and with little 
 effort. Returning home, he threw himself 
 on his bed to sleep, but his usually sweet 
 
22 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 and undisturbed slumber was during this 
 night restless as never before. He dreamed 
 of nothing but of lofty mountains of gold, 
 which glowed in the rays of the sun like 
 huge fires, and of immense masses of shin- 
 ing ore which could be drawn out like 
 ^vater from a well. 
 
 Early in the morning he went to see his 
 brother, to communicate to him the resolu- 
 tion he had formed. Night had neither 
 changed his mind nor weakened his adven- 
 turous and hazardous determination. His 
 eyes were blinded, his reason bewildered, by 
 the burning thirst for gold which had taken 
 possession of his entire being. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE EMIGRANT. 
 
 A5OUT an hour after sunrise George 
 left his commodious, if not magnif- 
 icent, dwelling, whose roof had already for 
 a century sheltered his fathers. 
 
 The dewdrops still hung on the slender 
 blades of grass, or glittered in the cups of 
 the solitary meadow-flowers, or dropped like 
 fluid diamonds from the refreshed leaves of 
 the trees. Over the mountains hung a clear, 
 light mist, which in the bright sunlight daz- 
 zled the eye with its silvery brightness. 
 From the distance sounded the rattling of 
 the mill. The birds sang their merry songs 
 in the branches. It was a most blissful, re- 
 freshing and lovely morning. 
 
 23 
 
24 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 Under other circumstances, George would 
 have highly enjoyed such a beautiful, festive 
 hour, when the breath of the Almighty seems 
 to permeate and enliven all nature ; to-day 
 he had no relish for his pleasant surroundings. 
 With downcast look he rashly hastened across 
 the bridge to the mill, and presently stood 
 'before his brother, who viewed him with 
 surprise. 
 
 " George," he exclaimed, " what has be- 
 fallen you? Why, you are laboring under 
 a hallucination this morning." 
 
 " No wonder, Ernst," replied he : " I have 
 come to a new determination." 
 
 " God grant it may be a good one !" said 
 Ernst, in the sincerity of his heart. " But 
 what is this new determination ?" 
 
 " Brother, I propose emigrating to Cali- 
 fornia to the gold-country." 
 
 "And what do you expect to do there, 
 George ?" inquired Ernst, astounded. 
 
THE EMIGRANT. 25 
 
 "What do I expect to do there? Why, 
 seek gold, riches, and acquire immense treas- 
 ures. What else ?" 
 
 " Do you not suppose, George, that you 
 are very foolish ?" said Ernst, laughingly ; 
 for he could not believe that his brother had 
 really come to a determination which to him 
 seemed utterly preposterous. " Stay at home 
 and support yourself honestly; do not in- 
 dulge adventurous schemes. You have to 
 struggle against neither want nor care. Your 
 fertile fields and luxuriant meadows are your 
 gold-mines, and they are sufficiently product- 
 ive to satisfy your rational needs. Leave me, 
 George ? You are only jesting." 
 
 " No, no, brother, I am in earnest in real 
 earnest," replied George. " I am tired of this 
 miserably monotonous life ; I will strike out 
 into the wide world. I am zealous, young, 
 vigorous and resolute ; upon such qualities 
 Fortune smiles." 
 
 3 
 
26 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 " ' Fortune ' !" repeated Ernst, with surprise. 
 " What fortune do you desire other than 
 what Heaven has already granted you ? Are 
 you not favored ? What more can you wish ? 
 You have a respectable maintenance, a home 
 besides, a brother who loves you. George, 
 I pray you, what more and better can you 
 find out in the world, where you are a 
 stranger and a homeless wanderer? Let 
 others whom Providence has not so highly 
 favored go abroad : I find no fault with such ; 
 but, as for you, it were the height of folly to 
 reject secured present good for an uncertain 
 perhaps a gloomy and sorrowful future. To 
 barter a competency for a delusive hope 
 how unwise this were !" 
 
 " But my maintenance does not suffice," 
 replied George, obstinately. " Here I wear- 
 ily gather the ears of corn, while there I will 
 scrape together heaps of solid gold. Thou- 
 sands go to California thousands, with lit- 
 
THE EMIGRANT. 2/ 
 
 tie effort, there collect immense treasure. 
 Why shall I fold my arms and quietly look 
 on, when I have but to reach out my hand 
 to obtain riches as well as they ? No, no ! 
 My mode of life here is a simple excuse for 
 living : I will go." 
 
 When Ernst saw that his brother was firm 
 in his determination, he was first sorrowful, 
 then angry. He warned, he entreated, he re- 
 monstrated; but George continued unmoved 
 in his intentions. 
 
 "Well, if you must go, we cannot do 
 otherwise than allow you to follow your 
 inclinations," said the brave fellow, finally, 
 with painful indignation. " But think of my 
 warnings. Regret will overtake you, with all 
 its pain and suffering, before you are aware 
 of it, and when it may be for ever too late 
 to retrace your steps." 
 
 " Very well," replied George, irritated ; 
 "we shall see whether you will eventually 
 
28 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 envy me, or I you. I will at once make the 
 preliminary arrangements to dispose of my 
 property." 
 
 " George, for goodness* sake, reflect be- 
 fore you take this step," warned Ernst, in 
 alarm. " Do not sell the house the dear 
 old homestead where together we spent the 
 happy days of our childhood. You will in 
 time regret it with bitterness regret it. Re- 
 frain from this course of procedure." 
 
 " I will not," replied George, insolently. 
 " What does the miserable hut concern me, 
 when I may hereafter rear a castle ?" With- 
 out further listening to Ernst he walked away. 
 
 George was displeased with his brother, 
 whom he had expected agreeably to sur- 
 prise with his proposed undertaking, and 
 who he had secretly hoped might even ac- 
 company him and with him seek a fortune 
 in the New World. In this he was now dis- 
 appointed. The rational remonstrances of 
 
THE EMIGRANT. 29 
 
 his brother only served to strengthen his 
 adventurous purpose. In his present frame 
 of mind what cared he for home, friends or 
 a devoted brother's love ? Gold, wealth, 
 untold treasure, this it was for which he 
 yearned, and which he hoped easily to ob- 
 tain. 
 
 Without further consideration, George took 
 the necessary steps toward disposing of his 
 effects. He hastened on matters generally. 
 The very ground of his home seemed to burn 
 beneath his feet. A feverish longing urged 
 him to hasten to the distant gold-country, 
 as though he feared, coming too late, others 
 might carry away the treasure designed for 
 him. Thirst for gold so completely possessed 
 him that he was no longer capable of calm 
 and cool reflection. 
 
 Meanwhile, Ernst quietly meditated on the 
 course his brother was pursuing; and the 
 longer he dwelt on it, the more anxious he 
 
 3* 
 
3O THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 became as to the result of the hazardous 
 project. He well saw that his brother no 
 longer heeded his remonstrances or pray- 
 ers, but his worthy friend Herr Parson See- 
 bach might probably yet to some purpose 
 influence the unhappy design of George. 
 To him he hastened, and laid the whole 
 matter before him. 
 
 The parson was no less alarmed than 
 Ernst. 
 
 " I must at once see him," said he. " Be 
 composed, my friend; George will yet re- 
 flect and return to reason. To leave, to 
 throw away a sure fortune in order to chase 
 phantom hopes, would be rushing into the 
 arms of destruction with deliberation. Be 
 composed, friend ; George is not so foolish 
 as not to be approached by reason." 
 
 The kind parson delayed not a moment to 
 see George, but found him just as obstinate as 
 his brother had found him in the morning. 
 
THE EMIGRANT. 3! 
 
 4 What do you wish ?" inquired he. " I 
 mean to seek my fortune, and no one shall 
 hinder me." 
 
 " No one truly will hinder you from seek- 
 ing your true fortune," answered the parson ; 
 "but do you really think, George, that fortune 
 consists of nothing but gold ? Fortune 
 true fortune exists only with moderation 
 and self-denial. Be contented, and you are 
 fortunate." 
 
 " But I am discontented," replied George. 
 " My desires reach beyond these narrow con- 
 fines, which shut from me all enjoyment. I 
 long to be rich as rich as they who now 
 look haughtily down upon me." 
 
 "And are you not richer than millions of 
 your fellow- beings, who by hard labor must 
 wrestle for their daily bread ? George, you 
 mock God, who has blessed you above thou- 
 sands and given you everything that beauti- 
 fies and adorns life. You should thank the 
 
32 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 Lord on bended knee for the fulness of bless- 
 ing which his grace has showered on you. 
 You covet riches : are you not rich through 
 the true love of your brother and the kind- 
 ness of your neighbors ? for love is so ines- 
 timable that all the gold of the earth can 
 neither be substituted for it nor purchase 
 it, and you should at least think twice before 
 you inconsiderately spurn such a priceless 
 treasure. You envy the rich and the great, 
 but why not rather look below than above 
 you ? You will find few in better circum- 
 stances than you, while you can count the 
 poorer by hundreds and thousands. Look 
 on them. See how they eat their bread in 
 the sweat of their face, how with depriva- 
 tions of every kind, with want, with grief, 
 with sickness, with affliction, they are called 
 to struggle ; and then, if you dare, complain 
 and find fault with your condition, which is 
 so superior to hosts of others. You are for- 
 
THE EMIGRANT. 33 
 
 tunate ; only realize it. You have every rea- 
 son to be contented ; therefore be contented, 
 and do not by your murmuring and disaffec- 
 tion offend when you should honor and praise 
 your God with hymns of thanksgiving." 
 
 "All very good," replied George, in haughty 
 tones. " Every one seeks his fortune after 
 his own fashion, and mine is simply to go 
 to California." 
 
 " Then go, and God grant you may never 
 repent it !" said the parson. " I well see, 
 George, you belong to that class which are 
 not to be made wise by exhortation, but by 
 experience. But, believe me, experience will 
 not be waited on." 
 
 That the worthy parson and Ernst repeat- 
 ed their entreaties and remonstrances from 
 time to time availed nothing. George's mind 
 was so bent on California and its mineral 
 wealth that his reason was almost dethroned, 
 and he never for a moment thought of alter- 
 
34 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 * 
 
 ing his purpose. He believed, once for all, 
 that there alone success awaited him. All 
 warnings and exhortations to reflect on his 
 wild scheme he treated with utter contempt. 
 When the parson related to him, or read from 
 books, how many persons, by their intense 
 longing for gold, had' made shipwreck and 
 perished miserably in California, or had re- 
 turned to their homes poor and ragged, he 
 remarked that he purposed being wiser than 
 they, and to economize. To cap the climax, 
 he read in a newspaper that a large vessel 
 freighted with gold had landed in England. 
 He could now be restrained no longer. Over 
 head and ears he plunged into his prepara- 
 tions for the voyage to the New World, and 
 his friends were obliged to let -him have his 
 own way. Did they offer opposition, he 
 became furious and turned away from each 
 one even from the parson^ and in addition 
 offered the grossest insults. 
 
THE EMIGRANT. 35 
 
 " We must let him do as he likes, parson," 
 softly remarked thoughtful Ernst. " Still, it 
 pains me to think of him rushing thus blind- 
 ly to ruin. I have a presentiment that he will 
 some time return home, and for this event I 
 desire to provide. God has rewarded my in- 
 dustry, and I have saved a handsome sum 
 of money. What more is needed I presume 
 can be secured." 
 
 " What is needed, dear friend ?" earnestly 
 inquired the parson. 
 
 " Why, simply funds to purchase the prop- 
 erty of my brother," replied Ernst. "You 
 see, dear parson, I cannot bear the thought 
 that the much-cherished old home the dear 
 old house under whose moss-covered roof I 
 have spent so many happy hours, in which 
 I was born, and in which my sainted father 
 drew his last breath should pass into the 
 hands of a stranger. I contemplate pur- 
 chasing his entire property not "for myself, 
 
36 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 but for my poor infatuated brother George, 
 who in the end will thank me for retaining 
 for him a place at the homestead. But let 
 him know nothing of this, parson. If he 
 knew that I intended purchasing his pos- 
 sessions, he might perhaps sell under value ; 
 and this I could not endure, as he will likely 
 need his money over in the rich gold-region. 
 And when he returns, parson, how rejoiced 
 he will be again to dwell under the dear 
 old roof!" 
 
 With kindly emotion the parson looked 
 into the moist eye of the noble Ernst. 
 
 " God bless you, my son !" said he, feel- 
 ingly. " However well George may succeed 
 beyond the sea, and though he seize every 
 treasure of the gold-country, a heart like 
 yours he will not again find in all the world ; 
 and I trust he will eventually discover that 
 such a heart has more real value than the 
 gold of the whole earth." 
 
THE EMIGRANT. 37 
 
 " Bah !" replied Ernst, mildly ; " it is only 
 the heart of a true brother, which fulfils its 
 duty." 
 
 The parson and Ernst so shrewdly set to 
 work that in the disposition of his affairs 
 George did not observe that his possessions 
 passed into the hands of his brother. He 
 believed a stranger anxious to settle in the 
 neighborhood had purchased his property, 
 but knew not that he was a distant relative of 
 the parson, who closed the purchase for him- 
 self as a mere matter of form. 
 
 Besides, for the present, George cared lit- 
 tle about the occupancy of his paternal abode 
 and the cultivation of the fields which had 
 maintained him and his ancestry for so many 
 years. He appropriated the proceeds of the 
 sale of his goods to cover the expenditures 
 on the long journey. Early one morning, 
 when his brother Ernst looked for him to 
 come to take his final leave, he was already 
 
 4 
 
38 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 off and away beyond the mountains, cheerily 
 sailing down the Rhine in a steamer. He 
 had simply left a note. 
 
 "Farewell, brother," he wrote. "Pardon 
 me for leaving without embracing you a last 
 time: I dreaded the pain of separation. I 
 greet you a thousand times, and in the far- 
 away land beyond the sea I will cherish you 
 with the same warm feeling of affection which 
 I entertained for you at home. I do not know 
 that I act wisely in this that I now separate 
 from you and my native land, but this I know 
 that I had no longer any rest at home. I 
 seek my fortune, and I hope, brother, I will 
 find it. The Lord be with you and all the 
 friends always! Farewell." 
 
 " Farewell, poor brother, and God be with 
 you also !" sighed Ernst ; and a hot tear fell 
 on the note as he folded it with trembling 
 hands. " If you find what you seek, no one 
 will rejoice more than I." 
 
THE EMIGRANT. 39 
 
 He locked up the note in a desk and a lov- 
 ing remembrance of his brother in his heart. 
 But he often thought of the absent one as 
 in the evening he sat alone in his yard under 
 the linden tree, and many a blessing followed 
 the adventurer on his dark, distant and dan- 
 gerous path, which more likely led to misery 
 than to joy. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 
 
 EORGE, meanwhile, full of bright anti- 
 cipations, which were increasing rather 
 than decreasing, hopefully prosecuted his 
 journey. This he had entered upon indis- 
 creetly and heedlessly. He did not regret 
 his course of action ; he much more rejoiced 
 that he had so persistently withstood all op- 
 position, all entreaties, all remonstrances of 
 his brother and Herr Parson. For this 
 seemed to him a sure indication of his res- 
 oluteness, which, as the young fellow at the 
 landing had said, was especially requisite to 
 obtain the beckoning fortune in the distant 
 land. 
 
 His restless spirit now spurred him on- 
 
 40 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 4! 
 
 ward from place to place, from city to city, 
 and never sought a traveller, long among 
 strangers, more eagerly his home from which 
 he had been long painfully absent than George 
 to escape his in order to seek a new land and 
 an unknown region concerning which his 
 lively imagination had formed most won- 
 derful and altogether fanciful representa- 
 tions. 
 
 In his view, on arriving at California he 
 had nothing further to do than daily visit 
 some remote, densely-tangled wood and there 
 fill his pockets with solid pieces of gold, 
 which must everywhere lie thick on the 
 ground. At furthest, thought he, it might 
 be necessary to penetrate farther inland, as 
 the coast-land and its immediate surround- 
 ings might perhaps already be pretty well 
 stripped. But what did it matter to him if 
 he had to go eighty or a hundred miles into 
 the interior, after having travelled so many 
 
42 . THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 hundred miles to reach the boasted glorious 
 gold-country ? This desire for gold had so 
 permeated his being that every night in his 
 dreams there appeared before, him the de- 
 sired gold-beds as they extended their yel- 
 low lustre for miles. 
 
 Thus he finally arrived at Ostend, where 
 he expected to set sail for England, and 
 from thence take passage for California. 
 With radiant eye he here for the first time 
 beheld the majestic aspect of the sea, and 
 stared with wonder and surprise at the for- 
 est of masts, with their pendants and tackles, 
 which stretched out promiscuously before 
 him in the port. Here he stood amid his 
 packs, which lay about in great disorder, 
 looking about him bewildered, until it oc- 
 curred to him that he must -bestir himself 
 and look for a vessel in which to sail to 
 England. 
 
 "This will be difficult," muttered he, in 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 43 
 
 half-audible tones. " How can one possibly, 
 among this multitude of conveyances, select 
 just the right one?" 
 
 " If this is all, sir, that you wish, I may 
 be of service to you," said a well-clad but 
 greasy-looking young fellow who for several 
 minutes had watched George with searching 
 glances. " Whither are you going ?" 
 
