"How do you do?" said the woman, the morning after Bob and Mark had settled down. "Nice morning, isn't it, but the sun is going to be warm. All alone, and only boys, too! Do you expect to get all the way to California? But of course you do, or you wouldn't be here. It's going to be a long trip, so I'm telling Josiah--I mean my husband. Doing your own cooking, too, I see. You ought to have some woman to do that. Where are you from, if I'm not asking what I hadn't ought to?" "We're from Pennsylvania," answered Mark. "Land sakes alive! You've had a pretty big trip already, haven't you? Did you come on that mule? I like mules almost as well as horses. At home my father had six mules, and they worked----" "Ann, don't talk those boys to death," interrupted Mr. Socket. "Who's talking anybody to death? I'm certain I'm not, Josiah Socket--I scarcely said a word. I've got a right to find out who my neighbors are, haven't I? If I depended on you, we'd never know a soul in this whole community. Now I believe in being sociable, and----" "Excuse me, madam, but we must be off," said Mark. "We've got to buy some things, and----" "Run along, lads," said Josiah Socket. "Ann will keep you here all day if you let her." And they hurried away while Socket had to stand a good lecture from his spouse. The boys had decided to go to town and see how cheaply they could obtain a small wagon and some provisions. They had heard that it would be necessary to take along beans, flour, coffee, and numerous other articles. They also wanted to get a rifle and a shotgun, and it was a serious question as to how much the articles were to cost. "We can't spend all of our money," said Bob. "For there is no telling what we may need when we get to the gold diggings." As they walked along--they had left the mule in care of one of the Socket boys--they came to a small hillock of ground, upon which a boy of their own age was sitting. He was rather shabbily dressed, and his straw hat had a large hole through the crown. "Can you tell us the way to Ulmer's store?" asked Bob, more to speak to the lad than for any other purpose, since he knew the direction fairly well. "Sure I can," was the ready answer, and the boy pointed with his sunburnt hand. "Take that trail yonder, and then the first trail on the left. You can't miss it. He has a flag flying all the time, and a crowd of emigrants are always hanging around." "Thank you." "Are you fellows bound for California?" "We are," put in Mark. The strange boy interested him. "Wish I was going. Of course your folks are with you." "I haven't any folks," returned Bob. "I'm alone in the world, excepting for my chum Mark," and he nodded to his companion. "We are going alone," said Mark. "What, no grown folks with you?" cried the strange youth. "Don't you think we can get through?" questioned Bob. "Mother didn't think I could get through. Said the journey was too rough." "Oh, were you thinking of going?" asked Mark, in surprise.