This eBook was created by Charles Aldarondo pgaldarondonetTHE YOUNG EXPLORERORCLAIMING HIS FORTUNEBYHORATIO ALGER JRNEW YORKCONTENTSI Bens InheritanceII Deacon Pitkins OfferIII Sam Sturgis New IdeaIV A Brilliant ChanceV In Search of a PlaceVI Mr Fitch The Senior PartnerVII Bens Dinner GuestVIII A Strange AcquaintanceIX At the Astor HouseX Ben Receives a CallXI Miss Sinclairs StratagemXII In San FranciscoXIII Preliminary ArrangementsXIV The Canon HotelXV A Polite HostessXVI A New AcquaintanceXVII A Tight PlaceXVIII An Evening CallXIX Bens Midnight ExcursionXX A Thiefs DisappointmentXXI Bens SavingsBankXXII The Arrival at MurphysXXIII Among the SierrasXXIV Beaten at His Own GameXXV The HorseThievesXXVI What NextXXVII Ki SingXXVIII The Duel of the MinersXXIX Chinese Cheap LaborXXX A Midnight VisitXXXI On the Mountain PathXXXII The Mountain CabinTHE YOUNG EXPLORERCHAPTER IBENS INHERITANCEIve settled up your fathers estate Benjamin said Job StantonYoull find it all figgered out on this piece of paper There wasthat twoacre piece up at Rockville brought seventyfive dollarsthe medder fetched a hundred and fifty the two cowsHow much does it all come to Uncle Job interrupted Ben who wasimpatient of detailsHadnt you better let me read off the items nephew asked Joblooking over his spectaclesNo Uncle Job I know youve done your best for me and theres noneed of your going through it all How much is there left after allexpenses are paidThats what I was acomin to Ben I make it out that theresthree hundred and sixtyfive dollars and nineteen cents Thats adollar for every day in the year Its a good deal of money BenSo it is Uncle Job answered Ben and he was quite sincere Thereare not many boys of sixteen to whom this would not seem a largesumYoure rich that is for a boy added Uncle JobIts more than I expected uncle I want you to take fifteendollars and nineteen cents Thatll leave me just three hundred andfiftyWhy should I take any of your money nephewYouve had considerable trouble in settling up the estate and itstaken a good deal of your time tooMy time aint of much vally and as to the trouble its a pity efI cant take some trouble for my brothers son No Ben I wonttake a cent Youll need it allBut you said yourself it was a good deal of money for a boy UncleJobSo it is but its all youve got Most boys have fathers to takecare of em while youre alone in the worldYes I am alone in the world said Ben sadly his cheerful faceclouding overBut youve got an uncle lad continued Job Stanton laying hishand gently on the boys shoulder Hes a poor man but as much asin him lies hell be your friend and helperI know it Uncle Job Youve always been kind to meAnd allus will be Ben Now Ben Ive got a plan for you I dontknow what youll think of it but its the best Ive been able tothink ofWhat is it Uncle JobEf youll stay with me and help me in the shop Ill give you ahome such as it is and fifty dollars a year toward your clothesYour Aunt Hannah and your Cousin Jane want you to make your homewith usIm very much obliged to you Uncle Job said Ben slowlyYou neednt be boy Its a sort of mutooal arrangement Itll beas good for me as for you You can put your money in the bank andlet it stay till youre twentyone Why itll be nigh on to fivehunderd dollars by that timeIm much obliged to you Uncle Job as I said before but theresone thing in the wayWhats that BenI dont like shoemakingPerhaps it isnt genteel enough for you Ben said his uncleI dont care for that Uncle Job but I dont like being shut up ina shop Besides it doesnt give steady work Last year you werewithout work at least a third of the timeSo I was Ben said Job Im willin to own thats a greatdrawbackAnd it isnt likely to be any better hereafter Last year was asgood as the averageIt was better Job admitted The year before I was out of workfive monthsWell Uncle Job I want to work at something thatll give meemployment all the year roundSo do I Ben but I dont see what you can find unless you go towork on a farm Youre used to that and I guess you could find achance before long Theres Deacon Pitkin wants a boy and would beglad of the chance of gettin youI suppose he would said Ben laughing Would you advise me to gothereWell there might be some objections butYou know I wouldnt get enough to eat Uncle Job interruptedBen Why Deacon Pitkins the meanest man in the villageYou mustnt be hasty in your judgments nephewIm not I know what Im talking about I worked for the deacon twodays once He gave me ten cents a day and boardand such board WhyI got up from the table hungry every meal and yet the deaconreported afterward that I was a great eater Mrs Pitkin cuts asmall pie into eight pieces each about two mouthfuls and when Iasked for a second piece she asked if I was allowed to have twopieces at homeWhat did you say asked Uncle Job evidently amusedI said yes and that each piece was twice as big as she gaveIm afraid that was rather forward Ben Did she say anything tothatShe said I must be very greedy and that boys always ate moren wasgood for em No Uncle Job I dont care to work for DeaconPitkinHave you formed any plans Ben You dont want to go on a farm andyou dont want to go into a shoeshop and thats about all you canfind to do in HamptonI dont mean to stay in Hampton said Ben quietlyDont mean to stay in Hampton exclaimed Uncle Joe amazedNo uncle Theres a good many places besides Hampton in theworldSo there is Ben answered Uncle Job with a disregard of grammarmore excusable than his nephews for he had never had any specialeducational advantagesso there is but