He never spoke again, and died within an hour after that. At last Frank began to mend, and soon found himself strong enough to travel, he therefore made arrangements to leave Bigbear Gully with his inseparable friend Joe. Meyer, being a very strong man, and in robust health, determined to remain and work out their claim, which still yielded abundance of gold. "Meyer," said Frank, the evening before his departure, "I'm very sorry that we are obliged to leave you." "Ya, das ist mos' miserable," said the poor German, looking disconsolate. "But you see," continued Frank, "that my remaining, in my present state of health, is out of the question. Now, Joe and I have been talking over our affairs. We intend to purchase three mules and set off under the guidance of a half-caste Californian, to visit different parts of this country. We will continue our journey as long as our gold lasts, and then return to San Francisco and take passage for England,--for we have both come to the unalterable determination that we won't try to make our fortunes by gold-digging. We have sufficient dust to give us a long trip and pay our passage to England, without making use of that big nugget found by Joe, which is worth at least 200 pounds; so we have determined to leave it in possession of Jeffson, to be used by you if luck should ever take a wrong turn--as it will sometimes do--and you should chance to get into difficulties. Of course if you continue prosperous, we will reclaim our share of it on our return hither." "Ah, you is too goot," cried the warm-hearted German, seizing Frank's hand and wringing it, "bot I vill nevair use de nuggut--nevair! You sall find him here sartainly ven you do com bak." "Well, I hope so, for your own sake," said Frank, "because that will show you have been successful. 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. "New, indeed, and splendid too," he exclaimed enthusiastically, leaping off his mule. "You can go shoot squirrels or bears if you like, Joe, but here I remain for the next three or four hours." As Frank had been in the habit of treating his friend thus almost every day since starting on their tour, he was quite prepared for it; smiled knowingly, ordered the vaquero to tether the mules and accompany him into the forest, and then, taking his bearings with a small pocket-compass, and critically inspecting the sun, and a huge pinchbeck watch which was the faithful companion of his wanderings, he shouldered his gun and went off, leaving the enthusiastic painter to revel in the glories of the landscape.