Tom looked thoughtful after reading this letter.
"Is it bad news, Tom, lad?" asked Ferguson.
"Times are hard at home, Mr. Ferguson," answered Tom. "Father is very much in need of money. It would have been a great help to him if he had received that seventy-five dollars."
"You have as much as that on hand now, Tom. If it isn't enough, I will lend you some."
"Thank you, Mr. Ferguson. You are a good friend, and I wouldn't mind accepting your offer, if I needed it. But father won't need any more than I can send him. Only I don't know how to get it to him."
"If you were in San Francisco, you would have no difficulty in sending the money."
"No."
"I've been thinking, Tom," said Ferguson, after a while, "that it might be a good plan for us to take a little vacation, and visit the city. We have been working steadily here over three months, and the change would do us good. Besides, we might on the way come across some better place. This isn't as good now as when we began to work it."
"That is true," said Tom.
"Suppose, then, we stay a week longer, sell out our claim if we can, and start in the direction of the city."