Chapter Thirteen.
Kindness to Strangers in Distress—Remarks in Reference to Early Rising—Diggings wax Unproductive—Ned takes a Ramble, and has a Small Adventure—Plans Formed and Partly Developed—Remarkable Human Creatures Discovered, and still more Remarkable Converse held with them.
“I’ll throuble ye for two pounds of flour,” cried Larry O’Neil, dashing into one of the stores, which was thronged with purchasers, whom he thrust aside rather unceremoniously.
“You’ll have to take your turn, stranger, I calculate,” answered the store-keeper, somewhat sharply.
“Ah thin, avic, plaze do attind to me at wance; for sure I’ve run four miles to git stuff for a dyin’ family—won’t ye now?”
The earnest manner in which Larry made this appeal was received with a laugh by the bystanders, and a recommendation to the store-keeper to give him what he wanted.
“What’s the price?” inquired Larry, as the man measured it out.
“Two dollars a pound,” answered the man.
“Musha! I’ve seed it chaiper.”
“I guess so have I; but provisions are gittin’ up, for nothin’ has come from Sacramento for a fortnight.”