Burns drew from his pocket a handful of small change—less than a dollar in all—and held it out for inspection.
“Then I will help you along.”
Ernest took from his pocket a five-dollar gold piece, and offered it to the tramp.
“That is more than I would do for him,” said Luke.
“It is more than I deserve,” replied Burns, “but you won’t be sorry for your kindness. If ever you see me again, I shall be a different man.”
He passed out of the window, and they saw him no more.
Luke and Ernest said very little of their night’s adventure, but the gold watch and the Mexican dollar were returned to the man from whom they had been taken.
Six months passed. Oreville had doubled its population, the mines had yielded a large sum in gold-dust, and the store presided over by Ernest was considerably enlarged.
His services had been so satisfactory that Horace Ames, whose time was taken up elsewhere, had raised his share of the profits to one-half.
At the end of six months, besides defraying his expenses, Ernest found himself possessed of a thousand dollars.