"Such as it is," responded Fairfax, with a shade of anxiety, as he
glanced at the fresh and pretty costumes of the young women, and
dubiously regarded the two Saratoga trunks resting hopelessly on the
veranda. "I'm afraid it isn't much, for what you're accustomed to. But,"
he added more cheerfully, "it will do for a day or two, and perhaps
you'll give us the pleasure of showing you the way there now."

The procession was quickly formed. Mr. Carr, alive only to the actual
business that had brought him there, at once took possession of
Fairfax, and began to disclose his plans for the working of the mine,
occasionally halting to look at the work already done in the ditches,
and to examine the field of his future operations. Fairfax, not
displeased at being thus relieved of a lighter attendance on Mr.
Carr's daughters, nevertheless from time to time cast a paternal glance
backwards upon their escorts, who had each seized a handle of the two
trunks, and were carrying them in couples at the young ladies' side. The
occupation did not offer much freedom for easy gallantry, but no sign
of discomfiture or uneasiness was visible in the grateful faces of the
young men. The necessity of changing hands at times with their burdens
brought a corresponding change of cavalier at the lady's side, although
it was observed that the younger Kearney, for the sake of continuing a
conversation with Miss Jessie, kept his grasp of the handle nearest the
young lady until his hand was nearly cut through, and his arm worn out
by exhaustion.

"The only thing on wheels in the camp is a mule wagon, and the mules are
packin' gravel from the river this afternoon," explained Dick Mattingly
apologetically to Christie, "or we'd have toted--I mean carried--you and
your baggage up to the shant--the--your house. Give us two weeks more,
Miss Carr--only two weeks to wash up our work and realize--and we'll