CHAPTER XXXII. A LETTER FROM MR. CROSMONT.

Four more weeks passed. The claim continued to yield richly, and at the end of this time the two partners reckoned that they had somewhat over two thousand dollars.

“I wish we could sell the gold-dust, and invest the money where it would be safe,” said Tom thoughtfully.

“If we were in Sacramento, we should be able to send it by express to San Francisco.”

“True; but we have no means of doing it here.”

“There are plenty who would undertake the job,” suggested Tom.

“Could we find one that we could trust?” asked Grant shrewdly.

“That’s the question,” said Tom.

That same evening brought a solution of the problem. A man who had just arrived from San Francisco called at the house.

273“Does a boy named Grant Colburn live here?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“I have a letter for him from San Francisco.”

Grant was summoned, and in some surprise received the communication.

“It is from Mr. Crosmont,” he said joyfully¹, as he opened the letter and looked at the signature.

He read it aloud. It ran thus:

Dear Grant:

It seems a very long time since I have seen you, and I am in the dark as to your successes and prospects². As you know, my principal business is to look for my wayward son Gregory, who, I have reason to think, is in California. Now, all visitors to California come sooner or later to San Francisco, and it is for this reason that I have established myself here. Thus far I have not seen or heard of Gregory, but this is not at all surprising. He may be somewhere in the interior, and in that case there would be little chance of my hearing of him.

Meanwhile, I confess that I feel lonely. I am not a man to make many friends, and I have met no one in whom I feel an interest since I parted with you. I begin to think that I should like to have you with me, and I will promise that you will lose nothing by transferring yourself to San Francisco. Will you, on receipt of this letter, arrange to join me as soon as you can? I am the 274more anxious to have you do so, because I have not felt very well of late, and, if I should fall sick, I should like to have with me a tried and faithful friend whom I can thoroughly³ trust.

I don’t know how you are situated⁴. You may be in need. I, therefore, think it best to send by the bearer fifty dollars, which will pay your expenses to this city. You will find me at the Alameda Hotel in Stockton Street.

Though I am doing no business, I have made some investments in town lots which, I think, will pay me handsomely. I have bought two lots for you, which are recorded in your name. I look to see the present village of San Francisco become a large, populous⁵ and influential⁶ city. I may not live to see it, but you assuredly will. If you need more money, let me know. Let me see you soon.
Your old friend,
Giles Crosmont.

“Well,” said Tom, after the reading was ended, “one question is settled.”

“What is that?”

“We needn’t look any further for a messenger to take our gold to San Francisco.”

“You mean that I am to take it?”

“Yes.”

The two partners realized that Grant’s mission would involve some risk. Californian routes of travel were in those days infested⁷ by robbers and road agents, who preferred making a living in a lawless way to the more 275creditable and less hazardous⁸ paths of industry. How to reduce the danger to a minimum was a subject of anxious thought.

“You had better not send all the gold-dust by me, Tom,” said Grant. “Then, if I am robbed, it won’t be a total loss.”

This plan seemed wise, and Grant set out with about fifteen hundred dollars’ worth of gold. He carried it in a valise, and, the better to divert suspicion, wore an old and shabby working suit.

“I am not proud of my appearance,” he said, as he took a position in front of the mirror in their chamber⁹. “What do I look like?”

“A healthy young tramp,” answered Tom, laughing.

“I agree with you.”

“However, there is one comfort; no one will think you have anything of value with you.”

“What will Mr. Crosmont think when I make my appearance in San Francisco?”

“That you are down on your luck. However, you can explain to him.”

The next morning Grant set out on his way to Sacramento. Tom Cooper accompanied him 276as far as the cabin of the old man to whom they owed their present good fortune. It was a long walk, and the valise, with its weight of gold-dust, was no light burden.

When they reached the cabin, they found Mr. Gilbert—for this was the old man’s name—sitting on a chair in front of it. His face was naturally grave, but it lighted up when his glance rested on the two new-comers.

“I am glad to see you,” he said; but, as his glance dwelt on Grant in his shabby attire¹⁰, “you don’t seem to have prospered,” he added.

Grant laughed.

“Appearances are deceitful, Mr. Gilbert,” he said. “I am in disguise.”

“I don’t understand you.”

“Do I look as if I were worth robbing?”

The old man smiled.

“You look,” he said, “as if you had just escaped from a poorhouse.”

“Then the disguise is effective.” said Tom. “The fact is my young partner is going to San Francisco, and this valise, which he is taking with him, contains fifteen hundred dollars in gold-dust.”

1 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

2 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

3 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

4 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

5 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

6 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

7 infested   

adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于

参考例句：

• The kitchen was infested with ants. 厨房里到处是蚂蚁。
• The apartments were infested with rats and roaches. 公寓里面到处都是老鼠和蟑螂。

8 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

9 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

10 attire   

v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装

参考例句：

• He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
• Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。