on. Obed Stackpole certainly was not a handsome man. He was tall, lean, gaunt in figure, with a shambling walk, and his skin was tough and leathery; but in spite of all t

mpany?" he asked, when Stackpole had left them t

y sm

replied, "but I think he wil

my objection to him," s

rry. "From inquiry I find that parties s

Fletcher impatiently. "You m

tent," answered Harry,

." Aloud he said: "If you had mentioned the matter to me I would have found someone to go w

t. He felt glad that Stackpole was neither a friend nor likely to pro

nd I won't take back t

ou?" asked Fle

xte

xty by the tone you assume,

" asked Harry steadily, "that y

ce as old as you are, I am the

ed to be simply a member of the party, like the rest o

You are a strange boy, Vane. I suppose it's the way with your countrymen. I

," said Harry when the two boys we

said Jack, "but I don't s

fer with this Yankee

Obed Stackpole contributed his full share of expense, and more too, for he furnished the

ut I'm used to oxen, and if you want me to, I'll drive the

usual graciousness. "I've no doubt you u

it," said Stackpole. "I

to drive oxen when I w

ver thought then that

tra

e out here, Mr. Stac

ny, but things didn't pan out very well, so when I read accounts of the

st in California?" asked Fle

wling deliberation, "but not enough to satisfy me.

hose two?" inq

ell as he could when he was a young man. He's got a thousand-dollar mortgage

aid Harry, who felt still more drawn to his plai

myself," sai

is your wife, I fa

d Obed. "It's Suke Stanwood, one of Farmer Stanwood's gals. We was

d sneer in his tone, as he scanned with contemptuous

t such things," said Ob

ll togeth

ung man," said Fletcher.

girl didn't know her own mind, and she ran off with a man that came along with a

ve deserted a man of your attract

thy a fellow as Stackpole, and he wondered whether the Yankee

the other. "I'm a good-natured fellow in the main, but I don't stand any nonsense. I know very we

ng, I assure you. I am the last person to laugh at you. I think you a

ce was meant, none is taken. I don't know much about diamo

u are a man of great penetration, Stackpol

ed dryly. "If I remember right,

I have changed my mind.

bluntly. "If you don't mind, s'pose

d by a glance at that honest face, and he answered lightly, "Really, there isn't much to tell. My father was a merchant of Manchester, and

pered as far a

y and I've spent it, and th

you haven'

turn over a new leaf, and go in for money and respectability.

ons who did not feel sure that there was much in Fletcher's histo