He met Atkins and the other young sailor, his partner, before they left their ship.

They were in the store, buying various things, and father got to know them pretty well.

Then they ran away to the diggings--you simply couldn't keep a crew in those times--and he didn't see them again for a good while.

Then they came in one day and showed him specimens from a claim they had back in the mountains.

They were mighty good specimens, and what they said about the claim convinced father that they had a valuable property.