 George turned about and witnessed a 
 friendly face smiling with well-wishes and 
 assurances of friendship. 
 
 "I?" replied he. "To England, and 
 thence to California." 
 
 " Not possible ?" exclaimed the stranger, 
 with well-feigned surprise. " There's where 
 I am going ; and if it is agreeable to you 
 we can make the voyage together." 
 
 "So you are also going to California?" 
 remarked George. "And I presume you too 
 wish to try your luck there as well as I?" 
 
 "That is my least concern. My fortune 
 
44 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 is already made. I was there, and discov- 
 ered an enormously rich gold-mine, which 
 is worth millions of dollars, and from which, 
 on my arrival, I mean to extract the treas- 
 ure." 
 
 " You !". exclaimed George, opening his 
 eyes wide with amazement. " But why did 
 you not at once bring the gold with you 
 when you found it?" 
 
 "That does not go as fast as you think, 
 my friend," replied the fellow. " I was 
 alone, without conveyance, without help, far 
 inland. In order to carry away the treas- 
 ure, I was forced to return to Europe and 
 secure what was needed for that purpose. 
 This is done. My packages are already on 
 the ship, and on my return to California I 
 only need buy horse and wagon to convey 
 my riches to San Francisco." 
 
 George listened with marked attention. 
 What masses of gold this person must have 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 45 
 
 discovered, to need horse and wagon to 
 carry it away ! His head grew dizzy at the 
 thought of these untold riches, and the 
 blood rushed to his throbbing heart. It 
 was indeed true: there was such wealth in 
 California. His wildest dreams were even 
 surpassed by the reality. 
 
 " Wonderful !" he finally burst out. " Tell 
 me, are there more such rich mines there." 
 
 " Plenty, when one knows how to find 
 them/' answered the stranger. " I, at least, 
 know of more than one bed which contains 
 gold-dust to the value of millions. But 
 what matters it to me? I have enough, 
 and more than enough, with the one mine." 
 
 " Oh !" burst out George, his face flush- 
 ing with joy. " Say, dear sir, if you do not 
 care for those beds yourself, perhaps you 
 would not mind giving another a lift me, 
 for instance ?" 
 
 " Why not ?" responded he. " I am pleased 
 
46 THE GOLD-SEEKER, 
 
 with you. We will make the journey togeth- 
 er ; and if we remain good friends, I see noth- 
 ing to hinder my being of assistance to you. 
 Meanwhile, as you see, such-like things are 
 not to be publicly discussed. Accompany 
 me to a hotel where there is good wine, and 
 we will talk more about this matter. You have 
 plenty of time : the steamer to Portsmouth 
 does not sail till to-morrow noon. Until 
 then we can converse much with each other." 
 
 " Yes, yes !" said George, willingly ; " but 
 my packs : I cannot leave them here ex- 
 posed." 
 
 " Dear me ! this can be arranged. There 
 are plenty of porters around here," replied 
 the stranger. " Halloa ! this way with your 
 cart. Load this baggage and convey it to 
 the Golden Star, yonder. Hurry ! The gen- 
 tleman is waiting." 
 
 " Soon done," said the porter, and imme- 
 diately went to work. 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 4/ 
 
 The packs were loaded, George assisting, 
 and ten minutes later they were safely stowed 
 away in a room of the hotel. 
 
 As George was about to pay the man the 
 stranger quickly interfered, creating a fear- 
 ful row when he heard that the porter 
 charged a few farthings too much. 
 
 "For shame!" cried he. "This trash 
 would take advantage of everybody, espe- 
 cially of a stranger. But, as luck would 
 have it, I am here. Here, sir," he contin- 
 ued, snatching the purse from the hand of 
 George, who was partly bewildered and part- 
 ly delighted; "here is your money. And 
 now begone ! We do not suffer ourselves 
 to be imposed on." 
 
 The porter left, muttering imprecations, 
 and the man who had interfered returned 
 the purse to George, but only after having 
 purloined from it a gold-piece with most 
 remarkable dexterity. George did not no- 
 
48 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 tice that the rogue had robbed him, but 
 thanked him very kindly for the interest he 
 manifested in him. 
 
 "Do not spend your breath on this," re- 
 sponded he, with hypocritical mien. " It is 
 only a duty we owe our neighbor, and I am 
 always stung to the quick when I witness 
 such shameless conduct. Besides, my friend, 
 as I remarked, you please me, and we will be 
 together so long it is but natural that I should 
 bring my experience to your aid." 
 
 Deeply moved by his apparent unselfish- 
 ness, George followed the youth into the 
 guest-chamber and ordered a flask of wine 
 and two mugs. 
 
 But the stranger promptly stated that he 
 would not tolerate this. 
 
 "No, no," said he; "this is my affair. I 
 persuaded you to accompany me to this 
 place ; therefore it is in order that I should 
 foot the bill. Waiter, this way." IndifTer- 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 49 
 
 ently he threw the stolen gold-piece on the 
 table. " Bring wine the best, of course 
 and give me the change." 
 
 It was done as ordered, and George com- 
 posedly enjoyed the kindness of his new ac- 
 quaintance, without entertaining even in the 
 remotest degree any suspicion that this per- 
 son might make a tool of him or approach 
 him with some deceitful plan. 
 
 Excited by the recital of enormous gold- 
 mines, of which his new friend claimed to 
 have knowledge, he was struck as with blind- 
 ness, and eagerly awaited the moment when 
 he should learn more of the riches of Cali- 
 fornia. Inasmuch as the man became reti- 
 cent, as it seemed, and did not choose to 
 speak freely on the subject, our George nat- 
 urally became more eager to learn more of 
 gold-discoveries. Again he touched on the 
 mines and beds, but his companion avoid- 
 ed the subject in various ways and under 
 
5<D THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 various pretexts until George had drunk 
 more than a flask of wine, and the room, as 
 the night advanced, was gradually emptied 
 of guests. The eyes of George glowed ; 
 his cheeks were feverishly hot, and his 
 hands trembled. He had evidently drunk 
 too much and was no longer entirely him- 
 self. 
 
 "But now, sir," said he as the last late 
 guest disappeared, " you must again tell me 
 something of the gold-country. Is it really 
 true that you have knowledge of more than 
 one mine?" 
 
 His acquaintance looked carefully around 
 the room to make sure that he was alone 
 with George, and then in a familiar way 
 drew nearer him. 
 
 " How thoughtless of you," whispered he 
 "how terribly thoughtless that you be- 
 gin to talk about these things in the pres- 
 ence of strangers ! Do you not suppose 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 51 
 
 there were enough ears to catch up every 
 word of mine in order to avail themselves 
 of my thorough knowledge of the gold-beds 
 of California ? In fact, dear sir, if we are 
 to remain good friends you must be more 
 prudent." 
 
 George viewed him with alarm. 
 
 " Pardon me," said he ; " you are right. 
 I did not think of this." 
 
 "But you must be more thoughtful," re- 
 plied the young fellow. "So soon as it is 
 here intimated what knowledge I possess 
 of the riches of California, I am ruined, or 
 at least a part of my wearily-sought treas- 
 ure is gone; for, naturally, I would be fol- 
 lowed without being lost sight of for a mo- 
 ment, and every movement of mine would 
 be noticed, and when in the midst of the 
 labor of collecting the treasure a dozen and 
 more, uninvited, would appear to take their 
 share from the richly-laden table. But I 
 
$2 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 have not the least desire to share with any 
 stranger." 
 
 "Not even with me?" exclaimed George, 
 expressing alarm. " No ; so severely you 
 must not resent my thoughtlessness. You 
 indeed promised me " 
 
 " What I promise I will also endeavor to 
 fulfil," replied his acquaintance, proudly. 
 " However, you will understand a secret of 
 this kind we do not acquaint any one with 
 without some security that it will be sacred- 
 ly kept : you are, by no means any longer a 
 stranger to me, and, what is more, you please 
 me. I feel a certain confidence in you so 
 much so that I would cheerfully divide with 
 you my own large mine if I knew to a cer- 
 tainty that you would not betray me." 
 
 " Oh, sir, on my honor," exclaimed George, 
 " I will be silent as the grave." 
 
 "A good friend of mine, to whom I once 
 committed a similar secret, gave me the same 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 53 
 
 assurance, and in the end he abused the trust 
 I reposed in him. Yes, he betrayed me 
 not designedly, but inconsiderately. But 
 the result was the same : when I arrived at 
 the spot the treasure was rifled and I was 
 left with a blank. I might now be a mil- 
 lionaire had my friend not taken the advan- 
 tage of me, and for that reason I am resolved 
 to trust no one hereafter without having se- 
 curity in hand for secrecy." 
 
 " Really, after having had such painful ex- 
 periences, you cannot be blamed for asking 
 it," replied George, completely deluded by 
 the plausible remarks of the rogue. " But 
 what security do you wish ? I am willing 
 to give you any in my power." 
 
 " That's the way to talk," said the fellow 
 " Tell me how much money you carry about 
 you ?" 
 
 " ' How much money ' ?" repeated George, 
 with some degree of hesitation. 
 
 5* 
 
54 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 "Yes; how much? Don't you compre- 
 hend me?" 
 
 "Well, about ten thousand guilders," re- 
 plied George, again hesitating considerably. 
 "What of it?" 
 
 " Nothing in particular. It is satisfactory," 
 said the youth, shutting his eyes to conceal 
 the bright joy with which they sparkled. 
 " Listen, my friend : I desire not a copper 
 of your money not a copper, for you well 
 see that a man like me, who has tons of gold 
 awaiting him in California, makes precious 
 little or no account of your few thousand 
 wretched guilders you understand ? Not 
 so." 
 
 " Yes, yes ! I believe it," replied George, 
 evidently relieved because the fellow made 
 no attack on his purse. 
 
 " Very well. You will then also understand 
 me when I tell you that you must place in 
 my keeping a part only a small part of 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST, 55 
 
 your money say two thousand guilders," 
 continued he. "By no means pay; the 
 Lord deliver me ! I do not need your 
 money no, only as pledge, as security in 
 possession, till we reach the shores of Cal- 
 ifornia. I will, of course, give you a receipt 
 for the amount, and, as we sail in the same 
 vessel, you do not run the least risk. Even," 
 added he, with the most bland smile imagin- 
 able < even if I should die or lose the sum, 
 my valuables on board the Victoria, on which 
 we will take passage to-morrow, will afford 
 you ten-fold security for all and every con- 
 ceivable loss." 
 
 " But, my dear sir," responded George, 
 who, though unwittingly drawn in, now be- 
 came somewhat distrustful, " I have no know- 
 ledge of you do not even know your name. 
 Who is responsible that you will really des- 
 ignate the exact place where the gold-mines 
 are to be found?" 
 
$6 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 "Ah ! My name is Borel, sir, and I am 
 known," answered he, with assurance. "And, 
 besides, why should I deceive you ? I do 
 not mean to retain your money ; it is simply 
 to serve as a pledge for your keeping silence 
 till our arrival at San Francisco. Bear this 
 in mind. Furthermore, if you distrust me in 
 the least, I will not separate from you at all 
 till we are safe together on board the vessel, 
 where, under all circumstances, we must re- 
 main together. This only can be acceptable 
 to me, for you so greatly please me that real- 
 ly I am partly resolved, even in California, 
 not to separate from you, but to share my 
 principal mine with you. Of course, only 
 on condition that this is acceptable to you ; 
 for I will not thrust myself on you. 
 Preserve me ! Not by any means. If my 
 proposition does not meet with your appro- 
 bation, say so freely ; for, as intimated, I do 
 not need your money, nor covet it." 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 5/ 
 
 George put his wits together, and hastily 
 reflected on what he should do. Two thou- 
 sand guilders is indeed much money, but 
 what an immensely valuable secret he pur- 
 chased with it ! And in the end, what had 
 he to fear if he acted on the suggestion of 
 Mr. Borel and did not suffer him to leave 
 him for a moment ? No ; there was nothing 
 to risk everything to win. 
 
 "Top!" exclaimed he, and reached the fel- 
 low his hand across the table "Top! you 
 shall have the two thousand guilders. But 
 at once tell me the name of the place and 
 the location of the gold-mine." 
 
 " Not so fast, not so fast, my friend !" 
 laughingly replied Borel. " First the money, 
 then the secret. I am more secure for you 
 than you are for me, for I cannot get away 
 from you, while you could betray the secret 
 this very night if you were so disposed." 
 
 " You are right," responded George ; and 
 
58 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 from a concealed pocket of his coat he drew 
 a large, thick wallet, on which Mr. Borel cast 
 eager glances. " Here are the two thousand 
 guilders. Take them !" 
 
 " Not yet, my zealous friend," replied Borel 
 with reserved manner. " First I will give you 
 a receipt for the sum, for bear in mind I take 
 your money only to hold as security till we 
 reach California." 
 
 The waiter was called, and pen, paper and 
 ink were ordered. Mr. Borel wrote a receipt 
 and signed it Henry Borel, pledging him- 
 self for the payment of the sum received on 
 their arrival at California, and then handed 
 it to George, who read it with great satisfac- 
 tion, and, quite relieved, put it in the place 
 which until now his handsome two thousand 
 guilders had occupied. 
 
 "And now for the spot?" spoke George, 
 with eagerness. 
 
 " It can be designated in a few words," 
 
BE CAREFUL WHpM YOU TRUST. 59 
 
 replied Borel while stowing the money away 
 in his pocket. "Forty miles east of San 
 Francisco, on the Rio Banale, at the north- 
 western foot of the Frio Grande Mountain, 
 with which every child in San Francisco is 
 familiar, and precisely under the twenty-' 
 fourth degree of latitude and the two hun- 
 dred and fifty-sixth of longitude. Make a 
 note of this in your diary, as I might die 
 and not be able to conduct you to the place. 
 A large mahogany tree with giant branches 
 marks the precise spot where you must 
 strike the ground. There is not another 
 mahogany tree in the whole section, and 
 it is therefore impossible to be mistaken. 
 Two feet under the surface lies the gold 
 the pure gold-dust in such masses that in 
 a single day you can get a wagon-load of 
 it. This is my principal mine, friend, and 
 
 * 
 
 you are the only person in the world, be- 
 sides myself, who has knowledge of it. 
 
6O THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 Some day you will thank me for disclosing 
 this secret to you. But now not another 
 word. It is late, and we will retire. I will of 
 course remain with you and occupy the same 
 chamber for the night, that you may be per- 
 suaded that I mean to be honest with you." 
 As George no longer entertained the least 
 doubt as to the honesty of his newly-made 
 friend, whose company was so agreeable to 
 him, he was satisfied with the arrangement 
 for both to occupy the same sleeping-cham- 
 ber. They retired, and ten minutes later 
 George snored vigorously, while Mr. Borel 
 still lay on his couch wide awake, spying 
 around the room like a fox. When he felt 
 sure that his comrade was fast asleep he 
 quietly arose from his bed, struck a light 
 and with it searched the room. George's 
 coat lay on a chair before his bed. Eager- 
 ly the* night-hawk seized it. Turning the 
 pockets inside out, he muttered an oath as 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 6 1 
 
 he failed to find what he sought namely, 
 George's wallet. 
 
 " He is more cunning than I imagined," 
 said he. "Very likely he has taken the 
 valuable purse and put it under his pillow. 
 Shall I get it and escape? He will "not 
 awake, for he sleeps the deep sleep of the 
 drunkard and lies here utterly unconscious. 
 I will attempt it." 
 
 With thievish hand he fumbled under the 
 pillow. George, indeed, did not awaken, but 
 that availed the rogue nothing; he groped 
 utterly in vain. So circumspect had George 
 been that before retiring he stowed away his 
 money in a secret place perhaps not from 
 distrust to Mr. Borel, for of that he was in- 
 capable this night, but from habit and the 
 usual anxiety we manifest for the security 
 of our property away from home, even 
 when there is nothing especially to fear. 
 
 " My searching amounts to nothing now ; 
 
62 THE GOLD- SEEKER. 
 
 another opportunity will offer to-morrow," 
 said Borel as he returned to his bed. " When 
 the credulous fool awakes and finds me still 
 here, there can be no doubt that his confi- 
 dence in me increases. I am sure of it." 
 With this remark he put out the light, and 
 was soon as sound asleep as George, with 
 whom he vied in snoring till morning. 
 
 When the sun's early rays fell into the 
 chamber, George raised himself on his couch. 
 He looked bewildered and perplexed, rubbing 
 his eyes as though he could not quite com- 
 prehend his situation. But suddenly con- 
 sciousness returned to him ; the transaction 
 of the past evening flashed through his mind, 
 and he glanced wildly over the room. See- 
 ing the other bed, he was alarmed. The pil- 
 lows lay piled so high, the one on the other, 
 that he could not at once see the form of 
 his room-mate, and the first thought that 
 occurred to him was, 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 63 
 
 " The fellow is a rogue and has decamped 
 with my two thousand guilders." 
 
 With one leap he sprang out of his bed 
 and ran to the other. But here lay Mr. 
 Borel, yet in sweetest slumber, and the ex- 
 pression of anxiety depicted on George's 
 face gave way to one of joy. 
 
 What Borel anticipated came to pass : 
 George's confidence in his new friend in- 
 creased. He murmured expressions of glad- 
 ness : 
 
 "All right ! He has not deluded me. The 
 rich mines of California are discovered be- 
 fore I have set foot there. Fortune favors 
 me." 
 
