George saw that their visitor understood the precise condition of affairs, and there was no further use of attempting concealment.
“I s’pose you’re miners?” remarked Mr. Muffin, by way of initiating the conversation.
“Yes; we have spent several months among the mountains, part the time hunting and part the time mining.”
“What luck?”
“Quite good I may say; we have toiled long and hard, and have made pretty good wages—so much, that we have concluded to return home.”
“Live in California?”
“No; our home is in the Empire State, where I hope we shall shortly be.”
“Going to San Francisco?”
Inwood answered in the affirmative, and then concluded that it was about time he asked a few questions.
“Where are your friends?”