But he was mistaken.  For even as he stood there all nature seemed to invade his humble cabin with its free and fragrant breath, and invest him with its great companionship.  He felt again, in that breath, that strange sense of freedom, that mystic touch of partnership with the birds and beasts, the shrubs and trees, in this greater home before him.  It was this vague communion that had kept him there, that still held these world-sick, weary workers in their rude cabins on the slopes around him; and he felt upon his brow that balm that had nightly lulled him and them to sleep and forgetfulness.  He closed the door, turned away, crept as noiselessly as before into his bunk again, and presently fell into a profound slumber.

But when Uncle Billy awoke the next morning he saw it was late; for the sun, piercing the crack of the closed door, was sending a pencil of light across the cold hearth, like a match to rekindle its dead embers.  His first thought was of his strange luck the night before, and of disappointment that he had not had the dream of divination that he had looked for.  He sprang to the floor, but as he stood upright his glance fell on Uncle Jim’s bunk.  It was empty.  Not only that, but his blankets—­Uncle Jim’s own particular blankets—­were gone!

A sudden revelation of his partner’s manner the night before struck him now with the cruelty of a blow; a sudden intelligence, perhaps the very divination he had sought, flashed upon him like lightning!  He glanced wildly around the cabin.  The table was drawn out from the wall a little ostentatiously, as if to catch his eye.  On it was lying the stained chamois-skin purse in which they had kept the few grains of gold remaining from their last week’s “clean up.”  The grains had been carefully divided, and half had been taken!  But near it lay the little memorandum-book, open, with the stick of pencil lying across it.  A deep line was drawn across the page on which was recorded their imaginary extravagant gains and losses, even to the entry of Uncle Jim’s half share of the claim which he had risked and lost!  Underneath were hurriedly scrawled the words:—­

“Settled by your luck, last night, old pard.—­James Foster.”

It was nearly a month before Cedar Camp was convinced that Uncle Billy and Uncle Jim had dissolved partnership.  Pride had prevented Uncle Billy from revealing his suspicions of the truth, or of relating the events that preceded Uncle Jim’s clandestine flight, and Dick Bullen had gone to Sacramento by stage-coach the same morning.  He briefly gave out that his partner had been called to San Francisco on important business of their own, that indeed might necessitate his own removal there later.  In this he was singularly assisted by a letter from the absent Jim, dated at San Francisco, begging him not to be anxious about his success, as he had hopes of presently entering into a profitable business, but with no further allusions