 With face radiant with smiles he greeted 
 Mr. Borel, who now awoke, and he clasped 
 his hand with heartfelt joy. Borel greeted 
 him pleasantly, and the friendship of yes- 
 terday was renewed. 
 
 But this in no way hindered Borel from 
 
64 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 further prosecuting his treacherous plan, and 
 with lynx eye he watched George to discov- 
 er the place where he concealed his treasure. 
 But, whether by accident or design, George 
 proceeded so cautiously that Borel discov- 
 ered as little now as before. 
 
 Credulous as George might be, he did not 
 sport with money matters. He made great 
 haste to get on the steamer, and Borel, whom 
 he did not leave for a second, fearful of arous- 
 ing suspicion in George's mind and express- 
 ing equal concern with him to reach the ves- 
 sel in good time, ordered the baggage to be 
 delivered at once. He even escorted George 
 on board the steamer, as though he were in- 
 tent on sailing with him, and conducted him 
 through the ship to show him the fixtures 
 and, besides, as he said, the goods and bales 
 which he intended taking to California. 
 
 There were truly not wanting goods and 
 bales, but Mr. Borel concealed not only the 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 65 
 
 real facts in the case namely, that they did 
 not belong to him but boldly asserted that 
 they were his property. This completely re- 
 lieved the mind of George as to his two 
 thousand guilders, out of which Borel had 
 swindled him last evening. This was just 
 what the rogue had from the first been de- 
 siring to do. 
 
 The time was fast approaching for the 
 steamer to sail, and he had not the least de- 
 sire to accompany George to England, where 
 his rascality would soon be detected. He so 
 arranged it that at a favorable moment he 
 might escape. The first bell for starting 
 rang, and Borel saw that it was high time 
 for him to depart and make sure at least of 
 the two thousand guilders. The last boat 
 was sent to shore, and Borel suddenly as- 
 sumed an alarmed aspect. 
 
 "Oh, folly!" he exclaimed; "I have quite 
 forgotten. At the hotel lie things of worth 
 
 6* E 
 
66 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 with which I cannot dispense. Fortunately, 
 it is yet time to get them." 
 
 " Then hasten," said George. " Quick ! 
 And if you desire it, I will accompany you." 
 
 " No, stay," replied Borel ; " this would 
 only occasion delay. I will go alone ; and, 
 that you may be secure that I will not escape 
 you, take the guilders back. If I am belated, 
 you can wait for me at England ; for I will 
 certainly follow you in the next steamer. 
 Meanwhile, let us hope soon to meet again." 
 With these words he handed George a worn- 
 out pocket-book and quickly sprang into 
 the boat, which was about to make for the 
 shore. 
 
 Ten minutes afterward the boat returned 
 without Borel, who had improved the op- 
 portunity for escaping. 
 
 For the last time the bell rang. The ma- 
 chinery was set in motion, and speedily the 
 boat shot from the road into the open sea. 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 6/ 
 
 "What a pity!" exclaimed George. "He 
 has belated himself, and I must be denied 
 his company to Portsmouth. But perhaps the 
 captain will wait a moment if I request him." 
 
 Quickly was this thought expressed, but 
 laughingly the captain motioned him away. 
 
 " It is too late," said he. " Besides, I do 
 not know that any of the passengers has 
 gone on shore." 
 
 " Oh yes, certainly my companion," re- 
 plied George. " You must have noticed him, 
 captain." 
 
 " You speak of your companion ?" inquired 
 he, surprised. " He was not registered as 
 passenger on the vessel. I regarded him as 
 an acquaintance of yours from whom you 
 here desired to take leave." 
 
 " Spare me ! It is Mr. Borel, to whom 
 belong the numerous goods and bales on 
 the vessel," said George. 
 
 " ' Mr. Borel ' ? ' Goods and bales ' ? Are 
 
68 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 you demented ?" burst out the captain, in- 
 quiringly. " We have neither a Borel among 
 our passengers nor goods of his on board." 
 
 " But" he said. 
 
 "Then *he has deluded you or taken ad- 
 vantage of you. We know no Borel here. 
 I hope you have not suffered yourself to 
 be swindled by him? Such things happen 
 sometimes." 
 
 " No yes no," replied George, confus- 
 edly. " I gave him two thousand guilders, 
 but he returned them to me when he left 
 for the shore. They are contained in this 
 pocket-book." 
 
 " Look, sir, and I hope it may not be too 
 late. Here ! here we have it ! I thought 
 so. You have fallen into the hands of a 
 rogue." 
 
 Yes ; poor George could no longer doubt 
 it. The pocket-book contained nothing more 
 than a slip of white paper of money no 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 69 
 
 trace and on the pure sheet written only 
 this parting word : 
 
 11 With bait we catch mice. Do not forget 
 my glorious gold-mine. 
 
 " BOREL." 
 
 " The scrub ! the sharper ! the rogue !" 
 burst out George, with raving mien. " Let 
 us return, captain. The fellow can readily 
 be found, and then woe to him ! To the 
 gallows he shall go, or at least into solitary 
 confinement for life. Turn back, captain." 
 
 " This will not do," replied he ; " my duty 
 leads me onward, and I can on no condi- 
 tion disappoint forty other passengers. You 
 should have been more circumspect, and not 
 have given the first ragamuffin that came in 
 your way your money. * Be careful whom 
 you trust ' is a good old motto. Unfortunate 
 for you if you have not observed it." 
 
/O THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 George raged and raved yet a good while, 
 since the captain could not be prevailed on 
 to turn back. The other passengers also 
 surrounded him, adding insult to injury by 
 deriding his misfortune. Finally forbearance 
 ceased to be a virtue, and he escaped to his 
 berth, there to give free vent to his vexation. 
 He did not again put in an appearance till 
 their arrival in the dock at Portsmouth, and 
 here he stole away quietly, so as not again 
 to be made the target of ridicule for his 
 fellow-passengers. 
 
 " Yes, yes 1" said the captain to him on his 
 departure as he handed him his luggage; 
 " when one is wronged, he does not always 
 meet with the sympathy he deserves. But let 
 this occurrence teach you a lesson, my young 
 friend ; and if you will heed the counsel of 
 an experienced man, do not go to California, 
 but rather return to your home. You will 
 not return ? Well, every one is the architect 
 
BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST. 7 1 
 
 of his own fortune, but I have heard of but a 
 few who have made their fortune in the gold- 
 country of more who sacrificed fortune, 
 health and life. Be careful that such be 
 not your fate. And now the Lord be 
 with you !" 
 
 George left. The parting words of the 
 captain made a decided impression on him, 
 and already a paroxysm of regret secretly 
 threatened him. 
 
 " But it is now too late," thought he ; "I 
 cannot return without being ridiculed by 
 every one ;" and this was more than his fool- 
 ish pride could endure. So forward, onward 
 across the sea to California. But he would 
 be on the alert, and not lend any one con- 
 fidence after being so sadly taken in by a 
 villanous deceiver. 
 
 " Be careful whom you trust." This he 
 adopted as his motto for the future, especial- 
 ly while he had to do with strangers. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 
 
 r I ^HE motto which George in his present 
 JL situation had chosen was certainly a 
 good one. But, to be candid, he was far from 
 happy. Accustomed to offices of love, friend- 
 ship and mutual confidence, he must now, as 
 a part of wisdom, distrust every one. This 
 gave him pain. Were he yet at home, and 
 had he yet to decide after the sad experiments 
 he had made, he would indeed think twice 
 before resolving to go to California. But 
 this was no time to speculate on what he 
 might have done with his present knowledge 
 of affairs. He had said A, he must also say 
 B ; and in the end this was his comforting 
 thought : in the end it would not be so bad 
 
 72 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD- COUNTRY. 73 
 
 when, after the expiration of years, he should 
 return to his native land with large chests or 
 bags filled with gold. Therefore he hurried 
 to accomplish his purposes. With his cou- 
 rageous and resolute spirit, he would over- 
 come all difficulties. The matter had now 
 to be gone through with at any cost. 
 
 Of the numerous and painful trials which 
 George had to endure during the long months 
 of his voyage to the gold-country we will 
 say little. It will be sufficient to relate that 
 he was subjected to storms, sea-sickness and 
 deprivations of every "kind ; that, instead of 
 the palatable bread to which he had been 
 accustomed at home, on shipboard he had 
 to eat hard biscuit alive with vermin ; that, 
 instead of pure fresh water, he had to quench 
 his thirst with an offensive liquid swarming 
 with animalculae; that with loathing he de- 
 voured bacon partly tainted. And, in addi- 
 tion to all this, he was tortured by the tedious 
 
74 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 voyage and experienced homesickness with 
 all its attendant horrors. But these painful 
 feelings left him and fresh courage fired 
 his spirit when finally the ~ mountains and 
 woody shores of California, shrouded in a 
 blue, vapory mist, arose, full of promise, 
 from the sea. This was at length the land 
 where he hoped to be enriched. With eyes 
 sparkling with delight, he viewed .the green 
 shores and the houses of San Francisco 
 glimmering from the luxuriant groves. 
 
 San Francisco was the principal city of 
 the gold-country, and George felt like shout- 
 ing for joy when before evening he set foot 
 on the ground which harbored in its bosom 
 such untold treasure. He directed his bag- 
 gage to be taken to a hotel. After so long 
 a period of deprivation, he here especially 
 enjoyed the luscious fruit, just plucked, the 
 fresh meat and the pure water. With feel- 
 ings of delight he viewed the surrounding 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 75 
 
 scenery, which, though usually charming, 
 was doubly attractive to him after having 
 gazed continuously only on water and fir- 
 mament for many weary weeks. Now he 
 again inhaled the pure land-air. Mountains 
 and valleys surrounded him, together with 
 vegetation new and luxuriant; all of which 
 called forth feelings of admiration. 
 
 At once the sufferings and the privations 
 of the long and tedious sea-voyage were 
 forgotten, and George felt like a new man. 
 Now for the first time in a long while he 
 exulted in his resolution to leave home to 
 see something of the world. He had reached 
 the goal ; the gates of fortune stood open, and 
 he had but to pass in and with both hands 
 snatch from the blessed earth the smiling 
 treasure beckoning to him from every side. 
 Thus he sat on the veranda of the hotel 
 till night set in and the moon shed her sil- 
 very lustre upon the high mountains and 
 
76 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 into the deep valleys. Then a cool breeze 
 arose, and he retired to his chamber to re- 
 fresh weary nature by invigorating sleep 
 and to indulge in brightest dreams of com- 
 ing fortune. 
 
 This happy feeling, however, was destined 
 to'last only till morning; for new disappoint- 
 ments were in store for our George disap- 
 pointments which touched a sensitive spot, 
 his purse. After the blissful dreams of the 
 night he arose, and, having for some time 
 feasted his eyes on the rich scenery which 
 presented itself to his view from the win- 
 dows of his chamber, he rang the bell for a 
 servant, in order to call for his breakfast. 
 A waiter speedily presented himself to do 
 his bidding, at the same time holding in his 
 hand a slip of paper which bore a very close 
 resemblance to a bill, and which he present- 
 ed to George in the most courteous manner 
 conceivable. 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 7/ 
 
 " Coffee," said he, while indifferently tak- 
 ing the paper. 
 
 " Presently, sir," replied the waiter, with a 
 bow so low that the tip of his nose almost 
 touched the floor. " I must beg of you to 
 settle this small account. It is the custom 
 of all the hotels in this place to present 
 their bills daily." 
 
 George's countenance betrayqd his vexa- 
 tion. 
 
 " I am no tramp," said he while unfolding 
 the bill and hastily glancing at its contents. 
 " You must be a madman," exclaimed he, be- 
 wildered and terrified. " For a single night's 
 lodging and a little supper twenty dollars !" 
 
 " Twenty dollars," repeated the waiter, with 
 the utmost coolness and the most indifferent 
 look. " I well believe that you find it a lit- 
 tle expensive here for at first all strangers 
 are amazed at the high prices but I can as- 
 sure you that our hotel is one of the cheap- 
 
78 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 est in this town, and that we could not afford 
 to lower our charges." 
 
 " Madness !" burst out George, in a rage. 
 " You are jesting, sir, and I am not disposed 
 to be trifled, with by you." 
 
 The waiter, shrugging his shoulders, looked 
 at George with a feeling partly of compassion 
 and partly of contempt. 
 
 " The bill is entirely correct," said he, "and 
 I pray you do not dispute it. In a country 
 where gold alone is in great abundance, we 
 must naturally weigh everything by it. If 
 you consider our charges too high, there is 
 nothing to hinder you from going else- 
 where." 
 
 "Well, I shall do so soon," exclaimed 
 George, burning with wrath. " This is high- 
 handed imposition. Take your money. 
 There ! Not another moment will I tarry 
 in this hateful apartment." 
 
 The waiter betrayed no excitement, as he 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 79 
 
 may have been accustomed to witness such 
 demonstrations. Coolly he received the 
 money which George hurled at him, cool- 
 ly receipted the bill, and returned it with 
 another low bow. 
 
 " Until noon this apartment belongs to 
 you," he told him. " From that time a sec- 
 ond day will be charged." 
 
 "Well, you shall have the pleasure of 
 charging it," replied George, at once getting 
 ready to go out to seek other quarters. 
 
 The joy of finding himself in the gold- 
 country was considerably lessened by this 
 time, and the beautiful view from his window 
 had no longer any attraction for him : it ap- 
 peared to him a little too dearly bought. 
 His thirst for coffee had also forsaken him ; 
 he took some water instead, and then indig- 
 nantly rushed out of the hotel, while the 
 waiter smilingly looked after him. 
 
 "Yet a little green," muttered he. "But 
 
8O THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 I reckon that in this country he will find 
 more vexation than gold." 
 
 George did not hear these utterances, but 
 inquired of the first person he met on the 
 street about another hotel. 
 
 " Come on. I will accompany you," re- 
 plied the man, very politely ; and George re- 
 joiced to find the people in the gold-country 
 at least polite and obliging, even if the prices 
 were high. 
 
 They walked on for perhaps five hundred 
 steps, when his guide stopped in front of a 
 large and handsome building, saying, 
 
 "Here, sir!" 
 
 "Thank you," replied George; "thank 
 you, sir." 
 
 " I pray you," responded the guide, hold- 
 ing out his hand, " a dollar for my trouble." 
 
 George opened wide his eyes and scarcely 
 trusted his ears : 
 
 " How ? For accompanying me this short 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 8 1 
 
 distance a dollar? This verily is crowning 
 impudence." He had not the least disposi- 
 tion to pay this extravagant charge. 
 
 The man, however, on the refusal of George 
 to pay, became so very vehement that the 
 neighbors were drawn to the spot, and on 
 ascertaining the cause of the difficulty they 
 all sided with the guide, and George was 
 constrained nolens volens to pay the sum 
 demanded. 
 
 "Well, well, this is a country of high 
 prices," muttered he. " If I do not soon 
 discover gold, I shall be left without money." 
 
 Meanwhile, the guide coolly pocketed his 
 dollar and gave himself no further concern 
 for George, who entered the hotel to inquire 
 about lodging and boarding. He soon dis- 
 covered that the waiter in the first hotel had 
 not misrepresented matters. The prices here, 
 the location being nearer the heart of the 
 city, were, if anything, higher than there. 
 
82 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 George shook his head, feeling betrayed 
 and sold. Completely dejected, he returned 
 to his former lodgings, where he was politely 
 received by the smiling waiter, and in his 
 gloomy condition took a seat on the veran- 
 da of the hotel. 
 
 " My dear sir," said he, in whispering tone, 
 to the waiter, " I beg your pardon : you were 
 only too near right. I am persuaded that 
 this is a country of high charges." 
 
 " But why did you come here, sir ?" court- 
 eously inquired the waiter of him. 
 
 "'Why'?" replied George, with evident 
 signs of amazement. " To seek gold, to be- 
 come a millionaire, and then to return. This 
 much, however, I have already observed 
 that to live here one must be rich as Croe- 
 sus." 
 
 "That is doubtless true," responded the 
 waiter. " But to find gold you must not 
 linger here ; you must go some distance in- 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 83 
 
 land. There is gold enough there, while the 
 immediately surrounding country is either 
 already divested of its rich mineral resources, 
 or has been taken possession of by such as 
 unceremoniously reward an encroachment on 
 what they consider their rights by steel or 
 lead." 
 
 " Oh dear ! what a country !" exclaimed 
 George, sighing deeply; and the attraction, 
 beauty and charm of this El Dorado of Cal- 
 ifornia gradually lessened in his estimation. 
 "And what must one do how begin to 
 search for the gold? I pray, dear sir, ad- 
 vise me. From your speech I should judge 
 you to be a countryman of mine, an upright 
 German. You know all about it; tell me 
 how to proceed to accomplish the purpose 
 which led me to this detestable region of the 
 earth." 
 
 "As we are undoubtedly fellow-country- 
 men and you desire it, I will tell you how 
 
84 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 others do," kindly remarked the waiter. " I 
 have not yet gone out in search of gold, be- 
 cause I am quite well satisfied here; and 
 when the precious metal is brought into 
 one's house, there is no need wearying one's 
 self in going for it." 
 
