"i came on business, sinclair," answered tom, smiling.

"thomas is going to california, sinclair," explained squire hudson.

sinclair opened wide his eyes in amazement. "what for?" he asked.

"to dig gold and make my fortune," answered tom complacently.[43]

"come out and tell me all about it."

"you can go, thomas," said squire hudson graciously. "your father and i will settle the business."

"is it true that you are going to california?" asked sinclair, when they were out in the front yard.

"yes."

"how soon do you go?"

"i want to get away in a week."

"what has my father to do with it?" inquired sinclair.

"he is going to lend me the money to get there."

"how much?"

"two hundred dollars."

"then he is a greater fool than i thought," said sinclair, with characteristic politeness.

"why do you say that?" demanded our hero, justly nettled.

"because he'll never see the money again."

"yes, he will. my father is responsible for it."

"your father is a poor man."

"he is able to pay that, if i don't; but i hope he won't have to."[44]

"do you really expect to find gold?" asked sinclair curiously.

"certainly i do. others have, and why shouldn't i? i am willing to work hard."

"do you think you'll come home rich?"

"i hope so."

"i have a great mind to ask father to let me go with you," said sinclair unexpectedly.

"you wouldn't like it. you haven't been brought up to work," said tom, rather startled, and not much pleased with the proposal, for sinclair hudson was about the last boy he wished as a companion.

"oh, i wouldn't go to work. i would go as a gentleman, to see the country. wait a minute; i will run in and ask him."

so sinclair ran into the house, and preferred his request.

"that's a wild idea, sinclair," said his father quickly.

"why is it? i'm as old as tom nelson."

"he is going because it is necessary for him to earn his living."

"he will have a splendid time," grumbled the spoiled son.

"you shall travel all you want to when you[45] are older," said his father. "now you must get an education."

"i want to travel now."

"i will take you to new york the next time i go."

"give me five dollars besides."

the money was handed him.

he went out and reported to tom that he was going to travel all over the world when he was a little older, and had decided not to go to california now.

"if you have money enough you can go with me," he added graciously.

"thank you," said tom politely, though the prospect of having sinclair for a traveling companion did not exhilarate him much.

for a few days mrs. nelson was very busy getting tom ready to go. it was well, perhaps, that so much needed to be done, for it kept her mind from the thought of the separation.

the question of which route to take, whether by steamer or across the plains, demanded consideration. it was finally decided that tom should go overland. it was thought he might join some company at st. joseph—or st. joe, as it was then, and is now, popularly called—and[46] pay his passage in services, thus saving a good share of the two hundred dollars. that was, of course, an important consideration.

"how shall i carry my money?" asked tom.

"it will be best to take gold, and carry it for safety in a belt around your waist," said his father. "you must be very prudent and careful, or you may be robbed. that would be a serious thing for you, as i could not forward you any more money."

"i will be very prudent, father," said tom. "i know the value of money too well to risk losing it."

well, the days of preparation were over at length, and tom stood on the threshold, bidding good-by to his parents and his brothers and sisters. he had not realized till now what it was to leave home on a long journey of indefinite duration. he wanted to be heroic, but in spite of himself his eyes moistened, and he came near breaking down.

"i don't know how to part with you, my dear child," said his mother.

"think that it is all for the best, mother," said tom, choking. "think of the time when i will come back with plenty of money."[47]

"god bless you, tom!" said his father. "don't forget your good habits and principles when you are far away from us."

"i won't, father."

so tom's long journey commenced.

tom's plan was to go to st. louis first. his father made some inquiries about the route, and recommended going to pittsburg by cars, then to take the boat on the ohio river for cincinnati. this seemed to tom to afford a pleasant variety, and he gladly accepted the suggestion.

as they were approaching pittsburg, tom occupied a whole seat on the left-hand side of the car. a brisk, plausible young man, of twenty-five, passing through the aisle, observed the vacant seat, and, pausing, inquired, "is this seat engaged?"

"no, sir," answered tom.

"then, if you have no objection, i will occupy it."

"certainly, sir."

the young man was nicely dressed. in his bosom sparkled a diamond pin, and he wore three or four rings on his fingers.

"he must be rich," thought tom, who was of an observant turn.[48]

"a pleasant day to travel," remarked the young man affably.

"yes, it is," said tom.

"do you go farther than pittsburg?"

"yes, i am going to california," answered tom proudly.

"is it possible? are you alone?"

"yes, sir."

"you are young to travel so far."

"i am sixteen; that is, i shall be in two or three weeks."

"still, you are young to take such a journey alone. are you going to join friends there?"

"no; i am going to seek my fortune."

once more the young man looked surprised, and scanned tom curiously.

"i presume you are from the city," he observed, with a smile which tom would not have understood if he had noticed it. the truth is, that tom bore evident marks of being a country boy. i don't like to say that he looked "green," but he certainly lacked the air that distinguishes a town-bred boy. his companion evidently understood boy nature, for tom was much flattered by the supposition that he was a city boy.

"no," he answered, almost as if apologizing[49] for a discreditable fact; "i am from the country."

"you don't say so!" exclaimed the other, in apparent surprise. "i thought, from your appearance, that you were from the city. how do you go from pittsburg?"

"by river to cincinnati."

"do you really? i am glad to hear it; i am going there myself. we shall be fellow passengers. that will be pleasant."

tom thought it would. his companion seemed very pleasant and social, and he had been feeling lonely, as was only natural.

"yes, it will," he said.

"by the way, as we may be thrown together, more or less, we ought to know each other. my name is milton graham. my father is a rich merchant in new york. i am traveling partly on business for my father's firm, and partly for pleasure."

"my name is thomas nelson; most people call me tom," said our hero.

"then i will call you tom," said graham. "i like the name. i have a favorite cousin named tom. poor boy!—he is an orphan. his father died two years ago, leaving him two hundred thousand dollars. my father is[50] his guardian. he is about your age; only not quite so good-looking."

tom blushed. he had not thought much of his own looks, but he was human, and no one is displeased at being considered good-looking. mr. graham spoke meditatively, as if he was not intending to pay a compliment, only mentioning a fact, and tom did not feel called upon to thank him for this flattering remark.

"that is a great deal of money," he said.

"yes, it is. all my relations are rich; that is, except one uncle, who probably is not worth over twenty thousand dollars."

tom was impressed. a man who could talk of such a sum in such terms must certainly be very rich.

"do you know, mr. graham," he inquired, "how soon the steamer will start after we reach pittsburg?"

"no; but i can find out after we reach there."

on arriving at pittsburg, inquiry was made, and it was ascertained that the steamer river belle would leave at nine o'clock the following morning.

"we shall have to go to a hotel," said graham.[51]

"is there any cheap hotel here?" asked tom prudently.

"yes; there is the pittsburg house. suppose we both go there."

"all right."

mr. graham had only a small carpetbag, smaller than tom's. they took them in their hands, and walked for a short distance, till they reached a plain building, which, from the sign, tom discovered to be the hotel which had been mentioned.

"shall we room together? it will cost less," said milton graham carelessly.

"if you please," said tom.

he was lonely and thought he would like company. besides, it would be cheaper, and that was a weighty consideration.