Digging for Gold: Adventures in California

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER TWO.

  FRANK DISCUSSES HIS PROSPECTS WITH A FRIEND.

  We pass over our hero's long voyage round "the Horn," and introduce himin a totally new scene and under widely different circumstances--seatednear a magnificent tree of which he is making a study, and clad in awhite linen coat and pantaloons and a broad-brimmed straw hat.

  Just the day before, the "House" to which he had been sent had failed.Two years had he spent in grinding at its account books, perched on athree-legged stool, and now he found himself suddenly cast loose on theworld. Of course when the stool was knocked from under him his salarywas stopped, and he was told by his employers that it would be necessaryfor him to go elsewhere to earn a subsistence.

  This was rather a startling piece of advice, and for a time Frank feltmuch depressed, but on returning to his lodgings, the day he receivedhis dismissal, his eye fell on his palette and brushes, which he at onceseized, and, hastening out to his favourite tree, was soon so thoroughlyabsorbed in the study of "nature" that his sorrows vanished like morningmist.

  After three hours' steady work he arose refreshed in soul and comforted.

  Thereafter he returned to his lodgings and sat down to think over hisprospects. His cogitations were temporarily interrupted, and afterwardsmaterially assisted, by a short thick-set man of about thirty years ofage who entered with a deferential air, and pulled his forelock.

  "Come in, Joe. I was just thinking over my future plans, and I daresayyou 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 wasindeed in the "same fix," as Frank said, with himself.

  "I've comed, sir," said Joe, "to ax yer advice, an' to offer ye mysarvice, it it's of any use," said the porter, who was a shrewdstraightforward man, and had originally been a sailor.

  "If you had come to offer me advice and ask my services," said Frank, "Iwould have been better pleased to see you. However, sit down and let mehear what you have to say."

  "Well, sir," said Joe; "this is wot I've got for to say, that we are inwhat the Yankees call a pretty considerable fix."

  "I know it, Joe; but how do you think we are to get out of the fix?"

  "That's just wot I comed for to ax," said the man; "and when you've toldme how, I'll lend a hand to weigh anchor an' set sail. The fact is, I'min want of a place, and I'm willing to engage with _you_, sir."

  Frank Allfrey experienced a strange mingling of feelings when he heardthis. Of course he felt much gratified by the fact that a man so graveand sensible as Joe Graddy should come and deferentially offer to becomehis servant at a time when he possessed nothing but the remnant of amonth's salary; and when he considered his own youth, he felt amazedthat one so old and manly should volunteer to place himself under hisorders. The fact is that Frank was not aware that his straightforwardearnest manner had commended him very strongly to those, with whom hehad lately come in contact. He was one of those attractive men whosecountenances express exactly what they feel, who usually walk with aquick earnest step, if we may say so, and with a somewhat downcastcontemplative look. Frank knew well enough that he was strong and tall,unusually so for his age, and therefore did not continually _assert_ thefact by walking as if he was afraid to fall forward, which is a commonpractice among men who wish to look bigger than they are. Besides,being an ardent student of nature, Frank was himself natural, as well asamiable, and these qualities had endeared him to many people without hisbeing aware of it.

  "Why, Joe!" he exclaimed, "what do you mean?"

  "I mean wot I says, sir."

  "Are you aware," said Frank, smiling, "that I do not possess a shillingbeyond the few dollars that I saved off my last month's salary?"

  "I s'posed as much, sir."

  "Then if you engage with me, as you express it, how do you expect to bepaid?"

  "I don't expect to be paid, sir."

  "Come, Joe, explain your meaning, for I don't pretend to be a diviner ofmen's thoughts."

  "Well, sir, this is how it is. W'en we got the sack the other day, saysI to myself, says I, now you're afloat on the world without rudder,compass, or charts, but you've got a tight craft of your own,--somewhatscrubbed, no doubt, with rough usage, but sound,--so it's time for youto look out for rudder, compass, and charts, and it seems to me thatthems to be found with young Mister Allfrey, so you'd better go an' githim to become skipper o' your ship without delay. You see, sir, havin'said that to myself, I've took my own advice, so if you'll take commandof me, sir, you may steer me where you please, for I'm ready to be yoursarvant for love, seein' that you han't got no money."