 "Entirely right," said George; and the 
 twenty dollars of the morning recurred to 
 him. 
 
 " The first thing necessary for you to do/' 
 continued the waiter, " is to start off" to ex- 
 plore the country as soon as possible, remain- 
 ing in this city only till your preparations are 
 completed." 
 
 "And what is the nature of these prepara- 
 tions ?" 
 
 " First of all you must procure hammers, 
 hoes, shovels, spades, and such implements 
 as are needed to dig into the earth where 
 the gold-dust is hid." 
 
 " Oh dear !" remarked George, again deep- 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 85 
 
 ly sighing. " It is, then, not found on the 
 surface ?" 
 
 " Sometimes, but the cases are rare, and 
 no calculation can be based on Fortune being 
 so favorable. To say the least, searching for 
 gold is hard work, requiring great exertion, 
 untiring industry and subjection to depriva- 
 tions of various kinds. But then, as a rule, 
 it is quite remunerative. Many a poor fel- 
 low without a copper, being simply provided 
 with several implements of labor, after having 
 penetrated the country, has years afterward 
 returned carrying with him bags of gold, 
 which as a rule he then soon spent. For 
 you are familiar with the German proverb 
 ' Easy comes easy goes.' But this is certain : 
 whoever diligently searches for gold gener- 
 ally finds it, provided that the proper meth- 
 ods be employed." 
 
 " I will do my utmost," said George, " and 
 what I have when I return shall not readily 
 
86 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 escape my hands. But what do I need in 
 addition to the implements?" 
 
 " If one can afford it, a mule or two for 
 the purpose of transportation, with bags to 
 stow away the gold when found. By all 
 means take provision with you into the wild 
 regions. And then you will need weapons of 
 defence against wild beasts, and against still 
 wilder men. And, above all, resolution and 
 courage. You will be called upon to endure 
 a life of hardships and dangers of various 
 kinds. Furnished with all these necessaries 
 and favored by Fortune, you may chance to 
 return to your home a rich man, provided 
 you do not fall a prey to some of the numer- 
 ous dangers which threaten your pathway. 
 In the event of your losing your life, you 
 will of course need no gold, as for the dead 
 all treasures of the earth are nothing more 
 than dross or sand. Your wisest proceeding, 
 in any event, would be to dismiss from your 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 8/ 
 
 mind your hazardous project and return to 
 Europe by the next steamer. I thus advise 
 you as a well-meaning friend. To tell the 
 truth, of the many favored of Fortune, and 
 having come in possession of the coveted 
 treasure, I know of no instance .where such 
 riches had duration. Believe me, dear sir, a 
 true blessing does not rest on all this gold. 
 It passes through the hand like water. Even 
 if you are required to battle with want at 
 home, take my advice and return." 
 
 In the very depth of his soul George felt 
 that this was good advice, but he could not 
 bear the thought of returning, now that he 
 was on the threshold of the coveted fortune. 
 
 " You may be right," he said to the waiter, 
 "but I will at least make the experiment. 
 The country is before me, and naturally I 
 am not easily intimidated. The dangers 
 which threaten may be overcome. And, 
 lastly, I cannot bear to expose myself to the 
 
88 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 ridicule of my friends by returning to them 
 before fully testing this matter. This very 
 day I will make the purchases you advised 
 me, and to-morrow start out." 
 
 " Well, do as you like," replied the waiter ; 
 " I have counselled you conscientiously and to 
 the best of my knowledge. Still, as you have 
 consulted me, I will serve you to the extent 
 of my ability and assist you in making the 
 purchases, so that you may not be too gross- 
 ly deceived or overcharged. Come on ; we 
 have not a minute to lose." 
 
 George was pleased to find the waiter, for 
 whom he had formed such a dislike in the 
 morning on account of his extravagant 
 charges, such an accommodating, sympa- 
 thetic friend. He pocketed his money and 
 proceeded to make the necessary purchases. 
 All sorts of implements, costing their weight 
 in gold, were procured. 
 
 The waiter now led his countryman to a 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD- COUNTRY. 89 
 
 horse-dealer, that he might provide himself 
 with a good beast for the journey. The man 
 ordered his mules to be taken out of the sta- 
 ble, so that George might get a better view 
 of them. He had inspected them quite a 
 while already, when all of a sudden an ex- 
 pression of surprise escaped his lips. A 
 young fellow who was just then leading a 
 silver-gray mule from the stable gazed on 
 him with evident signs of wonder and with 
 staring look approached him. 
 
 " Dear me !" exclaimed he ; " is it you ? I 
 met you one day on the Rhine at Rema- 
 gen, on the landing, and now I must see you 
 again in California." 
 
 " I also recognized you immediately," re- 
 marked George. " Still, I did not expect to 
 find you as a stable-boy." 
 
 " What was I to do ?" replied the fellow. 
 " My money was spent when I arrived here, 
 and you are doubtless already aware of the 
 
 8* 
 
QO THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 high prices of living in this section. The 
 gold was not found in the streets, as I had an- 
 ticipated. I had to do something or starve ; 
 and, as Fortune would have it, my present 
 master needed a stable-boy. I entered his 
 service, and, though I lead a dog's life, I am 
 thankful, the many invectives and stripes ex- 
 cepted, to be able to earn my daily bread. 
 And you, sir why have you come here ?" 
 
 "To seek gold," replied George, reflecting 
 as an incident occurred to him. " But what 
 is your name?" 
 
 "Anton Imhof," he replied "Anton Imhof 
 of Ravensburg. I wish I were still there." 
 
 " Perhaps you may succeed in returning," 
 said George. " You appear to me a clever 
 lad. What say you ? Accompany me. If 
 Fortune favor us, we will get enough gold for 
 both, which we will then honestly divide be- 
 tween us." 
 
 Anton shook his head. 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 9! 
 
 " I might wish to go with you, but that 
 would end it," said he. " In the first place, 
 my master will not allow me to leave ; and 
 then I have not a single copper to buy even 
 a morsel of bread, much less the many things 
 needed to go into the interior. I have learned 
 enough already to know all that belongs to 
 gold-seeking." 
 
 "So much the better for me," replied 
 George, who was anxious to have some one 
 accompany him into the wild region. " If 
 you do not lack courage and promise me 
 fidelity and devotion, I will furnish you with 
 the other requisites. I have enough imple- 
 ments already, and to buy another mule for 
 you is a small matter." 
 
 " Good, very good !" shouted Anton, re- 
 joiced. " If you are in earnest, I am ready 
 cheerfully to accompany and honestly to 
 serve you. Speak to my master. And," 
 added he, in low tones, " if you wish to buy 
 
92 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 mules, take this silver-gray and that dark 
 bay ; they are the best in the stable." 
 
 George had already remarked the same, 
 and was right glad that Anton at once gave 
 evidence of readiness to serve him. He 
 nodded to him kindly, and then turned to 
 the dealer, who for the two mules asked an 
 extravagant price which made George start 
 back several steps. He haggled, he bar- 
 gained; but the dealer refused to take a 
 cent less, until Anton, who stood by and 
 heard all, suddenly sided with George. 
 
 " What are you up to, sir ?" said he, as- 
 suming an air of arrogance. " Why, only 
 last week you bought both animals for the 
 fourth of what you now ask for them. I 
 cannot stand by and allow you to take ad- 
 vantage of a countryman of mine." 
 
 " Fellow, are you crazy ?" burst out the 
 enraged dealer. "Another word and you 
 leave my service. 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. 93 
 
 Had the dealer heard the conversation of 
 his stable-boy with George, he might prob- 
 ably have detected the strategy of Anton, 
 who now wished to be turned off But he 
 had just then been in the stable, and was 
 now completely deluded. 
 
 Anton secretly nodded to George, and 
 again boldly addressed his master. 
 
 " To be candid," said he, " this gentleman 
 is my countryman, and shall not be deceived. 
 Give him both mules for the half of what you 
 now ask, and you will still have a respectable 
 profit." 
 
 Rage and vexation caused the dealer's 
 countenance to alternate between ashy pale 
 and dark red. For several moments anger 
 checked his speech, but then he poured a 
 flood of invectives on Anton, struck him 
 with his horsewhip, and might have mal- 
 treated him shamefully had not George in- 
 terfered. The waiter also came to his relief, 
 
94 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 and at length they succeeded in freeing An- 
 ton from the enraged dealer. 
 
 "All right," exclaimed he, foaming with 
 wrath. " But not another moment shall the 
 ragamuffin continue in my service. Begone, 
 villain, begone, and let me never catch an- 
 other glimpse of you." i 
 
 "Agreed, sir," said Anton. " I am there- 
 fore no longer in your service?" 
 
 " No, no a thousand times no !" howled 
 the dealer. "Away with you, fellow ! I will 
 have nothing further to do with you." 
 
 " Good ! These gentlemen are witnesses. 
 I am no longer your servant. And now, 
 George, if he will not sell you the two beasts 
 for the sum I suggested to him, go with 
 me to Arelaunus, another horse-dealer. His 
 animals are equally good, and you can buy 
 cheaper there than here." 
 
 Language fails to describe the passion of 
 the dealer when his former stable-boy made 
 
FIRST JOYS OF THE GOLD-COUNTRY. Q$ 
 
 this assertion. Brimful of wrath, he again 
 attempted to attack him ; but Anton fortu- 
 nately escaped so nimbly that. every effort 
 to follow him proved fruitless. 
 
 Finally, the horse-dealer, seeing^ himself 
 exposed, and not being willing to lose a cus- 
 tomer, let George have both mules for half 
 the figures first named. The parties in the 
 end separated with mutual satisfaction. 
 
 Well pleased with his bargain, George re- 
 turned with his attendant, the waiter, to the 
 hotel, where he found Anton, his new ser- 
 vant, waiting for him. George clasped his 
 hand in a friendly way, and repeated his in- 
 tention to take him with him to the wilds of 
 California. He promised him good compan- 
 ionship and a third of all the gold they should 
 discover. Anton in turn pledged himself to 
 be faithful and obedient to him. 
 
 They remained but one night longer in 
 the city. Both adventurers were eager to 
 
96 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 be off. Early next morning George paid 
 his bill at the hotel and took leave of the 
 waiter, who had proved himself so service- 
 able to him. Although his purse by this 
 time was well-nigh empty, yet he was filled 
 with new hopes. And now, in company with 
 Anton, he rode away toward the rich gold 
 valleys and ravines of the interior. What 
 cared he if his money was almost gone ? 
 He was now approaching the region where 
 a single lucky discovery would not only 
 cover his expenses and past losses, but make 
 him and Anton at one stroke so exceedingly 
 rich as to be envied by all the world. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 THE TREASURE. 
 
 IT soon became evident that the com- 
 panionship of Anton was serviceable 
 to George in various ways. Having been 
 longer in the country, he had acquired 
 much knowledge of matters concerning 
 which George was entirely ignorant. From 
 the gold-seekers George had ascertained 
 what valleys and channels are wont to yield 
 most largely, and that the regions least vis- 
 ited and most remote not only promise great- 
 er results than those nearer, but are also 
 more secure against spying vagrants whom 
 the report of the richness of the country had 
 lured to California from the four quarters of 
 
 the globe. Very frequently, on the lone and 
 9 a 97 
 
98 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 untrodden paths which they had to follow, 
 they encountered suspicious-looking charac- 
 ters whose faces were expressive of treachery 
 rather than of good-will. More than once 
 Anton requested his companion to give a 
 little more prominence to the hilt of his sa- 
 bre and to his pistols in the girdle, so that 
 every plunderer from a distance could see 
 that if he molested the travellers in any way 
 it would be at no little risk, and that he at 
 least could not expect to escape without 
 sabre-strokes or pistol-balls. This expedient 
 had a good effect. When these outlaws saw 
 that they had to encounter resolute and well- 
 armed men, they would quickly steal away 
 rather than attack them at the risk of their 
 lives. 
 
 The adventurers, besides, in the early days 
 of their expedition, came across numerous 
 small settlements, consisting of diminutive 
 huts constructed of branches of trees and 
 
THE TREASURE. 99 
 
 reared mainly on the bank of the dry bed 
 of some stream. Their occupants, instead 
 of cultivating the ground, rummaged it eager- 
 ly with spades and shovels. They were gold- 
 seekers, and Anton shunned them by passing 
 them at some distance ; " for," said he, " these 
 people are distrustful. They regard every 
 passer-by as a plunderer and murderer covet- 
 ing their possessions, and sooner than expose 
 themselves to the danger of being robbed of 
 their hard earnings they avoid all intercourse 
 with strangers, of whom they cannot expect 
 anything at best." 
 
 George replied in the way of reflection : 
 " I well see that even if people do find gold 
 here, they fail to enjoy peace and safety. This 
 much is certain : when once I have realized 
 my darling idea, I will not tarry long in this 
 romantic but inhospitable country. A sad 
 life, truly, when we cannot trust our neigh- 
 bor! At home it is otherwise." 
 
IOO THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 " God knows," said Anton, " that I would 
 long ere this have left this region had I had 
 the money to take me back to Europe. But 
 courage, sir! The farther we get into the 
 interior, the safer we will be, and the more 
 certain the fulfilment of our hopes. We 
 will gather gold, weigh down our mules with 
 it, and then away as fast as possible to our 
 beloved home, which no one should leave 
 who has any prospect at all of earning an 
 honest livelihood there." 
 
 Though George seldom replied to these 
 remarks, yet his heart fully assented to their 
 correctness ; and he often secretly felt that 
 by reason of his desire to emigrate and of 
 his lust for gold he had been a perfect mad- 
 man. Yet, as it was, he must be patient and 
 make the most of his' situation, so that the 
 purpose of his foolhardy enterprise might at 
 least not prove an entire failure. He there- 
 fore zealously pushed his way into the unin- 
 
THE TREASURE. IOI 
 
 habited and little known regions of Califor- 
 nia, and deemed himself quite fortunate in 
 having found Anton so valuable an attend- 
 ant. 
 
 Without him George would have fared 
 badly. He was himself neither a hunter nor 
 a fisherman, nor did he understand the indi- 
 cations of the presence of gold. Anton, on 
 the other hand, was skilled in hunting and in 
 fishing ; and though he had no experience in 
 detecting the presence of the precious metal, 
 yet the information he had gained from gold- 
 seekers on this subject now served him a good 
 purpose. He was the leader, the guide, a 
 counsellor of George. When the provis- 
 ions taken with them from San Francisco 
 began to fail, he called into requisition the 
 gun or the fish-net, as the occasion might call 
 for the use of the one or the other. And sel- 
 dom did he return to George after a ramble 
 through the forest or along a stream without 
 
 9* 
 
IO2 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 carrying with him some palatable food. Then, 
 kindling a fire, he placed over it a tin kettle 
 filled with water, and acted as cook with a 
 dexterity which not seldom surprised George. 
 Anton was indispensable to him, and he was 
 thankful to be favored with such a useful 
 comrade in the New World. 
 
 They had already traversed the wilderness 
 of California for some fourteen days, when 
 Anton concluded that it was time to find 
 some gold-beds, and George too thought so. 
 The two now roved daily in all directions, over 
 mountains and through valleys, in search 
 of the coveted treasure. For a long time 
 their earnest efforts proved fruitless, and 
 George began to realize that even in rich 
 California the gold was not so plentiful as 
 his fertile imagination had pictured it to be. 
 Until now he had fancied that in his rambles 
 he could by the way gather gold pieces of 
 the size of his fist and bag them. He was 
 
THE TREASURE. 1 03 
 
 not only obliged to dismiss this idea from 
 his mind, but he now feared that he might 
 not find any gold at all, and that he had to 
 no purpose left his home, squandered his 
 means and sacrificed his peace of mind. 
 
 Anton encouraged him to be cheerful and 
 persevere when he saw him indulging in sad 
 reflections, which he now very frequently 
 did. 
 
 "Why so despondent?" said he. "Cali- 
 fornia is large ; and if our efforts are not suc- 
 cessful here, they may be elsewhere. Cou- 
 rage, courage, my friend ! The night of time 
 has not yet come, and perseverance leads to 
 success." 
 
 With untiring industry he prosecuted his 
 search, while George's zeal flagged, till one 
 day toward evening, when the prospectors 
 arrived at the entrance to a narrow valley 
 enclosed by high wooded mountains. The 
 bed of a deep and almost entirely dry rivu- 
 
IO4 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 let wound itself between the mountains and 
 occupied nearly the whole breadth of the val- 
 ley. Though for the time being containing 
 but little water, which lazily sought a narrow 
 passage amid the round, smooth stones, yet 
 the bed exhibited quantities of matter which 
 had been deposited there amid numerous large 
 rocks. It was evident that the rivulet which 
 the prospectors now beheld must swell dur- 
 ing the rainy season to a considerable 
 stream. 
 
 Anton carefully examined the deposits, 
 rode a short distance up the channel and 
 suddenly uttered a cry of delight. 
 
 "What now?" exclaimed George, with 
 tremor in his voice ; and in his soul the 
 cry resounded. 
 
 " This way ! this way ! Hurry !" shouted 
 Anton, exultingly. " I have made a valu- 
 able discovery." 
 
 George thrust both spurs into the flanks 
 
THE TREASURE. IO5 
 
 of his jaded mule, and, breathless with ex- 
 pectation and newly-awakened hopes, he 
 dashed over the stones to where Anton 
 awaited him with beaming countenance. 
 
