"How can I tell? It's most a year sence I met him. Likely he's gone. Miners don't stay as long as that in one place."
Ben's countenance fell. He did not seem as near to the object of his journey as he at first thought. Still, it was something to obtain a clue. Perhaps at Murphy's he might get a trace of Dewey, and, following it up, find him at last.
"How far is Murphy's from here?" he asked.
"Two hundred miles, I reckon."
"Then I'd better go there first."
"Not ef you want to find gold. There's other places that's better, and not so far away."
"It may be so, but I care more to find Richard Dewey than to find gold in plenty."
"You said he wasn't a friend of yours?" said the miner, in some surprise.
"No; I don't know him, but I am engaged by a friend of his to find him. That friend will pay; my expenses while I am on the road."
"Has Dewey come into a fortin?" asked the miner. "Has a rich uncle died and left him all his pile?"