Chapter I-IX Summary

The narrator learns that his brother has been appointed as Secretary of the State of Nevada, a job for which he will be rewarded with 1800 dollars a year. He envies his brother's position and status, but not nearly as much as he envies the social advantages that go with it. He envisions that his brother will strike it rich simply by picking up nuggets of gold and silver alongside the numerous mines that can be found in Nevada. When offered, he readily agrees to accompany his brother as his personal secretary. He packs his belongings and within an hour is ready to leave with him. The narrator and his brother then embark on a steamboat that carries them up the Missouri River from St. Louis to St. Joseph. The boat is in bad shape and travels with great difficulty, reaching its...