by eatin' him."

"Are you going to leave me, gentlemen?" asked Hogan in alarm.

"You don't expect us to stay and take care of you, do you?"

"Let me go with you," pleaded Hogan. "I am afraid to be left alone
in this country. I may meet another grizzly, and lose my life."

"That would be a great loss to the world," said Mr. Bickford, with
unconcealed sarcasm.

"It would be a great loss to me," said Hogan.

"Maybe that's the best way to put it," observed Bickford. "It would
have been money in my friend Joe's pocket if you had never been born."

"May I go with you?" pleaded Hogan, this time addressing himself to
Joe.

"Mr. Hogan," said Joe, "you know very well why your company is not
acceptable to us."

"You shall have no occasion to complain," said Hogan earnestly.

"Do you want us to adopt you, Hogan?" asked Joshua.

"Let me stay with you till we reach the nearest diggings. Then I
won't trouble you any more."