  "Most obliging of you," said Frank, laughing, "and by this offer Iunderstand that you wish to become my companion."

  "Of coorse, in a country o' this kind," replied Graddy, "it'sdifficult,--I might a'most say unpossible,--to be a man's sarvantwithout bein' his companion likewise."

  "But here is a great difficulty at the outset, Joe. I have not yet madeup my mind what course to pursue."

  "Just so, sir," said the ex-seaman, with a look of satisfaction, "Iknow'd you wouldn't be doin' that in a hurry, so I've comed to have atalk with 'e about it."

  "Very good, sit down," said Frank, "and let us consider it. In thefirst place, I regret to say that I have not been taught any trade, sothat I cannot become a blacksmith or a carpenter or anything of thatsort. A clerk's duties I can undertake, but it seems to me that clerksare not much wanted here just now. Porterage is heavy work and ratherslow. I may be reduced to that if nothing better turns up, but it hasoccurred to me that I might try painting with success. What would yousay to that, Joe?"

  The man looked at Frank in surprise. "Well," said he, "people don'tlook as if they wanted to paint their houses here, an' most of 'em's gotno houses."

  "Why, man, I don't mean house-painting. It is portrait and landscapepainting that I refer to," said Frank, laughing.

  Joe shook his head gravely. "Never do, Mr Frank--"

  "Stop! if you and I are to be companions in trouble, you must not callme _Mister_ Frank, you must drop the mister."

  "Then I won't go with 'e, sir, that's all about it," said Joe firmly.

  "Very well, please yourself," said Frank, with a laugh; "but if paintingis so hopeless, what would you advise?"

  "The diggin's," answered Joe.

  "I thought so," said Frank, shaking his head.

  "Most men out of work rush to the diggings. Indeed, many men are foolsenough to leave their work to go there, but I confess that I don't likethe notion. It has always appeared to me such a pitiful thing to seemen, who are fit for better things, go grubbing in the mud for gold."

  "But what are men to do, Mr Frank, w'en they can't git no other work?"

  "Of course it is better to dig than to idle or starve, or be a burden onone's friends; nevertheless, I don't like the notion of it. I suppose,however, that I must try it just now, for it is quite certain that wecannot exist here without gold. By the way, Joe, have you got anymore?"

  "Not a rap, sir."

  "H'm, then I doubt whether I have enough to buy tools, not to speak ofprovisions."

  "I've bin' thinkin' about that, sir," said Joe, "and it seems to me thatour only chance lie in settin' up a grog and provision store!"

  "A grog and provision store!"

  "Yes, sir, the fact is that I had laid in a stock of pipes and baccy,tea and brandy, for winter's use this year. Now as things have turnedout, I shan't want these just at this minute, so we can sell 'em off tothe diggers at a large profit. We might make a good thing of it, sir,for you've no notion wot prices they'll give for things on the road tothe diggin's--"

  Frank here interrupted his friend with a hearty laugh, and at the sametime declared that he would have nothing to do with the grog andprovision store; that he would rather take to porterage than engage inany such enterprise.

  "Well, then, sir, we won't say no more about that, but wot coorse wouldye advise the ship's head to
be laid?"

  Frank was silent for a few minutes as he sat with downcast eyes,absorbed in meditation. Then he looked up suddenly, and said, "Joe,I'll give you a definite answer to that question to-morrow morning.To-night I will think over it and make arrangements. Meanwhile, let itsuffice that I have made up my mind to go to the diggings, and if youremain in the same mind to-morrow, come here all ready for a start."

  The ruddy countenance of the sturdy ex-porter beamed with gratificationas he rose and took his leave of Frank, who heard him, as he walkedaway, making sundry allusions in nautical phraseology to having hisanchor tripped at last, and the sails shook out, all ready for a startwith the first o' the flood-tide in the morning!