“Mr. Smithson,” said Vincent, “the fellow has given us the slip. He won’t come back, nor will you ever see anything of his diamond. I don’t believe, for my part, that he had any.”
The detective was right. Benton managed to borrow fifteen dollars of a friend, and within an hour he had left Sacramento for good.
CHAPTER XXII.
PULLING UP STAKES.
Mr. Smithson supplied the place vacated by Benton without delay. He engaged a man of middle age who had come back from the mines with a fair sum of money. Before the first week was up, he made his employer an offer for the restaurant, and after some negotiation the transfer was made.
“I should like to have you continue Grant Colburn in your employment,” said Smithson, with a kindly consideration for his young waiter.
“I am sorry to say that I cannot do it,” answered his successor. “I have a young townsman at the mines who has not been very successful. I have promised to send for him in case I went into business.”
“It is of no consequence,” said Grant. “I have always wanted to go to the mines, and now I have money enough to make the venture.”
The same day, by a lucky coincidence, Grant received the following letter from Tom Cooper:
Howe’s Gulch, October 5.
Dear Grant: