“Are ve nefer going to reach der place, laty? It’s a vonder dey don’t put in elevators in a place like dis. It is now von mont’ dot ve haf tramped like dis und nefer seem to get nearer, und I am nearly voret out. I vish ve hat not sold Jake, but den—ve haf to eat. But he vos a goot horse, und he vos petter as nodings to carry t’ings.”
“Have courage. We have now only about four miles further to go, and then we can camp upon your claim and settle down to work while others look for your daughter. All the boys will do that. I know that Shoshone intends to telegraph all over, to head them off.”
“Ah, he is a goot fellow, dot Shoshone is. No vonder golt is so dear, ven you haf to climb to vere it is. How long you t’ink it vill take to fint it, laty?”
“No one can tell as to that. Sometimes it takes weeks and months, and sometimes it is found right on the surface. I knew one man and he worked at his claim four years, finding just barely enough to live on in the poorest way, and everyone thought he had lost his reason, being alone so long and being always disappointed. Then, one day, when he had about given up hope, he stepped on a loose stone, and as he fell he found his mine. And it is one of the richest in the State. Others seem to stumble into good luck at once, and in a week will be rich. So be of good cheer. These mountains, dark and forbidding as they look, are full of gold that will be found some day. We will get there in time.”
“May de goot Gott put dis one on de top, for den I can haf de money to hunt for mein poor Dora! Laty, I vonder if you know vot it is to lose your chilt? Oxcuse me, I know you do. I forgot, but dis is eating my heart out all de time. I cannot bear it much more!”
“Ah, here is little Loney”—and as he caressed the curly hair, Helen continued: “Only Heaven knows what I would give to see my child again! But it has been more than ten times as long as that since your child was stolen. I fear he is dead! my poor little boy, my baby.”
“Well, you know I promised you that I would be your little boy now; anyhow, till you find your own little boy. Then—I suppose—you won’t want me any more?”
“Ah, yes I would; yes I would, for you are a comfort to me in my sorrow.”
The child nestled close to Helen, who passed her arm around him and drew him close to her yearning heart. Nothing told this mother, bereft of her only one, that she held him to her heart, nor did the numbed intellect of the boy tell him that this was his mother. And yet they were mother and son, and destiny was planning to again divide their ways.
Morris sat down weakly, in almost the same place where John had watched the previous night, but his unused eyes failed to show him the cigar-butt that lay almost at his feet. He said, gloomily: