home, surrounded by every luxury that wealth and affection could give
them, and he wondered if, were either of them placed in Bob's
circumstances, they would have the courage to do as he had done.

When Bob had finished his story, Mr. Perkins sat in silence for several
minutes, evidently in deep thought.

"I think you have chosen the wisest course, Bob," he finally said. "The
West is a great country, and you have qualities about you that I think
will bring you success. Of course, you will probably be obliged to stand
a good many hard knocks, but they won't hurt you, my boy. Hard knocks
are good for any man. The only thing to be careful about is that they do
not sour you and cause you to feel anger and hatred against your
fellows.

"I suppose you know, of course, that the West, just like any other part
of the world, contains a lot of bad men as well as good--only out West
the bad men are more noticeable because they act more openly, gambling
and drinking and fighting.

"You must be very careful whom you choose for your companions. If you
make up your mind to treat every one politely and with kindness, you
will soon be able to determine who are the ones whose friendship is
worth having, and whom to avoid. But if you wish to succeed, you must
keep away from the saloons and gambling dives.

"This may seem a good deal of a lecture to you, but if you follow my
advice, some day you will thank me for giving it to you. And now, what
do you propose to do, in case you don't find Mrs. Cameron? You know in
big cities people often move, and it may be some time since her sister