"This seems to be a city of tents," said the Professor, as they stood on a hill which has long since been removed, and now forms a portion of the artificial foundation for the immense warehouses which stand where their ship anchored between Happy Valley and Goat Island.

"I see very few houses," said Tom Seddon.

"Only the old Spanish structures built a hundred years ago with adobe brick," said the Professor.

"In two years from the present period," said Toney, "you will see houses all over this space,—hotels of six stories, and commodious dwellings and warehouses."

"Toney is a prophet," said Tom.

"On the very spot where we now stand there is gold in abundance," said Toney.

"In these sand-hills?" exclaimed Tom.

"Yes; in these very sand-hills where we now are," said Toney; "if a man has sagacity enough to perceive his chance and avail himself of it."

"I divine your meaning," said the Professor. "Let us buy one of these sand-hills."

"That was just what I was about to propose," said Toney.

"What will we do with it?" asked Tom.

"Leave it here and go to the mines," said Toney.

"It won't run away," said the Professor.

"Of what use will it be to us, or anybody else?" said Tom, kicking the sand about with his feet.

"In a few years an immense city will extend for miles around," said Toney. "Our lot will be in the very center of the town."

"Hurrah! hurrah!" cried Tom, throwing up his wool hat. "I see! I see! let us buy the sand-hill."

"How much money have you?" asked Toney.

"Five thousand dollars," said Tom.

"I have about an equal amount in my trunk," said the Professor.

"And I can raise about as much more," said Toney. "Come, let us make our purchase without delay."

Business was then rapidly transacted in the El Dorado of the West, where, at that period, immense fortunes were frequently made and lost in a month. In a few hours the three friends were the owners of the sand-hill, and had their titles secured by deeds duly executed.

On the following morning they hunted up Hercules and his companions, who were feasting on wild geese and quails at a tent in Montgomery Street, and embarked in a boat for Stockton, from which point they intended to proceed across the country to the mines on the Moquelumne River. In the afternoon of the same day they were entering the mouth of the San Joaquin when a schooner ran by them.

"What place is this?" shouted Toney.

"New York," answered a man on the schooner.

"Not much like New York," said the Professor.

"What place is it?" asked Tom Seddon.

"New York!" shouted the man, with vehemence.

"He knows," said Toney.

"Let us go ashore and dine at the Astor House," said the Professor.

They went on shore, but were unable to find the hotel designated, and made a meal on elk meat, in a tent kept by a one-eyed Hibernian; after which they again proceeded up the river until about the middle of the night, when they lashed to the tulas on the bank, and lay in the bottom of the boat, sometimes snoring and at other times fighting the mosquitoes.

In the morning they hoisted sail, and in so doing Moses fell over the bow of the boat and was hauled in at the stern. After Moses had thus performed his ablutions, they sailed on until about ten o'clock, when Tom Seddon exclaimed, "This river is as crooked as the track of a snake! What mountain is that? It sometimes seems on the larboard, and sometimes on the starboard."

"That is Mount Diablo, I suppose, from the description I have had of it," said the Professor.

"The Devil's Mountain," said Tom.

"In plain English, the Devil's Mountain," said the Professor.

"I never was so hungry; I could eat a bear," said Tom.

"Better eat a bear than that a bear should eat you," said the Professor.

"I will starve before we get to Stockton," said Tom. "Let us go on shore and shoot some game."

"Agreed!" said Toney. And they ran in along shore, and, fastening their boat to the bough of a tree, landed and proceeded through the tulas in the direction of Mount Diablo. When they had gone about a mile they reached an open space surrounded with thickets. Here they halted, and were gazing around in search of game, when Tom Seddon suddenly exclaimed, "Look! look!"

About two hundred paces from where they stood a man rushed out from the thicket, and behind him came forth a huge and ferocious monster apparently in pursuit. The hideous beast ran after the man, and striking him with its nose under the tail of his coat hurled him headforemost about twenty feet. The man fell on his hands and knees, and the monster stood still and gazed at him intently.

"The devil!" exclaimed Tom Seddon.

"From Mount Diablo," said the Professor.

"It is a grizzly bear," said Toney.

"Gracious!" exclaimed Moses.

"That fellow had better run," said Tom.

"He has taken your advice," said the Professor.

"The bear is after him again," said Toney.

"Great thunder! I would as soon be shot out of a cannon!" shouted Tom Seddon, as the huge creature thrust its nose under the man's coat and propelled him forward with prodigious velocity. The man again fell on his hands and knees, and the beast stood still and regarded him with a steadfast look.

"The bear is waiting for him to get up," said Tom.

"That's right," said the Professor. "Never strike a man when he is down."

"He is on his feet again," said Tom, as the man sprang up and commenced running.

"And the bear is at him again," said Toney, as the eccentric monster rushed at the man and hurled him headlong with tremendous force.

"Jupiter Tonans!" exclaimed Tom. "That was a settler."

"He is stunned," said Toney, as the man lay motionless with his face on the ground. The bear stood still and looked intently at the prostrate form. The man did not move. After gazing at him for several moments, the bear walked up and smelled him from head to foot.

"Is he going to eat him?" cried Tom.

"I do not believe that he is," said the Professor.

"Look there! Did you ever see the like?" cried Tom, as the bear commenced plowing up the earth with its nose and piling it on the man's body.

"He is burying him," said Toney.

"That bear has good principles in his composition," said the Professor. "He buries his dead."

The bear continued to pile the earth over the man until he had raised quite a mound, when he turned round, and, at a shuffling gait, went off in the direction of Mount Diablo, and was soon hidden in the thicket.

Toney and his friends now ran to the spot where the man was buried. The end of his coat was visible. Toney and Tom tugged at the tail of the coat, while the Professor aided in the disinterment by kicking off the earth with his feet.

"By the powers of mud!" was uttered in a hoarse voice, and the man sprang erect.

"Captain Bragg!" exclaimed Toney, in astonishment.

"Great thunder!" cried Tom.

The astonishment of Bragg was equal to that of Toney and Tom. He was covered with dirt, and swore vehemently "by the powers of mud." He eventually became more composed, and, while walking to the boat, accounted for the condition in which he was found. In coming down the river he had quarreled with the captain of the vessel, and challenged him to single combat. The captain had rudely refused to accept the challenge, and put Bragg on shore, where, in wandering about, he had encountered the bear.

"Look!—look!—what's that?" cried Moses, as an agile creature with very long ears sprang up before them.

"It is a young donkey," said Toney.

Tom fired his gun and the animal fell dead.

"In this country it is called a jackass rabbit," said Bragg, as Tom shouldered his game and carried it to the boat.

A fire was kindled, and in a short time they were feasting on the broiled flesh of the rabbit. During the meal Botts and Bragg regarded each other with looks of savage ferocity, but no words were exchanged between them. Toney's mind was relieved from anxiety when Bragg pointed to a schooner coming down the river, and said,—

"Mr. Belton, you would confer a great favor by putting me on board yonder vessel. I intend to proceed to San Francisco and settle with that villainous captain."

The boat put off from the shore and conveyed Bragg to the schooner, and then proceeded up the river. When they were about six miles from Stockton, half a dozen barges filled with armed men came around a bend in the river.

"Boat ahoy!" cried a tall man standing up in the foremost barge. No attention was paid to this hail, and the boat was kept on its course. In an instant more than fifty rifles were leveled at them, and Perch and Wiggins crouched down in the bottom of the boat and covered themselves with a buffalo robe.

"What do you want?" cried Toney.

"We are hunting for Red Mike, Long-Nose Jack, and the Preacher," exclaimed several men in the barges, which now came alongside.

"They are not here," said Toney.

"We will see," said one of the men. "Who is that hiding there?" And he jerked the buffalo robe aside and beheld Perch's fiery head of hair.

"Red Mike!" he exclaimed.

"And that is Long-Nose Jack," said another man, pointing to Wiggins's extraordinary nasal projection.

"And there is the Preacher," said a big fellow, gazing sternly at Moses, who, from his peculiar conformation, looked much like a parson in disguise.

"The Preacher is the worst of the whole gang," said one of the men.

"We will hang him on the highest limb," said another.

"Good heavens, gentlemen! you are not going to hang them?" exclaimed Toney.

"They have done nothing!" cried Tom.

"They have just landed in California," said the Professor.

"You three fellows shut up," said one of the men. "We have got nothing against you, but we know these chaps. They are New York Hounds. Robbed a tent last night. We'll hang them as soon as we get back to Stockton."