 " See here !" said he, showing his friend a 
 glittering particle of yellow metal of the size 
 of a pea. " What do you call this ?" 
 
 " Gold, to be sure," replied George, plainly 
 indicating joyful feelings. " But is this all 
 you have found ? Judging from your shout- 
 ing, I presumed you had come upon a lump 
 of gold the size of a melon. This little bit 
 is not worth stooping for." 
 
 " This shows what you know about these 
 things," remarked Anton, humorously. "We 
 can calculate to a certainty that we find our- 
 selves in the bed of a stream leading to gold, 
 and this at least you will not pretend to con- 
 tradict." 
 
 " If this be so, why make all this ado 
 about such a trifle?" responded George. 
 
IO6 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 " Do not be in such haste to pass judg- 
 ment, dear friend," said Anton. "You see 
 we are at the outlet of the stream, and are 
 therefore at some distance from the source." 
 
 " Entirely correct, but what does it amount 
 to?" 
 
 " It amounts to this," said Anton : " gold 
 is heavier than the silt of the stream, and is, 
 in consequence, not carried so far as it by 
 the water. From this it follows that if at 
 the mouth we find gold, farther on toward 
 the source we must necessarily find more. 
 And if this narrow valley be but several 
 miles long, we will find at its terminus such 
 rich deposits as will bewilder us. For you 
 may rest assured that if a particle of gold 
 of the size of a pea be borne several miles, 
 the stream must be very strong and the 
 channel higher up must contain immense 
 beds of gold." 
 
 " Your reasoning is correct ; I compre- 
 
THE TREASURE. IO/ 
 
 hend it," responded George, whose eyes 
 now began to sparkle with a burning lustre. 
 " But why tarry we ? Why not at once as- 
 cend the channel ? Let us hasten, lest some 
 one should precede us." 
 
 " Do not be in such great haste," replied 
 Anton. " This valley has not yet been trod- 
 den by the foot of man, or we should have 
 discovered traces on our way ; there is there- 
 fore no occasion for undue haste. And, more 
 than this, night will soon overtake us, and it 
 were the height of folly to begin searching 
 in the dark, when for this work, above all, 
 we need the full blaze of day. No ; we will 
 remain here to-night, and to-morrow morn- 
 ing, at sunrise, we will start off. Take a good 
 night's rest, George. You can close your 
 eyes in peace, for I verily believe our fond- 
 est hopes are being realized. Sleep sweetly 
 as you can. Who knows whether the reality 
 will not far exceed your wildest dreams ?" 
 
IO8 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 Eager as George was at once to begin the 
 work of prospecting, yet a little reflection 
 and a hasty glance at their surroundings 
 convinced him that it were better to follow 
 the advice of Anton. 
 
 The valley was so narrow that at certain 
 places the branches of the trees, projecting 
 from the opposite sides of the mountains, so 
 interlaced with one another as to form a dense 
 leaf-roof, beneath which, at midday, a shadowy 
 twilight rested ; and now the day had already 
 so far advanced that only the loftiest moun- 
 tain-peaks were gilded by the last glowing 
 rays of the setting sun. A quarter of an hour 
 later and a darkness thick and all-pervading 
 must prevail in this valley, whose high rocky 
 walls left barely any space between them. 
 
 George sprang from his mule and aided 
 Anton in the preparation for the night's en- 
 campment, and then improved the remaining 
 period/of daylight by rummaging the depos- 
 
THE TREASURE. 1 09 
 
 its of the channel for gold, while Anton, with 
 taunting laughter, looked on : 
 
 " What are you looking for, George ? There 
 is no gold here, and we ought to be satisfied 
 in a general way to have detected traces of 
 the presence of such wealth. Spare your zeal 
 till to-morrow, George; then your. labor will 
 without doubt be more remunerative." 
 
 Finally, as the dim twilight passed into the 
 dark shadow of night, he returned empty- 
 handed to his friend, beside whom he threw 
 himself, his heart throbbing with excite- 
 ment. 
 
 Anton soon fell asleep, but it was long, 
 long before George could rest. The thirst 
 for gold burned in his veins and fevered his 
 nerves. "Gold! Gold! GOLD!" was his only 
 thought. Mountains of gold appeared to his 
 excited fancy ; and if sometimes he happened 
 to doze a little, he would spasmodically spring 
 
 up and stagger about in the dark, fearing all 
 10 
 
IIO THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 the while that some one might come and 
 divest him of the treasure which was then 
 not even found. He spent a wretched night ; 
 and when the first streaks of morning cast a 
 twilight over the mountains into the valleys, 
 he sprang from his hard bed, shouting and 
 shaking Anton, so as to awaken him. 
 
 "Arise, Anton ! It is time to start," cried 
 he. " It is daylight, and we have not a min- 
 ute to lose." 
 
 "Daylight, is it?" replied Anton, bad-hu- 
 moredly. " Why, we can scarely see a hand 
 before our eyes. Call me at a seasonable 
 hour, I pray you; the gulch will not run 
 away from us." 
 
 He turned over again, and, so as not to 
 affront him, George had to let him sleep 
 quietly. His impatience prompted him im- 
 petuously to alternate between lying down 
 and rising up. To lose no time, he saddled 
 and packed both mules a thing he had not 
 
THE TREASURE. Ill 
 
 done before. It took him a short time to do 
 this, and then he felt justified in arousing 
 Anton. He called him. 
 
 Anton opened his eyes, gaped, looked 
 about him, and finally got up slowly from 
 his couch. 
 
 "A little early yet," he said. "Still, it will 
 soon be sunrise ; and meanwhile we can push 
 up the valley. Ah ! the mules are already 
 saddled and packed? So much the better. 
 I see, George, you believe the old proverb, 
 ' Early to bed and early to rise makes the 
 man healthy, wealthy and wise.' Let us see 
 whether it will prove true." 
 
 " We will hope it will, at least, and hasten," 
 replied George, impatiently. 
 
 " Hope ? yes ! Hasten slowly," responded 
 Anton. " We must proceed deliberately, my 
 friend, lest we should get on a wrong track. 
 Step by step the channel must be prospected, 
 for I have heard that it occasionally happens 
 
112 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 that other and smaller valleys containing 
 small streams open into a larger. There- 
 fore be on your guard that such a valley 
 does not escape our notice." 
 
 " This shall certainly not happen, espe- 
 cially as you have called my attention to 
 it. Search the channel, and I will watch 
 the smaller valleys." 
 
 "Be it so," responded Anton. "And, 
 now that it is sufficiently light, let us pro- 
 ceed." 
 
 Both prospectors pushed up the stream, 
 leading the mules. With eyes cast to the 
 ground, searching every gutter and every 
 recess like a bloodhound scenting game, 
 they advanced slowly forward step by step, 
 and soon another exclamation from Anton 
 proclaimed another discovery of gold. Sev- 
 eral hundred steps farther on the glistening 
 gold pieces multiplied among the small peb- 
 bles of the channel. 
 
THE TREASURE. 113 
 
 In the course of half an hour Anton had 
 collected a handful of the size of peas and 
 beans. This success caused George, instead 
 of watching the side-valleys, to watch Anton, 
 who, with nose almost touching the ground, 
 diligently rummaged in the silt for gold- 
 grains. All of a sudden, however, he could 
 discover nothing more in the bed of the 
 stream than stones, sand and deposits of 
 earth. 
 
 " This is very strange," said Anton, straight- 
 ening up and wiping the pearly sweat-drops 
 which his diligent seeking had forced from 
 his burning brow. " It were bad for us if the 
 sand covered the gold-bed. In this event 
 it might perhaps be necessary to seek long 
 for it, and, unfortunately, we might not find 
 it at all." 
 
 George turned pale. 
 
 "That were terrible," said he. "No, no, 
 
 Anton ! entertain no such fears. There must 
 10* H 
 
114 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 be some other reason for the disappearance 
 of the gold in this place. Let us continue 
 our search. I doubt not that the gold-grains 
 will soon reappear." 
 
 " Well, then, let us proceed," replied An- 
 ton, who now with double zeal renewed the 
 work, which had been suspended for a short 
 time. 
 
 They advanced several hundred steps, but, 
 carefully as they rummaged the ground, they 
 found nothing but sand and stones sand and 
 stones everywhere, but no gold, not even of 
 the size of the head of a large pin. 
 
 " We are on a wrong track," said Anton, 
 at length, with assurance ; " it cannot be oth- 
 erwise, George. You must have overlooked 
 a side-valley." 
 
 George contradicted him, but Anton, turn- 
 ing back, on a sudden found, three hundred 
 steps from where they had started, the nar- 
 row mouth of a dry channel partly covered 
 
THE TREASURE. 11$ 
 
 with bushes. Quickly he rushed into it, 
 George following close to him, and a loud 
 cry of delight, which echoed through the 
 forests, indicated that they had again dis- 
 covered the lost track. 
 
 " Here you see how blinding covetousness 
 is," said Anton to his companion. " Had you 
 looked about you more carefully than be- 
 fore you, we would have been spared these 
 painful feelings. But we shall not lose by 
 it. I see we are near the goal : the gold- 
 grains lie thicker and become larger. Let 
 us go forward." 
 
 Forward they went. But soon the adven- 
 turers were obliged to leave their mules be- 
 hind, as the channel became so narrow that 
 the animals could not squeeze through. 
 They crept slowly upward, forced their way 
 under thorny bushes, crawled on hands and 
 feet where the underbrush was dense, and 
 finally reached a basin-shaped recess where 
 
Il6 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 the streamlet was suddenly cut off. A cleft 
 wall of rock arose perpendicularly before 
 them. There was every indication that in 
 the rainy season the swollen stream here 
 formed a waterfall. 
 
 Anton burst into ecstasies and shouted as 
 with trembling hand he rummaged the bot- 
 tom of the basin : 
 
 " George, the nest is found ! Here lie the 
 golden eggs !" 
 
 Yes, here they were. Amid the white 
 sand glimmered the scattered masses of pre- 
 cious metal, accumulating, perhaps, for cen- 
 turies in this natural washer. Trembling, 
 panting and with eyes glowing with emo- 
 tion, the adventurers stared at the treasure, 
 for which now they had but to reach to get 
 it into their possession. Consequent on the 
 first impulse of their rapture, they fell into 
 each other's arms and wept sweet tears of joy 
 over their immense possessions. 
 
THE TREASURE. 1 1/ 
 
 "We have found our fortune," said An- 
 ton, finally ; " it but remains for us to get the 
 hoes, spades and bags in order to gather our 
 wealth. Let us not delay. It is early in the 
 day, and by evening the entire basin can be 
 stirred around and around." 
 
 George needed no further urging. Both 
 hurried back to their mules, brought the im- 
 plements and bags, and at once began their 
 wearisome but immensely productive and re- 
 munerative labor. Immediately under the 
 loose deposit lay a bed of pure gQld, under 
 this, again, a layer of sand, and again followed 
 a stratum of gold. Five or six times this al- 
 ternation occurred. 
 
 Anton readily accounted for this. 
 
 " During each rainy season, when the wa- 
 ter pours over these rocks into the basin, it 
 carries with it gold and loose material," said 
 he. " The gold, as the heavier, settles below, 
 and the silt on the top of it. In this way 
 
Il8 .THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 originated these beds, whose riches seem to 
 be inexhaustible." 
 
 This view of the origin of these layers of 
 gold appeared very plausible to George, al- 
 though he made no responses and also paid 
 little attention to the subject. The treasure 
 in itself was of ten thousand times more 
 value to him than any knowledge whatever 
 as to the origin of the beds. He indulged 
 in the fulfilment of his fondest dreams, and 
 the most diversified air- castles arose in glit- 
 tering splendor before his intoxicated vision. 
 Already he saw himself returned home rich 
 as a Croesus, and .all the dangers still inter- 
 vening fled before the swelling enthusiasm 
 of his heart, whose covetousness in this 
 moment was fully sated. 
 
 But this feeling of excitement soon yield- 
 ed to calmer reflection. He cast a dark and 
 wicked glance at Anton ; like ice fell into his 
 burning passion the thought that he must 
 
THE TREASURE. 1 19 
 
 share the rich treasure before him with an- 
 other. It never occurred to him that Anton 
 had proved most serviceable to him, that with- 
 out him he evidently would never have found 
 these riches, and that without his precaution 
 and knowledge of affairs he would doubtless 
 have perished in these wild regions. The evil 
 demon of avarice so irresistibly possessed 
 him that hellish designs were forming in his 
 bosom, and he entertained a perfect hatred 
 toward his companion, who to this moment 
 had proved so faithful and serviceable. But 
 these superior qualities of Anton were now 
 lost sight of. George saw only the gold the 
 glittering, sparkling gold which Anton dug 
 from the ground. Every power within him 
 resisted a division with his comrade. 
 
 " Never !" muttered' he " never ! This 
 gold is mine ; let him seek other beds. Had 
 I not taken him with me, had I not provided 
 him with a mule, with implements and weap- 
 
I2O THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 ons, he might still be a stable-boy with that 
 heartless horse-dealer. I will let him keep 
 his animal and half the weapons and imple- 
 ments ; he cannot expect more from me. It 
 would be utter presumption for him to ex- 
 pect me to share this treasure with him." 
 
 This matter was soon settled in his mind. 
 
 Whether Anton, while busily engaged in 
 digging for gold, had read the feelings of 
 George in the changing expressions of his 
 countenance, or whether, perhaps, like him, 
 he entertained similar feelings of avarice, 
 who can tell ? Enough, a change of mind 
 and feeling had occurred in both, and just 
 when their hearts should have been bound 
 together most closely. Their success and 
 the realization of their wild dreams seemed 
 to have produced between them a rent not 
 to be healed. Anton cast just as distrustful 
 glances at George as George at him, although 
 each kept up the appearance of devotion and 
 
THE TREASURE. 121 
 
 friendship for the other. From the moment 
 that this rich but perishable treasure had 
 fallen into their hands fallen, as it were, 
 from heaven, or we might perhaps with more 
 propriety say raked, as it were, from the 
 depth of hell any one might have noticed 
 that both these men were completely un- 
 der the power of the evil demon of gold. 
 
 The gold-seekers labored untiringly, scarce- 
 ly taking time to eat or to drink. By evening 
 the greater part of their sacks were filled 
 with gold-dust and solid pieces, some of the 
 size of a fist. But now the gold seemed ex- 
 hausted. Beneath the last sand-bed simply 
 lay black earth, and under it, although An- 
 ton dug deeper, they found nothing which 
 indicated more gold. 
 
 " Well, we have enough, and have reason 
 to be satisfied," said he, while he gave up 
 his fruitless efforts and wearily rested on the 
 
 handle of his spade. " The bags which lay 
 11 
 
122 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 around contain enough gold to buy sev- 
 eral counties in Germany. The next thing 
 in order is to return to San Francisco and 
 there take passage and sail home." 
 
 " That is my idea," replied George, curtly, 
 without, however, once turning his eyes from 
 the full bags. " What now ?" 
 
 "Well, we must lead the mules with the 
 gold," replied Anton. " To-morrow, at day- 
 break, we will break up camp and return by 
 the shortest route to San Francisco." 
 
 " Yes, this we will do," said George. " We 
 will this very evening lead our beasts ;" and 
 in thought he added, " How well he plays 
 into my hands ! He will be surprised when 
 he will in vain look for me and the gold- 
 bags to-morrow morning." 
 
 Anton shouldered a full bag, and so did 
 George. These were carried to a spot not 
 far from where the mules were tethered. 
 Five bags apiece were carried there, and 
 
THE TREASURE. 12$ 
 
 then the precious possession was packed on 
 the animals. After consuming their plain 
 evening meal they stretched out on the 
 ground near the mules, very few words 
 passing between them. 
 
 " The one awakening first awakens the 
 other at last," remarked George. 
 
 Anton responded with a short "Yes." 
 
 After this both, wrapped in their mantles, 
 lay still. 
 
 George reckoned that Anton, as last night, 
 would soon sink into so deep a sleep as to 
 be awakened only with difficulty. When 
 this had taken place, he intended getting 
 up, slyly loading the sacks on his own 
 mule and secretly escaping. This plan he 
 revolved in his mind and firmly resolved 
 to carry out, regardless of the gratitude 
 which he was conscious was due Anton. 
 Impatiently he waited for the deep breath- 
 ing which indicates sound sleep, and mur- 
 
124 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 mured imprecations as ever and anon he 
 heard the restless tossing of Anton from 
 side to side on his earth-couch. A feeling 
 of drowsiness, with difficulty resisted, occa- 
 sionally came over him. The past night he 
 had slept and rested little, and the day had 
 been spent amid exhausting toil and still 
 more exhausting excitement. True, he 
 struggled desperately against this feeling, 
 and several times aroused himself by force 
 from his stupor; but finally his eyelids 
 drooped with leaden weight. From a state 
 of wakefulness he fell into dreaming bewil- 
 dering dreams, and his quick, strong breath- 
 ing became slower and slower; and toward 
 midnight George slept as though dead. 
 
 There was a rustling by his side. Per- 
 haps the wind stirred the leaves of the trees 
 or a timid wild beast was frightened away 
 by a greedy, bloodthirsty robber. George 
 was not awakened by the stir. Steps were 
 
THE TREASURE. 125 
 
 perceptible, then the clashing of horseshoes 
 on the stones, then a peculiar snuffing and 
 snorting. George still slept. The steps 
 were more distant, and became gradually 
 softer, until finally they died away entirely. 
 He still lay breathing deep and motionless 
 on the ground, and dreaming perhaps gold- 
 en dreams of unheard-of success, which dur- 
 ing the day had crowned him. 
 
 The morning dawned. The dew hung in 
 large drops on the leaves and blades of grass, 
 and even on the glowing face of George. 
 This cool moisture awakened him. Rub- 
 bing his eyes, he sprang to his feet and 
 cast an inquisitive gaze about him. His 
 look next betrayed surprise, and then fear 
 and doubt. Where was Anton? Where 
 were the mules ? Where was the gold ? 
 All had disappeared as if swallowed by 
 the earth : not a trace remained. 
 
 George ran through the nearest bushes, 
 11* 
 
126 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 called, screamed "Anton !" bellowed with 
 fury, rage and despair. But Anton did not 
 respond. George howled and raved, threw 
 himself on the ground, beating his breast 
 and tearing his hair. At last he fell into a 
 dull stupor, in which he lay for some time, 
 when it occurred to him to pursue the es- 
 caped traitor and thief and rescue the spoil, 
 and, if necessary, struggle with the rascal 
 for life. Avarice and despair had driven him 
 so far that he now panted for the life-blood 
 of him who for weeks had been his good 
 friend and faithful attendant. He looked 
 for his weapons gun, pistols and knives. 
 But these had disappeared with Anton, who 
 perhaps had taken them with him for protec- 
 tion against the supposed fury of his betrayed 
 comrade. George found nothing but a shov- 
 el, a hoe and two empty sacks, which lay on 
 the ground in the neighborhood of their 
 night's encampment. A paper fluttered in 
 
THE TREASURE. 12; 
 
 the cleft handle of the shovel. He read 
 the following, written with a lead-pencil: 
 
 " You sought in vain to delude me, you 
 ungrateful rogue ! I read your purpose in 
 your eyes. You designed this night secret- 
 ly to flee with our common treasure and 
 leave me alone in this wilderness. Thus, 
 then, you intended expressing your thanks 
 for my faithful labor. You forgot that it was 
 I who led and guided you, that it was I who 
 discovered the rich gold-bed. To me, there- 
 fore, belongs the gold; and, instead of shar- 
 ing with me, you wished to keep all. I am 
 ahead of you. Let this serve as a punish- 
 ment for your covetousness and .shameless 
 ingratitude. Try your success alone. Hoe 
 and shovel I leave you, and I hope, besides, 
 you may be as fortunate without me as you 
 were with me. Lose no time in pursuing 
 me. I know the wood better than you, and, 
 
128 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 more than this, I have such a start of you 
 that you can never overtake me. May you 
 be fortunate ! and let this punishment which 
 of right is inflicted on you serve to make 
 you a better man. 
 
 " ANTON." 
 
 In his wrath George foamed, raved and 
 howled. He threw the paper on the ground 
 and trod it under his foot; then he picked 
 it up and tore it into a thousand fragments. 
 All the invectives that he had ever heard or 
 that his mind could conjure up were hurled 
 against the flying Anton. 
 
 In these useless demonstrations of rage 
 George probably spent half a day. His ap- 
 petite for food at length reminded him that a 
 senseless whining alone could never conquer 
 despair. He looked about for edibles, and 
 found some fruits and vegetables to appease 
 his hunger. This somewhat calmed him, 
 
THE TREASURE. 129 
 
 and he began to meditate as to his future 
 plans. He was now stripped of everything. 
 His entire property was gone, and he was 
 left as poor as a beggar. Without friends or 
 resources he could do nothing but adopt the 
 course recommended to him by the faithless 
 Anton. He could only remain and search 
 for new sources of wealth, and endeavor at 
 least to accumulate enough to enable him to 
 return to San Francisco, and thence to his 
 old home in Germany. He concluded on 
 the next morning to again rummage the 
 basin where Anton had found the lumps 
 of gold, and to gather the few grains which 
 might have been left of yesterday's harvest ; 
 then to follow the channel, and there also to 
 collect the scattered particles ; and finally, if 
 the gains were unsatisfactory, not to rest un- 
 til he had made new and productive discov- 
 eries. With this determination, at nightfall 
 he lay down for a night's sweet repose. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A NEW DISCOVERY. 
 
 THE refreshing sleep had again soothed 
 the powerfully excited and almost 
 shattered nerves of George, and he awoke 
 composed, with renewed vigor and courage. 
 Hope had returned, and he went to work 
 unembarrassed by his late gloomy feelings. 
 Busily engaged with pick and spade, he dug 
 over the bed of the dried-up stream and 
 made a most industrious search for what 
 scattered particles of gold he could find 
 amid the sand and the pebbles. Before 
 nightfall he had gathered a full handful of 
 the precious metal. 
 
 But he had by this time also found gold- 
 hunting to be a very wearisome and laborious 
 
 130 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 
 
 task not nearly so encouraging as had been 
 the easy snatching up of the heaped masses 
 in the basin the day before. The sun was 
 fiercely hot, almost scorching his brain, and 
 many a drop of perspiration oozed out of his 
 skin while he was collecting this little quan- 
 tity of ore. But he had found some. The 
 pile was increasing by degrees, and, although 
 it was doing so but slowly, it revived his 
 spirits and stimulated him to fresh exer- 
 tions. 
 
 He had scoured the stream-bed, and be- 
 took himself to the rubbish in the basin. 
 Here the result soon proved more encour- 
 aging than it had done the day before; for 
 neither he nor Anton had sifted this very 
 closely because of the abundance of ore. 
 When the second evening came his accu- 
 mulations had more than doubled, and his 
 feverish hopes had risen in still greater 
 proportion. 
 
132 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 George's situation caused him to reflect. 
 He called to mind Anton's theory of the 
 gold-bed, and from that drew an inference 
 that certainly seemed most plausible suf- 
 ficiently so, at least, to elate him and cause 
 the hopeful blood to course through his 
 heart quicker and quicker. Thus he solil- 
 oquized : 
 
 " Each stratum of gold originated here 
 from deposits left by heavy rains ; there 
 must be more underneath than the few lay- 
 ers we have opened. This waterfall may 
 have been in existence for hundreds of years, 
 and during each of these years the swelling 
 stream poured down the rocky heights must 
 have carried with it stones, earth and gold. 
 Therefore the gold-washing of earlier years 
 either must be imbedded beneath the layers 
 explored by Anton or else there must be 
 another basin above this rock, in which the 
 deposits collected and sank before reaching 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 133 
 
 this fall. To-morrow I shall make further 
 investigations." 
 
 George awaited the next rising sun with 
 burning impatience, and long before his 
 first rays reached over the mountain-peaks 
 he grasped pick and spade and began anew 
 to dig the bottom of the basin. He dug to 
 the depth of several feet, but found nothing 
 to justify his hopes, and at last dropped his 
 implements in bitter disappointment. But, 
 shortly recovering, he said to himself, 
 
 "Still, why should I despair? Is there 
 not some hope of success in scaling this 
 rocky wall ? Away to work, then !" 
 
 He hunted for more than an hour for 
 some avenue by which he might climb the 
 precipice, which was so steep and rugged 
 that the nimble chamois could scarcely have 
 clambered it. Finally he found in the rock a 
 crevice completely overgrown with bushes, 
 
 through which he eagerly ascended. He 
 12 
 
134 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 reached its height after the most fatiguing 
 exertions, but not until his face and hands 
 were bleeding from the lacerating thorns. 
 
 Now it was an easy matter to find the dry 
 bed of the stream which during the rainy 
 season formed the waterfall, and through 
 which the gold was carried into the basin 
 beneath. With breathless haste he followed 
 the tortuous bed, and in a short time reached 
 a point near the edge of the precipice where 
 it widened into a larger basin than the one 
 below. Here he kicked aside the sand, and 
 then fell to the ground with an outburst of 
 rapture. He was not disappointed : the re- 
 sult had more than confirmed his expecta- 
 tions. He now stood on a layer of gold 
 which exceeded in richness perhaps ten- 
 fold the one found below the waterfall. 
 
 George required several minutes to re- 
 cover from his happy excitement, which had 
 almost stupefied him. He laughed, he wept, 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 135 
 
 he screamed with exultation, all in one 
 breath. He was beside himself for joy. 
 He snatched gold pieces as large as a fist, 
 and handled them as caressingly as if they 
 were living pets. He pressed them to his 
 lips and with both hands rummaged in the 
 mass of gold, whose value, in a word, was 
 incalculable. 
 
 As his reason gradually returned he be- 
 gan more closely to investigate the gold- 
 bed. The whole basin was filled to the 
 depth of over a foot with the shining ore, 
 and, as it was several yards wide, George 
 could readily believe that he had discovered 
 riches perhaps unequalled in the outside 
 world. Nature, in forming this basin, had 
 made it a casket of gold. The heavy metal 
 had to sink in this recess, and the stream 
 could only bear some of it away when the 
 basin was by it filled to overflowing. Thus 
 this treasure may have lain here for ages 
 
136 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 untouched by the hand of man, until finally 
 George became the lucky finder. 
 
 "Anton, what a simpleton you were to leave 
 me !" exclaimed he, exultingly, after having 
 feasted his eyes to blindness on the sparkling 
 lustre of the precious ore. " Had you re- 
 mained with me, we might each be fully 
 contented, and your faithlessness deprives 
 you of greater treasures than those of which 
 you so maliciously robbed me." 
 
 While he called to mind the friend who 
 had proved so treacherous, it also occurred to 
 him that he had taken with him both mules ; 
 and his happy musings were changed into feel- 
 ings of terror, and almost of despair. How 
 was he to carry away his wealth ? How was 
 he to find his way back to the settlements ? 
 Until now Anton had served as leader and 
 guide to him. George knew not even what 
 course to take to get to San Francisco ; for 
 so long as Anton was with him he had no 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 137 
 
 concern for anything, and consequently paid 
 no attention to the paths they had travelled. 
 They had ridden hither and thither through 
 the forests, now toward sunrise, now toward 
 sunset. George vainly racked his brain to 
 find a leading-thread out of this labyrinth. 
 
 Then another thing alarmed him : even if 
 he should find a return path, on what could 
 he subsist during the long journey ? Anton, 
 as guide, was also hunter, fisherman and cook. 
 George had neither weapons nor nets, nor 
 could he even kindle a fire, since Anton had 
 also taken with him the tinder-box with it's 
 contents. To cap the climax, George was 
 without any means of defence, exposed to 
 the attack of any roving robber who might 
 be provided with weapons and be lusting 
 after his riches. His condition, notwithstand- 
 ing the vast wealth which he had discovered, 
 appeared in no sense enviable. 
 
 George had to endure all the tortures of a 
 
 12* 
 
138 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 Tantalus. He shook with fear and trembled 
 at the thought of the thousandfold cares and 
 dangers which awaited him in the near future. 
 Here he was in possession of a pile of gold 
 of such richness as to blind his sight, his 
 most wayward dream had been realized, and 
 the reality exceeded his most extravagant 
 hopes ; and still Where now was the 
 happiness which he had promised himself 
 from the riches of California? 
 
 " Of what use to me is all this gold ?" 
 muttered he, while with dejected spirit he 
 stared at his possessions. "The half, two- 
 thirds, nine-tenths, I would cheerfully give 
 if with the remainder I were at home safely 
 and peaceably. What can I do to secure but 
 a little of this gold, in order with it to reach 
 San Francisco?" 
 
 He began to reflect as to the best course 
 to pursue under existing circumstances. At 
 -length he concluded to bury all the gold in 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 139 
 
 different places, and to take with him only so 
 much of it as he could carry in his pockets 
 and in the two bags which Anton had left him. 
 Then he would, endeavor to reach some set- 
 tlement, buy other mules and weapons, and 
 with them return to his hidden treasure. To 
 make sure of the spot where his wealth lay 
 buried, he purposed making private marks ; 
 and thus, he thought, he might eventually 
 succeed in securing his discovery, in spite 
 of wearisome toil and danger. 
 
 This conclusion was certainly the wisest he 
 could arrive at, and, as in the face of planning 
 and speculating nothing better occurred to 
 him, he at once proceeded to carry out his 
 project. About one hundred yards from the 
 basin stood a group of trees. In their shade, 
 in the sweat of his face, he dug three deep 
 holes, and into them put the greater part of 
 his treasure. After this he covered them over 
 with earth, levelled the places as well as he 
 
I/J.O THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 could, to give them as unsuspicious an ap- 
 pearance as their surroundings, and so ac- 
 curately marked their situation that on his 
 return he would have no difficulty in find- 
 ing them. 
 
 To effect all this George spent three full 
 days, and they were evil days days full 
 of anguish and privation. The care most 
 racking his brain was the fear of being sur- 
 prised by roving adventurers and by them 
 stripped of his wealth. For this reason he 
 toiled with a zeal which barely left him time 
 to satisfy his hunger with wild fruits and roots. 
 
 But at length it was accomplished ; and, 
 with somewhat relieved mind, George now 
 thought of returning to San Francisco. He 
 filled his two bags, as well as his pockets, 
 with the largest and most valuable gold pieces, 
 and, fastening the former to his implements, 
 he threw them across his shoulders. Then, 
 grasping a heavy, solid, thorny staff, which 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 14! 
 
 would serve as a support as well as for a 
 weapon of defence, he resumed his wander- 
 ing through the wilderness of California. 
 
 It was a strange figure that journeyed. 
 The long beard, which had not been trimmed 
 for many weeks, ran in wild luxuriance about 
 his pale, wasted face ; his bushy hair had 
 become a stranger to comb and brush ; his 
 garments were ragged, and his boots so torn 
 that they no longer protected his feet. No 
 one looking at him would have supposed 
 him to be the custodian of well-filled bags 
 of gold ; he would sooner have been regard- 
 ed as a miserable beggar, if nothing worse. 
 
 But poor-rich George was just now per- 
 fectly indifferent as to his appearance. His 
 only care was to secure his treasure, and 
 until that was done he was willing to en- 
 dure this life of wretchedness. For he was 
 supremely wretched and miserable, notwith- 
 standing his buried riches. 
 
142 . THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 He clambered down the crevice, and at 
 the edge where it opened into the lower 
 valley reared a small pyramid of stones as 
 a guide to the avenue. Then he descended 
 the channel to the place where Anton had 
 discovered the first traces of gold, and there 
 built a second pyramid. For several days, 
 at each turn of the way he made, he threw 
 up a pile of stones. 
 
 Sad and weary was his journey. The 
 heavy burden made his shoulders sore; 
 walking over the rough and stony ground 
 crippled him ; and from want of sufficient 
 and wholesome nourishment his body grew 
 weaker and weaker, until the unfortunate 
 Croesus could drag himself along only with 
 great effort. 
 
 Eventually, after wandering for weeks, 
 George again noticed traces of inhabited 
 regions. Solitary log huts emerged from 
 the uniform verdure of the forest, and occa- 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 143 
 
 sionally he even beheld human forms, which, 
 like himself not long before, rummaged the 
 sand and gravel of channels for gold. This 
 sight, however, instead of inspiring him with 
 a feeling of greater security, only 'served to 
 incite new fears. Might not all these per- 
 sons be robbers and cut-throats? Might 
 there not in these huts lurk desperadoes who 
 would make no conscience of killing the lone- 
 ly wanderer, and thus offer him up in cold 
 blood in order to obtain his gold? 
 
 George slyly avoided any contact with 
 these people; and, instead of approaching 
 their huts and soliciting the hospitality of 
 the occupants, he always passed them, often 
 describing a large circle, so as to make sure 
 of escaping every human eye. Instead of 
 travelling by day, as he had hitherto done, 
 he travelled by night, and kept himself con- 
 cealed during the hours of daylight. He 
 had procured a valuable treasure at a great 
 
144 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 sacrifice, and he was determined to watch it 
 with Argus-eye. 
 
 It was not until he had struck a well-trod- 
 den open road that he ventured to pursue his 
 journey by daylight ; for here the number of 
 travellers was large and he feared no sudden 
 surprise. The very publicity afforded him 
 protection against individuals who in the 
 heart of the forest would not fear detec- 
 tion. 
 
 Inns became more numerous, but George 
 universally avoided these, and never took 
 even a night's lodging in one of them. He 
 believed himself surrounded on every side by 
 villains. Since Anton's perfidy he had ceased 
 to trust any and every human being. He 
 preferred to spend his nights alone in some 
 secluded place, covered only by the wide 
 canopy of heaven. He never entered a hotel 
 unless forced to do so by hunger and thirst 
 or when unbearable weariness compelled him 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 145 
 
 to seek temporary rest, and then he would 
 carefully conceal his valuable burden, select 
 a quiet corner and as soon as possible steal 
 away unobserved. 
 
