Over the Rocky Mountains, by R.M. Ballantyne.
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This is one of the short but interesting books that Ballantyne wrote
with the less well-off members of his readership in mind. All of these
were of about 120 pages, and quite small books, that could be sold for
only a shilling or two. The hero of many of them is a character called
Will Osten, or Wandering Will. In this book he returns from a long trip
away, during which his father had died, so his mother was very pleased
to see him. But just before he died his father had been left a property
in California--it was the time of the Gold Rush. Will gathered some of
his friends, and off they went to have a look at this property. So what
the book is really about is the life of the miners in the Gold Rush.
Surprise, surprise! A young lady whom Will had met on one of his
previous adventures appeared on the scene, on her way back to England.
Will is determined to see more of her, but he has no money to pay the
exorbitant sum demanded for his fare back to England, so he finds a very
quick agent, who finds a very quick lawyer, so that his estate can be
sold, and the money raised for the fare. He catches the boat by the
skin of his teeth. Of course we will go with him on some more of his
wanderings.
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OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE.