"I wish you had a hundred thousand dollars," said Tom. "I have more than a hundred thousand dollars," said Toney. "Read that." And he handed Tom a letter addressed to himself. Tom read it, and then ran to the place where his wool hat lay on the ground, and, seizing it, threw it up in the air. "Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted Tom. "You can now marry Rosabel!" CHAPTER XLIX. "Our sand-hill has been sold," said Toney, after Tom had concluded his enthusiastic demonstrations. "And for five hundred thousand dollars!" said Tom. "Good news for Charley when he comes into camp." "It is time he had returned. He and Botts and Hercules have been prospecting since last Monday." "They will be here to-day." "Yonder comes Hercules now. What is that he has got? It looks like a coyote." "No, it is a young deer." Hercules walked up to the fire, and, nodding his head, threw his game on the ground. "Where is Charley?" asked Toney. Hercules pointed with his finger, and the Professor was seen approaching. "Where is Botts?" asked Tom. "He is dead," said Hercules. "Dead!" cried Tom. "Got killed," said Hercules, laconically; for he was tired and taciturn. "Got killed!" exclaimed Toney. "How?" "He'll tell you," said Hercules, pointing to the Professor, who now came up. "It is true," said the Professor. "Botts is no more. He met with a violent death." "How did it happen?" asked Toney. "He fell a victim to his ungovernable temper," said the Professor. "On yesterday morning he and I left Hercules cooking some game, and proceeded to a mining-town which we saw at a distance. Botts rode on a mule and I walked by his side. As we entered the town, Botts called out to a man whom we met,-- "'What place is this?' "'Yuba Dam,' said the man. "'What?' cried Botts, with a savage look. The man made no answer, but went on his way whistling. We had gone a little farther when another man approached us. "'What place is this?' asked Botts. "'Yuba Dam,' said the man. "'What's that you say?' exclaimed Botts, glaring at the stranger with a ferocious aspect. The man was evidently of a timid disposition. He looked frightened and hurried on. Botts swore vehemently, and said that the next fellow who cursed him would catch it. As we went along we saw a man on the brow of a hill which rose abruptly from the river. The man had his back towards us, and before him, standing on its hind legs, was a kangaroo dog. The man seemed to be instructing the dog in the art of dancing. "'I say, stranger,' cried Botts, 'what place is this?' "'Yuba Dam,' said the man, without turning around. "Botts uttered a howl of rage and sprang from his mule. "'By the powers of mud!' shouted the man, facing about." "It was Captain Bragg!" exclaimed Toney.