 His caution and vigilance finally brought 
 him in safety to a small town where he could 
 provide himself with all necessaries. He 
 purchased mules, weapons and clothing with- 
 out delay, and wasted but little time in bar- 
 gaining. He promptly paid for all with raw 
 gold, and to escape attention he ordered the 
 four mules which he deemed necessary to 
 transport his wealth to be sent to a hotel out- 
 side of the town, where he expected to take 
 possession of them an hour later. This done, 
 he quietly but hastily left the town for some 
 secret spot in the midst of the forest. Here 
 he first assured himself that he was alone 
 and unobserved ; then he dug a deep hole, 
 in which he buried the remainder of his 
 gold, yet consisting of a full bag. He adopt- 
 
 13 K 
 
146 THE GOLD-SEEKER.. 
 
 ed this as a measure of caution against any 
 misfortunes that might overtake him in his 
 attempt to bring away the wealth that he had 
 hidden before he left the interior. This, at 
 least, in any emergency would leave him fully 
 twice as much money as he had brought with 
 him from -home, and would certainly enable 
 him to return to Europe. 
 
 Relieved in mind by this measure, George 
 stole away from the place, and by a circuitous 
 route proceeded to the house where the seller 
 of the mules had promised to await his ar- 
 rival. He mounted the strongest animal and 
 hastened off without further delay, leading 
 the other three mules behind him. 
 
 It was with a heart full of happy anticipa- 
 tion that he again ventured toward the wild 
 interior through which he had so lately trav- 
 elled with bleeding feet and a mind filled with 
 painful apprehensions. His longing for wealth 
 was now more intense than it had ever been 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 
 
 before, and he cherished well-founded hopes 
 that his desires would be satisfied even to a 
 surfeit. True, he was all alone in the gloomy 
 and dangerous forests, but he was well armed 
 and richly provided with all the necessaries 
 for his adventure, and, being alone, he had 
 no need to fear the treachery of a compan- 
 ion. 
 
 Thus buoyed by hope, courage and a bold 
 determination to succeed, George prosecuted 
 his dreary journey, and hastened toward the 
 distant hiding-place of his dazzling idol. He 
 met with no obstacles, and by the waymarks 
 which he had made at various points he had 
 no difficulty in finding the route. He lost no 
 time but what was absolutely needed for rest 
 for his animals, and his urgent impatience 
 soon brought him to the dry bed of the 
 stream that flowed from the gold-reservoir, 
 and which directed him to the heights where 
 his rich ore lay buried, 
 
148 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 He tethered his mules at the foot of the 
 rock and nimbly ascended the steep declivity. 
 He reached the top wearied out, but hurried- 
 ly proceeded to the group of trees whose 
 branches sheltered his gold. The ground 
 had not been disturbed since he had left it, 
 and a few minutes of labor again revealed 
 to his view the bright, shining lustre of the 
 precious metal. The sight filled him with 
 ecstatic joy. He hastily and greedily went 
 to work, opened all the holes, and labored 
 incessantly until every particle of hoarded 
 gold was stowed away in his bags. This 
 cost him no little exertion and considerable 
 time. 
 
 Now he need but carry the sacks on his 
 shoulders down into the valley and load 
 them on the mules. Twilight already cast 
 its shadow through the dense wood, and 
 night would soon set in. George, therefore, 
 deemed it best to suspend further operations 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. 149 
 
 for the day and early to seek rest from his 
 severe toil. He gathered his gold-sacks 
 about him, took one of them for a pillow, 
 and now rolled on a bed which, hard as it 
 was, he would not have exchanged for the 
 softest down of the eider-duck. 
 
 Amid the vastness of his fortune he slept 
 soundly and sweetly till next morning, when 
 the early rays of the sun, falling on his face, 
 awakened him. Now he sprang up quickly, 
 and at once proceeded to lug his gold-bags 
 down the crevice into the valley, where he 
 loaded his mules with them. 
 
 While he was in the act of starting his 
 heavily-laden beasts, there was suddenly 
 thrown over him a loop which threw him 
 on the ground. He howled with rage and 
 fright, and before he could recover from the 
 torpor into which this surprise had thrown 
 him he was bound hands and feet with 
 ropes and lay helpless as a child. 
 
 13* 
 
I5O THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 " Infamous villain !" cried George ; " heart- 
 less, degraded scoundrel ! If you must rob 
 me, also take my life." 
 
 "Ah, senor!" replied the fellow; "don't 
 trouble yourself. Give yourself no concern 
 about that. Death will come to you soon 
 enough without my aid, for you need not 
 calculate on any assistance in this remote 
 wilderness. Behave yourself well; and if 
 ever you get into a condition again to buy 
 mules, apply to me freely and boldly." 
 
 George now recognized in this robber the 
 horse-dealer from whom he had purchased 
 the animals. 
 
 . "Scoundrel that you are," exclaimed he, 
 "you have followed me to rob me." 
 
 " Si, sefior exactly," replied the ragamuf- 
 fin. " It was very easy to see that you must 
 have struck fortune in some place to need 
 four mules. You came ragged and tattered ; 
 you paid me in ore. I at once surmised that 
 
A NEW DISCOVERY. !$! 
 
 you had somewhere discovered a valuable 
 mine and were buying the mules to transport 
 the gold, and, as gold is a very valuable com- 
 modity, I concluded to follow you, which 
 was a very easy thing to do. The sixteen 
 hoof-tracks left by your mules made a very 
 marked road, and I could easily follow, you 
 unsuspected until you reached the spot. I 
 followed you even up on the heights. I 
 saw you dig the treasure out of the earth 
 and noticed how free from care you rested 
 on your bed of gold. You must have had 
 a precious night's sleep, sefior, for not even 
 kings can often sleep on such riches. I 
 might have murdered you in your sleep, but 
 then a fellow has a conscience ; and, besides, 
 I wanted you first to carry the gold down 
 into the gulch and save me that trouble. 
 You have done everything well, sefior, and 
 I really feel myself indebted to you for the 
 pains you have taken for my benefit. Be 
 
152 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 happy, sefior; amuse yourself here as best 
 you can, and don't entertain any hard feel- 
 ings against me because I must leave you. 
 You know it is quite a distance to my home. 
 The Lord save you, sefior !" 
 
 The villain bowed to George with an im- 
 pudent sneer, and without one look of 
 compassion urged on the mules and soon 
 disappeared behind the nearest thicket with 
 everything gold and all that George had 
 accumulated. 
 
 George was now seized with frantic de- 
 spair. He raved, he shouted and howled, 
 and tried every means to break his bonds. 
 But all his efforts were in vain. The robber 
 no longer heard him, and the ropes refused 
 to break. 
 
 Rich as Crcesus but a moment before, 
 George was now robbed of all he had. Even 
 his liberty was gone, and he saw before him 
 not a glimmer of hope nothing but a miser- 
 
A NEW, DISCOVERY. 153 
 
 able, wretched death. What could he hope 
 for in this wild, desolate region, so remote 
 from any human habitation that the foot of 
 man might not again tread it for years ? He 
 shuddered at the thought of the fearful death 
 now impending. Never before, in all his 
 trials, did he so deeply regret that he had 
 ever left his home. He had no anathemas 
 strong enough for his thirst of gold, which 
 had led him into these terrors and dangers. 
 But regret came too late. Gnashing his 
 teeth and wailing in utter abject dismay, 
 George repeated his despairing efforts to 
 break his fetters; but the tenacious ropes 
 mocked every attempt, until, exhausted, he. 
 sank into a swoon-like stupor which left 
 him unconscious for several hours. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. 
 
 IT was near noon when George awoke 
 from his stupor. The piercing rays of 
 the sun fell with full fervor upon his head, 
 and in his exposed condition he was subject- 
 ed to terrible suffering. The scorching heat 
 was unendurable, and he was forced either to 
 remove from the spot or miserably to perish 
 in the greatest of agony. 
 
 Not far from him, and close to the rugged 
 precipice with its many sharp edges and 
 points, a shady bower arched over a small 
 fountain gently flowing from out the rocks. 
 Here he saw a prospect of quenching his 
 burning thirst if he could but reach it. With 
 powerful efforts he finally succeeded in drag-' 
 
 154 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. 155 
 
 ging himself to this place of shelter. He 
 brought his parched lips to the edge of the 
 spring and greedily sipped the clear, cool 
 water. 
 
 This simple draught so refreshed and re- 
 vived him that new hope dawned in his soul. 
 If he could only free himself from the ropes, 
 he thought that he might perhaps be able to 
 overtake the villain who had so remorselessly 
 plundered him ; for he was now sufficiently 
 acquainted with the wilderness to warrant 
 him in penetrating it alone. He exercised all 
 his ingenuity to effect his release. That he 
 could not break the ropes by mere strength 
 his previous efforts had already convinced 
 him, but by patient rubbing against a sharp- 
 edged stone he might possibly succeed in 
 wearing them through ; and to this he ap- 
 plied himself. If he could but free one 
 hand, he might manage the rest without dif- 
 ficulty. He succeeded in crawling up to the 
 
THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 rock, and, bearing his back against one of 
 the sharp edges of the stone, he commenced 
 sawing with all his might. It was hard and 
 painful work, for he could not bring the rope 
 in contact with the stone without lacerating 
 his hands. But it was his only means of 
 salvation. A terrible death by slow starva- 
 tion stared him in the face, and this induced 
 him to shun neither pain nor exertion. 
 
 He thus toiled in suffering for hours, when 
 he felt one of the ropes giving way. He gave 
 one tremendous pull, and his hands were 
 freed. To untie his feet was now an easy 
 matter. He did not stop to undo the knots, 
 but from his pocket drew forth a knife, with 
 which he cut the remaining fetters. Rejoi- 
 cing over his success, he tried to jump, but 
 found that the long tight lacing which he 
 had endured had so cramped his feet that 
 he was unable to stand, and he staggered 
 and fell to the ground again. 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. !$/ 
 
 It was some time, and only after a thorough 
 rubbing of his limbs, before he was again able 
 to stand erect. Walking was still difficult, and 
 for that day at least it was impossible for 
 him to enter upon any journey. He looked 
 around for some roots wherewith to appease 
 his now craving appetite, and after resting 
 until the following morning he started, re- 
 freshed and strengthened. He hastened on 
 with diligence, spurred by the hope that he 
 might yet overtake the heartless miscreant 
 with his plunder, and perhaps recover his 
 lost treasure. His anticipations were not 
 wholly unfounded ; for, although the villain 
 had now the advantage of twenty-four hours' 
 start and the mules with which to travel, the 
 animals were heavily laden, and the robber 
 certainly had no idea that George would so 
 soon free himself from his bonds, and hence 
 would feel no necessity of overhaste to es- 
 cape him. 
 14 
 
158 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 George pursued him with a vengeance, 
 scarcely taking time to rest, either by night 
 or during the oppressive heat of the day ; so 
 that on the fifth day of his pursuit he discov- 
 ered the fresh tracks of the fleeing thief. 
 About noon he came to a spot where the 
 vile wretch had evidently encamped the night 
 before, the mules' tracks crossing one another 
 as if the beasts had been tethered there. 
 
 Besides this, George found a few live coals 
 among the ashes, and thus concluded that the 
 fugitive broke camp at a late hour, and could 
 therefore be only about two or three hours 
 in advance. He became more hopeful and 
 almost grinned at the idea of overtaking him, 
 and swung his dry, knotty stick with renewed 
 energy as he doubled his pace over the plain- 
 ly visible tracks made by his mules. 
 
 He thus travelled on perhaps for two hours 
 longer, when he was suddenly confronted by 
 a sight which paled his cheeks and caused 
 
NEW JOYS \ND NEW SORROWS. 159 
 
 his hair to stand on end. Close to the en- 
 trance of a narrow rocky ravine in the road 
 lay a human form covered with blood, the 
 face deformed by horrible gaping wounds. 
 The man was dead, -or at least unconscious. 
 Bewildered and horror-struck, he drew near- 
 er to the prostrate form, and shuddered to 
 recognize in the murdered man the thief he 
 was pursuing the base creature who had 
 robbed him, and for whose life-blood his 
 revengeful heart had until then panted. But 
 every feeling of revenge left him as he gazed 
 upon that dead face. 
 
 " Merciful God !" he exclaimed ; " must 
 this be the robber's end? Robbed of his 
 stolen treasure, and of his money besides ! 
 How much more fortunate am I ! Who 
 knows but this would have been my fate 
 had I journeyed through here with my 
 gold, careless and happy as I should have 
 been ?" 
 
160 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 George trembled as he thought of this. 
 Such would in all probability have been his 
 doom, and he bent down to see if life was ex- 
 tinct. To his surprise, the victim opened his 
 eyes, stared at him, and a twitching motion 
 of his countenance was visible. He moved 
 his lips and in broken, stifled accents mut- 
 tered, 
 
 " Oh, you You have revenge ! A 
 curse on gold ! Robbers lurked here 
 I fell. God is a just Judge. You see 
 me Had I remained honest Thank 
 God Pardon me!" 
 
 He ceased to speak. A tremor ran through 
 his body, a deep sigh escaped him, and he 
 was dead. 
 
 George had been grievously wronged by 
 this man, but, now that he was dead, he for- 
 gave him from the depth of his soul, and on 
 his bended knees thanked God for the pres- 
 ervation of his own life. Then he drew the 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. 1 6 1 
 
 corpse to one side, covered it with leaves, as 
 he had no tools wherewith to dig a grave, 
 and, with tears rolling down his cheeks, left 
 the unfortunate man left him alone in this 
 terrible place, himself the prey of the most 
 gloomy thoughts, to prosecute his lonely 
 journey through the wilderness. 
 
 He. was now utterly sick and disgusted 
 with the rich gold-country and longed to be 
 far away from it once more to be back in 
 that quiet, peaceful Christian country which 
 he should never have left. It now loomed 
 up in his imagination a gorgeous paradise, 
 compared with the land of untold wealth, 
 whose riches seemed only to blight, to stifle 
 every good in man, to fill his heart with dis- 
 trust and hatred of his fellow, to urge him 
 to deeds of shame and violence to rob- 
 bery, murder and lust. The Christian grace 
 with which his heart was imbued had saved 
 
 George from the commission of such crimes, 
 14* L 
 
1 62 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 and he thanked God that his soul had been 
 preserved from such damning deeds. His 
 thirst for wealth was quenched ; he no longer 
 cared for imperial riches. The most ardent 
 wish of his soul now was once more to reach 
 his dear distant home; and, should he be 
 forced to return to it a pauper, he would 
 seek it and if need be earn his daily bread 
 by manual toil. 
 
 Occupied with such melancholy reflec- 
 tions, George journeyed on until he arrived 
 at the town where he had purchased his last 
 mules, and where also lay buried the bag of 
 gold he had left after that purchase. His 
 treasure was small compared with the wealth 
 he had possessed and lost, but now it was of 
 immense value to him. It would suffice to 
 pay the return passage to his native land, 
 and, in addition, secure him a home where 
 with some industry and economy he might 
 lead a quiet, comfortable life free from care. 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW -SORROWS. 163 
 
 But now, as he was approaching the spot 
 where his last hope rested, his heart began 
 to throb with apprehension. For what was 
 he to do if some one had discovered his 
 gold and robbed him ? 
 
 George dared not dwell on such a catas- 
 trophe or think of the consequences such a 
 terrible loss would entail on him. He tim- 
 idly stole to the hiding-place, almost afraid 
 to cast his eyes in the direction. In his anx- 
 ious suspense he earnestly prayed that God 
 would save him from the dreaded blow of 
 finding his treasure gone. He lingered and 
 lingered as his steps brought him nearer the 
 momentous spot. His limbs were fairly 
 benumbed with fear and he trembled with 
 excitement.. In the agony of his suspense 
 he muttered, " O God ! O God ! permit me 
 to find this little treasure once more. Let 
 me not be robbed of this only gl^am of hope 
 left me. I must die if it is lost. Let only 
 
164 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 this be spared only this ;" and he staggered 
 forward, quaking and gasping for breath. 
 His heart felt as if tied down in its cavity, 
 a cold perspiration dropped from his brow, 
 his teeth chattered and his sight was almost 
 dimmed as the identical spot was seen at 
 some distance, but, observing nothing sus- 
 picious, he felt a sudden relief and breathed 
 freer. He leaped to the spot like a lion upon 
 his prey and began to remove the earth, which 
 looked as if it had not been disturbed since 
 he had left it. A flash of joy beamed from 
 his eyes and an outburst of ecstasy escaped 
 from his lips. His gold was still there. He 
 raised his face to heaven and earnestly said, 
 
 " My gold is safe. I am delivered from 
 my hard fate, and, O God, for this I thank 
 thee from the depth of my soul." 
 
 Tears of joy, falling like pearls, streamed 
 down his pale cheeks not simply that he 
 had found his gold, but that it would afford 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. 165 
 
 t3 
 
 him the means to return to his native land. 
 The burning greed for gold which had 
 brought him to this country, made him a 
 homeless wanderer and had entailed upon 
 him so much misery and disappointment 
 was now supplanted by a deeper longing to 
 return home. 
 
 Now, for the first time after many days, 
 did he feel himself really fortunate more 
 fortunate than he had been when he discov- 
 ered his late enormous wealth. His present 
 possessions were unaccompanied by those 
 harassing feelings of anxiety, fear and dis- 
 trust which were incident to his earlier gains. 
 His fortune was now secure, and the tenure 
 by which he held it as sure, he felt, as the 
 sparkling gold at his feet, which he gathered 
 up with almost quaking hand to store away 
 for transportation. This done, he hurriedly 
 left the small town and started for San Fran- 
 cisco, where he expected to find ready and 
 
1 66 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 quick passage to Europe. His yearning to 
 reach home had become so overpowering 
 that he allowed himself no rest, but trav- 
 elled day and night without ceasing. He 
 was utterly exhausted tired to death, as 
 he expressed it but a nervous, feverish 
 strength seemed to uphold him until he saw 
 the housetops of San Francisco rise up be- 
 fore him ; and he staggered in the streets 
 of the city a tottering wreck. 
 
