There were, however, some few who had tried the mines and were returning. Want of patience or want of luck, one, or, it may be possible, both of these had conjointly made them unsuccessful. With neither gold in their pockets nor grub in their packs, these men were for the most part dead-broke, and heaped their imprecations on the country they were quitting in vigorously round terms. Nor could it be said, that granting their ill-fortune might somewhat have colored their opinions, these were too flattering. One of these whom we met with, was a stalwart specimen of the shrewd Yank. I and Ben Painter had encountered him, wandering round in a disconsolately drifting manner, and with a hungrily wolfish look on his lean jaws, which inspired us with a degree of sympathy. Moreover, we were mentally "prospecting" the yet unseen diggings. The information he could give us, might be valuable. So, although provisions were already scarce, and even coffee a luxury, we asked him into the camp to share our evening meal, which, to tell the truth, was by no means too plentiful. After feeding, he honored us by saying: "'Tarnation bad as yer supper is, it is the first square meal I've eat, for three days." "How war that?" Butch' asked. "Yer see, in the mines there war nothing to get for love or money. And here, I guess, there's darned little love unless yer can buy it." "We heard that, up here, you had only to turn a shovel to find gold." "And b'lieved it, as I did," he quietly growled out. "Yer don't mean to say there are none," ejaculated Ben. "I guess yer won't do more than any o' the rest on us." "But, some must have had a fair share of success," I said. "Why d'yer think so, Captain?" he drawled out, nasally. "From the row about the diggings that has been made through the whole of the West." "Well, I'll tell yer. I was one of the first that come out here, from Kalifornee. I'd been duing a smartish bit of business down thar. But I tell yer, the dollars didn't come in fast enough. Than, I heerd of this darned place, and thought I'd strike for it and find 'ile, sure. So, I made up a good kit o' things to last me two months, and sit out. Darn the diggings. I've been at work thar, more nor three months, and here I am at the first square meal I've sot down tu for three days, as I told yer before, and a darned bad one, too, as I said when I finished it." "Then you don't believe there is much gold in this part of the country?" "Thar may be, Captain!" "What do yer mean, then?" inquired Ben Painter. "I found none," drawled out the Yank as he slowly rose, "and by the 'Tarnal! I nev'r met one as has." The groan that issued from the bottom of Brighton Bill's stomach, would, at any other time than this, have provoked mirth. It did not, however, do so now. The matter was far too serious for laughter.