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In these circumstances, the digging went on slowly, for much of the time of Meyer and Graddy was necessarily occupied in nursing and truly kind and devoted, though rough, nurses they proved to be in that hour of need. Gradually, but surely, Douglas sank. There was no doctor to prescribe for him, no medicine to be had for love or money.
But if you get into low water, and do not use it, believe me I shall feel very much aggrieved." Next day about noon, our hero and Joe, with Junk, their vaquero, mounted their mules and rode away. "A new style o' cruisin' this," said Joe Graddy, one fine day, as they pulled up under the shade of a large tree, at a spot where the scenery was so magnificent that Frank resolved to rest and sketch it.
I was just thinking over my future plans, and I daresay you can assist me, being, I suppose, in the same fix with myself." Joe Graddy had been a porter in the "House" which had failed, and was indeed in the "same fix," as Frank said, with himself.
A neighbouring miner, who had offered to weigh the result for them, pronounced this first day's work as an unusually successful one, being, he said, a little over thirty-six pounds sterling. "How much?" exclaimed Joe Graddy in amazement. "Thirty-six pounds sterling," repeated the miner. "You don't mean that?" "Indeed I do," replied the miner, smiling. "Then our fortins is made a'ready all but "
She glanced inquiringly at Samson, who had not smiled, and who stood looking puzzled. "A penny for your thoughts, Mr. South, from down South," she challenged. "I guess I'm sort of like Mr. Graddy," said the boy, slowly. "I was just wondering how you do do it." He spoke with perfect seriousness, and, after a moment, the girl broke into a prolonged peal of laughter.
He wore no clothing, carried no arms of any kind, and was so utterly abject, and so evidently incapable of doing harm to any one, that none of the party thought it worth while to rise, or lay hands on a weapon. When he appeared, Joe Graddy merely pointed to him with the stem of his pipe and said "There's a beauty, ain't it? another of the cooriosities of Californy!" "Starvin'," observed Rance.
Even Bradling's nature appeared to be softened, for he looked less forbidding and grumpy than at other times, and once condescended to remark that a life in the woods was not such a bad one after all! "Not such a bad one!" cried Joe Graddy; "why, messmate, is that all you've got to say about it? Now I'll give 'e my opinion on that head. This is where it lies see here."
He struck his shovel into the ground as he spoke, and lifted a quantity of earth, or "dirt," into a basin, washed it out, and displayed to the astonished gaze of the "greenhorns," as newcomers were called, a large quantity of gold-dust, with several small nuggets interspersed. "Splendid!" exclaimed Frank. "You'll make your fortin," said Joe Graddy.
"No, no, Gaff," replied Graddy, with sudden and unaccountable urbanity; "I'm not a bit tired, and I'm a bigger man than you maybe a little stronger. So do you lie down beside the boy, an' I'll call ye when I want a rest."
Of course Graddy perceived this, and the sneering smile that crossed his visage showed that he had made a shrewd guess at the cause of the lad's attentions. By degrees Billy's eyes began to droop, and he roused himself frequently with a strong effort, feeling desperately alarmed lest he should be overcome. But nature was not to be denied.