Moses and Perch were dumb with terror, as they were dragged into one of the barges, while Wiggins ejaculated,—

"Oh, Lord! oh, Lord!" With loud cheers the men rowed away in the direction of Stockton. Toney and his friends followed, but were soon left far behind.

When the lynching-party reached Stockton with their captives, loud shouts were heard on shore.

"They have got them! they have got them! Ropes!—ropes!" were the cries, as the unfortunate prisoners were dragged from the barge.

"Hang them! hang them!" was shouted and screamed by infuriated men, who came running with ropes prepared for the execution of the robbers. The affrighted prisoners were hurried to a large oak, which stood about a hundred yards from the main street. Three mules were now led to the spot, and the supposed felons, with ropes around their necks, were made to mount on the backs of the animals. A man climbed into the tree and fastened the ropes to a large horizontal limb. Each mule was held by its bridle, while a man stood behind with a whip, ready to apply the lash at a given signal.

"Now," said a tall individual, who seemed to be the leader of the lynchers, "if you three fellows have got any thing to say, sing out. You have got five minutes to live. When I fire off this pistol, the mules will jump from under you, and you are gone."

"Oh!—oh!—oh!" groaned Perch.

"Tell my father," said Moses, turning his head round and looking piteously at Perch, "that I was hung for nothing."

"I can't tell him," said Perch, "I've got to be hung myself,—oh!—oh!—oh!"

"You have three minutes left," said the man with the pistol, looking at his watch.

"Oh, Lord! oh, Lord! oh, Lord!" ejaculated Wiggins.

"If that's all you've got to say, you might as well shut up and be hung at once. Two minutes left!"

"Oh! oh! oh!" groaned Perch.

"One minute!"

"Mercy!—mercy!—mercy!" cried Moses.

The man cocked his pistol and elevated it over his head.

"Oh, Lord! oh, Lord! oh, Lord!" screamed Wiggins.

"Hold on!" cried a voice in the crowd.

"What's broke loose?" said the man, lowering his pistol and turning round.

"Here comes the Alcalde!" shouted a number of voices, as a rough fellow, with long hair, galloped up and halted his panting horse in front of the gallows.

"What are you doing there?" asked he. And he glanced at Moses and his comrades, sitting on the mules, with the ropes around their necks.

"Hanging Red Mike, Long-Nose Jack, and the Preacher," said the man with the pistol in his hand.

"You have waked up the wrong passengers. We caught the infernal thieves on the road to San JosÉ. Here they are," said the Alcalde, as a party of men galloped up, having three prisoners in custody with their hands tied behind their backs.

"Let these men go," said the Alcalde, pointing to Moses and the other two who were just about to be hung.

The supposed robbers were released and the real offenders placed on the backs of the mules.

"Run!" cried Moses, "run! run!" And he and his two companions fled in headlong haste to the water's edge, and encountered Toney and the other occupants of the boat, who were just landing.

"Where are you going?" said Toney, as all three leaped into the boat and seized the oars.

"Home!" exclaimed Moses.

"Back to the States!" cried Perch.

"I wouldn't stay here a week for all the gold in the mountains!" shouted Wiggins.

"Come back! don't be fools! it was all a mistake," said Toney.

"You'll be murdered," said Wiggins.

"Oh, Toney, come with us! They will hang you if you stay here!" cried Moses.

"Don't make dunces of yourselves," said Toney.

"Good-by!" said Wiggins.

"Farewell! farewell!" cried Perch.

"God bless you, Toney!" ejaculated Moses, as he and Perch commenced pulling vigorously at the oars, while Wiggins laid hold on the tiller.

They rested not during the whole ensuing night, and in the afternoon of the next day arrived at San Francisco. A steamer was about to sail, and they immediately went on board, and in a fortnight were landed at Panama.

Having procured mules, they proceeded across the Isthmus to Cruces.

Here they entered a public house, and behind the bar beheld a bald-headed man washing a bottle.

"Look there!" exclaimed Perch.

"Mr. Pate!" cried Wiggins.

The bald-headed man looked up, and, uttering a cry of recognition, dropped the bottle, and, running from behind the bar, threw his arms around Wiggins's neck and hugged him fraternally.