 His overtasked powers were now com- 
 pletely spent. His head became dizzy; he 
 was pale as death as he made the last spas- 
 modic efforts to drag himself along, and was 
 about to fall to the ground in a swoon when 
 he was embraced by a pair of strong arms, 
 and a deep, manly, sympathizing voice in- 
 quired, 
 
 " What ails you, my unfortunate man ? 
 Who are you?" 
 
 George faintly raised his eyes, and saw 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. l6/ 
 
 in the benevolent and reverent countenance 
 and in the sacred garb of his rescuer that 
 he was a monk, whose kindly face beamed 
 with heartfelt philanthropy and humanity. 
 
 "Save and protect me)" stammered the 
 unfortunate youth, and then sank in uncon- 
 sciousness into the arms of the worthy old 
 man. 
 
 The priest gently laid him on the ground 
 and by a simple nod summoned some labor- 
 ers close by, who at his instance raised the 
 prostrate and unconscious form of George 
 and bore it to a monastery not far distant, 
 whose gates were opened at their approach. 
 George was carried in, but the strain of long 
 excitement and over-exertion had now cul- 
 minated in a serious fever, and it was many 
 days before he again awakened to conscious- 
 ness and to new life. 
 
 One morning he opened wide his eyes and 
 found himself on a soft bed in a small, nar- 
 
1 68 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 row chamber. Through a high bow-window, 
 exposing thick, heavy walls, fell a clear, golden 
 ray of the morning sun with dazzling quiver 
 upon the floor and the plain furniture of the 
 room. This latter consisted simply of a 
 chair, a table and an image of Christ carved 
 in wood, which hung on the wall opposite 
 his bed. 
 
 George was amazed at these strange sur- 
 roundings, and, placing his hand on his brow, 
 he tried to recall how he had come hither. 
 But memory returned slowly, and he pon- 
 dered in vain for some minutes. Suddenly 
 a flash of terror overcame him, and he ex- 
 claimed in agony, 
 
 "O Lord, the gold! Unfortunate me, I 
 am robbed again !" 
 
 He attempted to spring from his bed, 
 when he felt a hand resting on his shoul- 
 ders and heard a gentle and soothing voice 
 say, 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. 169 
 
 "Compose yourself, young man. Your 
 gold is in safe keeping, and will be returned 
 to you as soon as you need it." 
 
 George cast a perplexed look about him, 
 and saw standing at the head of the bed the 
 venerable monk who had found him falling 
 on the street and thence had borne him to 
 the monastery. With some confusion he 
 asked him, 
 
 "Who are you?" 
 
 " Your friend," answered the monk. " Call 
 me Pater Ccelestus, and you have my right 
 name." 
 
 "Ah, Pater Ccelestus, I remember now," 
 replied George, to whom full consciousness 
 was gradually returning. "You have be- 
 friended me." 
 
 " Yes," remarked the monk, " as was my 
 Christian duty nothing more. Without my 
 aid you might perhaps have perished on the 
 street. But of this some other time. When 
 
 15 
 
THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 you look for your money, just open the 
 drawer of that table. In that I have placed 
 everything I found on you, and not a grain 
 of the gold has been lost. We monks do 
 not need the seductive metal, for we have 
 taken the vow of poverty." 
 
 " Thank Gpd !" muttered George, glancing 
 heavenward. " My last hope, then, has not 
 been lost." 
 
 With a sad and sympathetic expression 
 of countenance the monk beheld the sick 
 man. 
 
 "You seem to love gold too well," said 
 he, in tones of mild reproach. " Instead of 
 thanking the Lord for your recovery, you 
 thank him for the preservation of mean, 
 perishable gold. You do not act wisely in 
 this respect, my friend." 
 
 With reddened face George replied: 
 
 "Oh, it is not the gold that renders me 
 so happy, but simply the hope that with it 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. I? I 
 
 I may be able to return to my home. God 
 has already cured me of my avarice. Be- 
 lieve me, Pater Ccelestus." 
 
 " Good ! good ! I believe you," answered 
 pater, pleasantly. " You will tell me about 
 that some other time, but now keep quiet 
 and take this drink. If you are to recover 
 speedily, the utmost precaution must be 
 taken." 
 
 Leaning on his pillow, George took the 
 medicine, and soon again slept sweetly. 
 
 In a few days he had so far recovered as 
 to be able to leave his bed. He then told 
 his benefactor what prompted him to leave 
 his Christian home and what sad experiences 
 he had made during his wanderings. 
 
 Ccelestus heard his story through, and 
 then lovingly remarked, 
 
 "You have indeed reason to be thankful 
 for escaping the evils you have escaped. 
 Your determination to leave home to seek 
 
1/2 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 a fortune in a new land was more than fool- 
 ish : it was wicked. What, now, is fortune, 
 my son ? To do right and be content that 
 is fortune. The world's grandeur and riches 
 are simply rocks on which readily split the 
 true fortune of the soul, which consists of 
 peace with God and with self. The Saviour 
 of the world teaches us the same lesson when 
 he says, ' It is easier for a camel to go through 
 the eye of a needle than for a rich man to 
 enter into the kingdom of God'' Riches 
 bring obligations, my son ; and how can he 
 who is enriched and fails in fulfilling these 
 obligations hope to find happiness here or 
 hereafter ? Gold, like the glory of the world, 
 is only an enticement to that which is evil 
 and sinful. Happy is the man who is in 
 possession of wealth and shuns the tempter. 
 He is deserving of greater happiness, for he 
 had to contend against greater temptations. 
 Our esteem and regard for such a one are 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. 1/3 
 
 also greater, but to envy him for possessing 
 a larger portion of worldly good is the part 
 of a fool. Such a fool you were, my son. 
 God had bestowed on you the purest and 
 richest fortune a respectable maintenance 
 and the love of a true and devoted brother : 
 what more could you have wished without 
 being ungrateful to your Maker? Thank 
 him now that he has opened your eyes 
 and purified your heart, for verily an indul- 
 gent father has the Father in heaven been 
 to you." 
 
 George really no longer needed exhorta- 
 tions of this character, but they served to 
 strengthen and confirm him in his resolu- 
 tion to return home. 
 
 When he had fully recovered, he enrolled 
 his name as passenger on a steamer which 
 lay ready to sail for Europe, and prepared 
 to take leave of the honest monk who had 
 saved his life and strengthened him in his 
 
 15* 
 
174 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 good purposes. He divided his gold into 
 two equal parts, and offered him one of 
 them as a gift. 
 
 With smiling face Pater Coelestus refused 
 the kindly-intended offering. 
 
 " Have you forgotten, my son, that my 
 life is devoted to poverty ?" said he. " The 
 riches of Golconda could not make me as 
 happy as the consciousness of having treat- 
 ed you in a kind and Christian manner. 
 Such a consciousness cannot be bought. 
 Mark it, my son : To do right and be con- 
 tent renders one fortunate nothing besides ; 
 gold, the tempter of mankind, least of all. 
 Depart in peace, and let your conversation . 
 be in heaven." 
 
 With eyes suffused with tears, George 
 promised the monk that he would ever 
 be mindful of his instructions. Then they 
 parted. 
 
 The vessel put to sea, and soon there dis- 
 
NEW JOYS AND NEW SORROWS. 1/5 
 
 appeared from the view of George the rug- 
 ged coast of California, where he, thanks to 
 a wise leading of Providence, although fail- 
 ing to find the coveted fortune, learned a 
 lesson designed to render him truly fortu- 
 nate for all time to come, and to prepare 
 him for eternal happiness. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 BROTHER-LOVE. 
 
 A IAIN had spring returned and strewed 
 her blessings over the wide earth. 
 A youthful traveller with a heavy thorn- 
 stick in his hand arid a small leather knap- 
 sack on his shoulder took a path leading 
 from the shore into one of the richest and 
 loveliest valleys of the Rhine. His dress 
 was poor in fact, ragged. His bearing and 
 appearance were those of a beggar, but his 
 poverty and raggedness seemed to concern 
 the youth little. His eyes sparkled with de- 
 light as, standing on the brow of a hill, he 
 viewed the blissful region of country below 
 him. His cheeks glowed with excitement, 
 
 176 
 
BROTHER-LOVE. 1 77 
 
 a hot tear came into his eye, and, spreading 
 out his arms, he cried, 
 
 " My fatherland my dear, dear home ! 
 Oh, many thousand thousand greetings !" 
 
 His countenance brightened as he cast his 
 eyes hither and thither. There was the mill 
 amid a profusion of blossoming fruit trees, 
 there the vineyards, and beyond the stream 
 the fields covered with the early crops and 
 presenting the appearance of a beautifully- 
 woven tapestry, and there the small but in- 
 viting dwelling once his habitation. 
 
 The traveller's eye grew dim; a dark 
 shadow flitted across his face and the smile 
 of joy died on his lips. 
 . "Yes, the house that house! Had I 
 only never left it!" sighed he. "What a 
 deluded, infatuated wretch I was!" 
 
 He turned his eyes from the paternal roof 
 to the mill, which stood as peaceful as ever 
 on the splashing stream. 
 
178 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 " Courage, courage !" he exclaimed. " If 
 I but find love as it once existed, God will 
 help me in the future. But," continued he, 
 in thoughtful mood, "dare I venture to ap- 
 pear as a beggar before my brother and ask a 
 place at his hearth, after spurning his earn- 
 est pleadings not to leave my home ? Dare 
 I be offended if he refuses to receive me to 
 his heart and into his house? The step I 
 am about to take is certainly a critical one ; 
 and if his love does not bear the test, I am 
 undone." 
 
 Again he sank into deep meditation, and 
 remained thus a good while. 
 
 "The experiment must be made," he ex- 
 claimed, finally. " The venture, it is true, is 
 great, but the gain will also be proportion- 
 ately great, and I trust his heart. For- 
 ward, then." 
 
 With rapid strides George hastened up 
 the road in the direction of the mill. A 
 
BROTHER-LOVE. 1 79 
 
 quarter of an hour afterward he heard its 
 lively clappering up and down the valley, 
 and five minutes later he stood before it, 
 under the stately linden where Ernst in ear- 
 lier years had so often spoken to him words 
 of wisdom. Here he stood, his breast heav- 
 ing with emotion, and listened. Amid the 
 rattling noise of the mill-wheels he recog- 
 nized the voice of his brother, and now, as 
 if struck by a thunderbolt, his limbs quiv- 
 ered, his frame shook and the blood for- 
 sook his cheeks. 
 
 Ernst at this juncture stepped to the door, 
 and his first glance fell on George, who, sup- 
 porting himself with his thorn-stick, stood 
 perhaps twenty feet away, clad in wretched 
 attire. 
 
 " Merciful Lord !" he burst out. " George ! 
 
 brother ! is it you ?" 
 
 i 
 Overcome by the joy of the meeting, the 
 
 strong man felt his limbs totter, and he was 
 
ISO THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 forced to support himself by the door-posts. 
 But he stretched forth his arms to his broth- 
 er, and his eyes glowed with the fire of his 
 early love. 
 
 George was strongly tempted to throw him- 
 self into the open arms, but restrained him- 
 self, saying, , 
 
 " It is I, Ernst, but you see me poor, rag- 
 ged and dependent." 
 
 " Poor did you say ? You are not poor ;" 
 and Ernst, drawing himself up erect, at once 
 hastened to George to give him a warm fra- 
 ternal embrace. " Oh how my heart throbs 
 for joy over your return !" said he. 
 
 " But I am poor, Ernst. Do you not com- 
 prehend me ?" stammered George, while, from 
 the excitement of the occasion and the strong 
 love he bore to his brother, his own heart 
 overpowered him. " I am poverty-stricken ; 
 my whole possession, to the last copper, is 
 squandered." 
 
BROTHER-LOVE. 1 8 1 
 
 " If you are really impoverished, then you 
 are doubly welcome," responded Ernst, and 
 again embraced him. "What are gold and 
 property as compared with love ? Better a 
 thousand times better it were to lose, if 
 need be, the former that the latter may re- 
 main. The fact that you have returned to 
 me is evidence that you still love me. Oh 
 how often have I longed for this moment!" 
 
 "Have you, brother have you really?" 
 exclaimed George. "Well, God be praised, 
 then nothing has been lost; for I have at 
 least learned this that contentment is the 
 secret of happiness. I will henceforth eat 
 my bread in the sweat of my face and be 
 satisfied." 
 
 "And then you will also be fortunate, 
 George," remarked a voice behind him ; and 
 when he looked back, he saw it was Parson 
 Seebach, who greeted the prodigal with eyes 
 beaming with joy. No one could have been 
 
 16 
 
1 82 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 more welcome to the brothers in their new 
 covenant of love, as a third party, than the 
 worthy parson. Ernst drew him and George 
 to a seat under the linden, and now asked 
 his brother to tell them how he fared during 
 his absence from home. George told all, ex- 
 cept that of his great treasures he had still 
 preserved a part. But he spoke of Pater 
 Ccelestus, telling how during his sickness 
 he nursed him, and whilst healing his sick 
 body he also healed his sick soul. 
 
 Ernst and the parson heartily rejoiced over 
 this, and blessed the devout monk who had 
 been instrumental in doing so much good 
 to one whom they both dearly loved. 
 
 Then Ernst arose to order supper under 
 the linden, as he said, and entered the mill. 
 The parson smiled as he saw him go. The 
 table was soon spread, and Ernst returned 
 cherishing a happy thought in his breast. 
 
 "And now promise me, George," said he, 
 
BROTHER-LOVE. 183 
 
 " that you will sleep at least the first night 
 under my roof." 
 
 " Only the first, brother ?" replied George. 
 " I fear you will have me oftener on your 
 hands." 
 
 "As often as you please ; you are naturally 
 welcome," answered Ernst. " But the prom- 
 ise for the first night I must have. I beg of 
 you give it to me." 
 
 " Why, certainly," said George. 
 
 "Now, then, take this," remarked Ernst, 
 smiling and handing his brother a docu- 
 ment. "It is yours." 
 
 " Mine ?" inquired George, with a look of 
 surprise, and hastily glanced at the contents 
 of the paper. " How is this ? The deed for 
 my former home? You bought it, Ernst? 
 How fortunate oh how very fortunate !" 
 
 " Certainly I bought it not for myself, 
 however, but for you, in case you returned, 
 for which I ever secretly longed and hoped. 
 
184 - THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 Keep it; it is yours as before. Only," add- 
 ed he, with smiling face, " you must keep 
 the promise you made about the first night 
 at home." 
 
 George was bewildered by this act of fra- 
 ternal regard; his countenance alternated in 
 quick succession between pale and red. At 
 length, after having somewhat recovered from 
 the sudden shock he had received, he ex- 
 claimed with broken, shattered accents, 
 
 " Ernst, brother, you have done this for 
 me who left you so indifferently? Oh, broth- 
 er-love and brother-fealty !" burst out George, 
 the fountain of feeling being stirred to its 
 depths. " Unspeakably foolish I was, to say 
 the least, to prefer to such love perishable 
 metal. Pardon my folly, brother. I have 
 wronged you wronged you in every way. 
 Still, what happiness it affords me to have 
 found you so loving, so entirely faithful, a 
 brother!" 
 
BROTHER-LOVE. 185 
 
 " How have you wronged me in every 
 way?" inquired Ernst. 
 
 " I deceived you," said George. " See 
 here," he continued, and poured a small 
 heap of pure gold on the ground. " See, I 
 am not poor not so poor as I seem to be. 
 I possess enough to render me reasonably 
 comfortable. I withheld this fact from you 
 to ascertain whether the poor brother were 
 welcome on his return, and whether you 
 still retained for him a place in your affec- 
 tions. Pardon this deception, or you will 
 destroy my peace of mind." 
 
 Would Ernst pardon the penitent brother ? 
 The two gave each other fresh pledges of 
 fraternal devotion, and Herr Parson Seebach 
 blessed the bond, so that after such tests, sac- 
 rifices and experiences their days on earth 
 might be peaceful. George truly found at 
 home the fortune which abroad he had so 
 eagerly, and yet so vainly, sought. 
 
 16* 
 
1 86 THE GOLD-SEEKER. 
 
 As is the lot of all, even of those leading 
 the most quiet and peaceful lives, dark and 
 weary days often came to George even after 
 this, but his recollections enabled him to 
 receive them with a pious joy; and by his 
 well-doing, moderation and a Christian self- 
 denial he was. able to bear all with fortitude 
 and live a happy and blessed life. He no 
 longer coveted great wealth. The deep and 
 well-tested love of his brother was to him 
 the most valuable earthly treasure he could 
 conceive of. Before it all other riches dwin- 
 dled to naught. 
 
 The worthy parson, after spending pleas- 
 ant hours with the brothers, on returning to 
 his quiet parsonage used to mutter to him- 
 self, 
 
 " Behold how good and how pleasant it is 
 for brethren to dwell together in unity !" 
 
 THE END.