CHAPTER XVII.
THE MINERS.
"I wished to give yez a pleasant surprise, as the doctor said when hetold the man that his wife was dead," remarked Tim, in explanation ofhis conduct. "Had there really been any of the red gintlemen around I'dhave told you soon enough."
Our young friends were too well pleased at the intelligence to feelother than good natured, and they gladly forgave Tim for his trespassupon their patience. Without waiting further they walked hastilyforward, and a moment later stood by the camp-fire.
Three men, apparently, had just aroused themselves from slumber, andwere now stirring around making preparations for their breakfast. Theywere shaggy, unshorn, grimy-looking fellows, who had "run wild" forseveral years, but who had not necessarily lost their humanity, eventhough they had in a great degree lost its outward semblance. In thecenter, a large bundle of sticks were burning quite briskly, and one ofthe men was turning and watching some meat that was cooking over it. Theothers had evidently just returned from the river, for their red templesand foreheads still glistened with moisture which sparkled like dew ontheir patriarchal beards.
They were rough, hardy-looking fellows, but Elwood felt littleapprehension as he stepped forward and said:
"Good morning, gentlemen!"
He who was cook turned his head, but a hot drop of moisture from thesteaming meat at that moment flew in his eye, and clapping his finger toit, he muttered something, and forthwith and instantly gave hisexclusive attention to his culinary duties.
The second man was rubbing his face with a piece of coarse cloth, and hesuddenly paused with his black eyes glaring over the top, his faceresembling the head of some huge animal clambering over the edge of arock, and who, having just gained a foothold, is looking hurriedlyaround for his prey.
The third was combing his hair, and just at this moment it was moistenedand sticking straight over his forehead like the horn of an animal. Hewould run the comb through with his right hand and then smooth the hairwith his left. He stopped with both arms crooked over his head, andwheeled around like an automaton, and stared at the boy a moment, andthen said:
"Well, there! Why didn't you ring the door-bell? I say, youngster, comeforward and give us a grip of your hand. Halloo! you've got your brotherwith you!"
"Not my brother, but my cousin, Howard Lawrence."
The two boys shook hands with the three, and the grip that they receivedfrom the horny palms made them wince with pain.
"But where'd you come from? We don't see a couple of youngsters dressedup in your style promenading 'round in these parts every day. Where'dyou come from?"
"The steamer on which we took passage the other day from Panama, wasburned off the coast, and we got ashore on a raft."
"Be you the only ones?"
"No; there were quite a number that escaped."
"Where be they?"
"They were carried away by a vessel while we had wandered inland."
"And you two--halloo! here's your grandfather!"
"No; that is Tim O'Rooney, a good friend of ours."
"Your humble sarvint!" saluted the Irishman, removing his hat, making aprofound bow and scraping a large foot upon the ground.
"Well, there! We're glad to see you. What's all your names?"
They were given several times, and then carefully spelled at the requestof the large-whiskered man, who desired that no mistake might be made.
"You may call me Ned Trimble, and that ugly-looking fellow 'tending tothe fire is George Wakeman, and that horrid-looking chap scrubbing offhis dirty face, is Alfred Wilkins. Neither of them know much, and Ibrought them along to black my boots and dress my hair."
It looked as though Ned was a sort of a wag, for his companions smiledas if they were used to that thing. He continued:
"We're a party of hunters that have been in Californy for the last fiveyears, and I rather guess I've prospected through every part of it."
"You must be rich by this time."
"Rich!" laughed Ned Trimble. "Well there, we're everything but rich.Somehow or other we hain't had the luck. We sold a claim up in thediggings for five hundred dollars, and the next week the party sold itfor fifteen thousand. That's the way it has always gone with us; but weare going to be rich yet--ain't we, boys."
"Yes, if we only live long enough," replied Wakeman.
"I told you that chap hadn't much sense," remarked Ned, addressing histhree visitors. "He doesn't know enough to answer a question as heoughter. I've been trying to teach him something, but I shall have togive it up as a bad job. Been to breakfast?"
"No--not yet."
"Thought you hadn't. Cook, put up another slice, douse it in butter,salt and pepper, and serve it up as you used to do when I employed youat the Astor. Gentlemen, how do you like it, rare or well done?"
All made answer that they were not particular, and Ned replied thereuntoas follows:
"Sensible fellows! If you don't care what you get, you won't have tocare much for what you don't get. What will you select as a dessert?Plum, rice, bread, or cherry pudding? Apple, mince, cranberry, plum,peach, or lemon pie? Cup-custard, tapioca, watermelon, citron, orsherry, maderia, or port. Order which ever you choose, gentlemen, itdon't make any difference to us. We can give you one just as well as theother."
"I suppose you can," laughed Howard; "so we'll not take the trouble toorder any."
"All right; as you please, gentlemen. We haven't any turkey or oystersleft so you will have to put up with a little antelope that we shotyesterday afternoon. Fine condition for this time of year, and the bestkind of flesh to starve to death on."
"We haven't had a taste of it yet; but we devoured a goodly piece of amountain sheep."
"Just so. I was going to speak of a mountain sheep, if my servantshadn't interrupted me so often with inquiries as to how they should makethe wine sauce. Ah! I see our meal is ready; we will therefore repair tothe banquet hall."
The six took their seats upon the leaves, and ate the meal in the usualprimitive manner, verifying the adage, "hunger is the best sauce."
Ned Trimble enlivened the meal in his usual loquacious manner; and aftera great many words and circumlocution, the fact was discovered that heand his friends had spent the last five years in California, not havingvisited a civilized post within two years.
Disgusted with their ill success in the Sacramento Valley, they hadpulled up stakes and started off to hunt new fields for themselves. Theywere very cheerful and hopeful, and according to their accounts hadencountered every imaginable danger of the California wilds.
Elwood inquired whether they had met any grizzly bears.
"Grizzly bears!" repeated Ned, stopping just as he was about to insert ahuge piece of meat in his mouth. "Grizzly bears? Well, there! _We'velived among 'em!_"
"Is it possible?"
"Yes; I tracked a big grizzly in the Sierra Nevada for two days and thenI stopped."
"What made you stop?"
_"I concluded the bear tracks were getting a little too fresh!"_
Adrift in the Wilds; Or, The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys Page 17