"It's sheer insanity!" exploded Kemble. "The soldiers have
gone--left their wives and their children to starve. Even the church is
locked. Governor Mason has threatened martial law in the mining regions,
which are filled with cutthroats and robbers. It's said he contemplates
giving furloughs of two or three months to the gold-fevered troops which
remain. Was there ever such idiocy?"
"You're wrong, Ed," Brannan told him. "This gold boom is the biggest
thing that's ever happened. It'll bring the world to our door. Why,
Mason has reported that gold enough's been taken from the mines already
to pay for the Mexican war."
"Bah!" cried Kemble, and stalked out muttering. Brannan laughed. "He's
riding his hobby consistently. But he'll come down. So you've had no
news from Benito?"
"No," said Inez gloomily. "Perhaps it is too soon. Perhaps he has had no
luck to tell us of as yet. But I wish he would write just a line."
"Well, well, cheer up, my dear," said Brannan, reassuringly. "Benito can
take care of himself. Next week I return to my store in the gold lands,
and I'll have an eye out for the lad. How does your work go, Adrian?"
"Poorly," answered Stanley.
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