The gold district Sickness and selfishness The dead become the prey of the wolf Malcomb's gradual recovery The kindness of his nurse A malaria Life and property alike insecure The wealthy gold-finder laid in wait for Bodies in the river Gold for a pillow Robberies Rags Brandy at a dollar a-dram The big bony American again Sutter's Fort Intelligence of Lacosse Intelligence of the robbers Sweeting's Hotel again A meeting "El Capitan" Desertions from the ships Andreas' offer to a captain The first Alcalde gone to the mines The second Alcalde follows his superior Start for Monterey in pursuit of Andreas Board the vessels in port A deserter arrested Leave Monterey Cross the coast range Meet with civilized Indians Intelligence of the robbers Indian horse-stealers Continue the pursuit Abandon it and return to Monterey. I stayed with Malcolm throughout the next few days, and spent a good part of my time out of doors among the gold-washers, but still I felt no inclination to take part in their labours. Fever was very prevalent, and I found that more than two-thirds of the people at this settlement were unable to move out of their tents. The other third were too selfish to render them any assistance. The rainy season was close at hand, when they would have to give over work, but meanwhile they sought after the gold as though all their hopes of salvation rested on their success. I was told that deaths were continually taking place, and that the living comrades of those whose eyes were closed in that last sleep when "the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest," denied the poor corpses of their former friends a few feet of earth for a grave, and left the bodies exposed for the wolf to prey upon. In a couple of days Malcolm was sufficiently recovered no longer to require my assistance. At his instigation, I took my departure towards Sutter's Fort, where McPhail or Lacosse might perhaps still be waiting for me. I felt that he was in good hands, and that his kind Californian nurse and her husband would do all that they could for him. Their kind treatment of my poor friend offered a striking contrast to the callous selfishness around.