your interest to succeed."

"Then I shall starve."

The bargain was modified so that Hogan was assured of enough to eat,
and was promised, besides, a small sum of money daily, but was not to
participate in the gains.

"If we find a nugget, it won't do you any good. Do you understand,
Hogan?"

"Yes, I understand."

He shrugged his shoulders, having very little faith in any
prospective nuggets.

"Then we understand each other. That's all I want."

On the second day Joe and Mr. Bickford consolidated their claims and
became partners, agreeing to divide whatever they found. Hogan was
to work for them jointly.

They did not find their hired man altogether satisfactory. He was
lazy and shiftless by nature, and work was irksome to him.

"If you don't work stiddy, Hogan," said Joshua, "you can't expect to
eat stiddy, and your appetite is pretty reg'lar, I notice."

Under this stimulus Hogan managed to work better than he had done
since he came out to California, or indeed for years preceding his