Year: 1874




held either knife or pistol yet Briar, the
most accomplished rutian among the
miners a; Pitts Gulch, stopped work
leaned on his pick, stared admiringly al
the contestants, and wished that uncom.
Portable circumstances might eternally
atllict his immortal part If it wasn't the
gamiest fight he had ever witnessed. Mer
who had always left the store or bar OF
the slightest indication of difficulty, now
remained, while those to whom fgh
was the most delightful of stimulauts
crowded near with eager eyes. Thes,
gentlemen did not understand either %
the disputants when he spoke. and the
subject of disagreement was one in which
they took no interest whatever; out they
knew fighting eye when they saw 1t;
and so excited were they shat many larger
bets would have beer made, had those
who desired to risk money felt any conf
dence in their own ability to determine
when the fight ended and who was the
winner


Fer Hoxford and the Squire were talk
ipg theology. The discussion was pro-
voked innocently enough by Peel, the
Philadelphia baker. Peel had announced
his intention of trying to get an OK
preacher from somewhere up the creek,
to come down Sunday and hold service.
Farmer Blake, Doctor Cults, and Struggs,
the bankrupt contractor from the East,
thought it would be a good thing to do;
Hoxford said he would be glad to sec
some respect paid the day; and the Squire
said he would nightly like to hear the
preacher if he was sound. Then Hox-
ford, with just the ghost of sneer, ech-
oed the single word "sound !" at which
the Squire, rightly considering himself
challenged, opened upon Hoxtord heavy
and well-directed fire of texts to which the
collegian promptly replied with ammuni-
ton similar to the Squire's. Both dis
putants were held in high esteem in the
camp; the Squire had more than once
given up his whole dinner to hungry
stragglers from elsewhere, and at the risk
of his own life he had stopped two or
three fights, of which whisky was the only
cause; while Hoxford, besides possessing
generosity and pluck equal to the Squire's
could compound an exceptionally glorious
punch despite the limited resources of the
camp. But every Pitts Gulchite knew
that the Squire loved an argument as
dearly as he did gold dust, and that Hox-
ford, who had been II wrangler Mt the
university whose name had been cock
neyized and applied to him, did not intond
that his talent should rust so long as he
could find some one upon whom to bright
en- it. All other disputatious persons in
the camp had been successfully conquered
and silenced by either Hoxiord or the
Squire, so that these two gentlemen were
regarded with the attention due Ito use
the terse expression of Briar) to "tussels
for the heavy jaw championship"


On this occasion the doughty warriors
had fought each other over almost every
strategic point on the field they had chosen;
and each one had occupied in succession,
positions which they had fondly deemed
impregnable, but from which they were
beaten with great loss, or from which they
safely retreated only by the display of
marvellous dexterity. Finally, when the
Squire announced his belief in the innex-
ibility of divine justice, it was with the
air of soldier who felt that he was in his
last ditch, but who was fully aware Of the
fact, and who felt himself inspired with
strength equal to that of host. His hat
had fallen off, and his iron-gray locks
had blown away from his face; his strong
decided features seemed each "a little
sharper in outline than ever before his
steel-bluo eyes though entirely devoid OF
ferocity, cleaned very brightly, while the
defiant pose of his whole frame, as he
leaned lightly on his long handled shovel,
so strongly affected Gamboge, the unsuc-
cessful artist, that the latter hastily drew
forth stumpy pencil and an old letter
and scrawed study for Christian
martyr"


"I'm in dead earnest about this" said
the Squire, succeeding himself, after the
moment or two of silence which had fol
lowed his last argument "'cos there's
lots Of men callin' themselves ministers
OF the word, that are gon' round doin' g
powerful sight Of harm by loosenin' folks
ideas of right and wrong. Strait is the
road and narrow's the way says the
book; but, to hear these fellers talk, you d
think every trail led straight up to heaven
IF this preacher up the creek is that kind
/ don't want to hear him, an he WONT
do the rest Of you any good"


"Aw-'he that's not against us is or
our part you know" suggested Hoxiord


MAN is 'gainst us that goes round be-
littlin' his Maker" exclaimed the Squire
bringing down his long handled shove
with a savage chop, as if the offending
doctrine had taken on material form and
lay helpless at his feet.


"The worlds full of sinners, and they
oughtn't to'be coddled-they ought to be
taught that God is just, an holy, an i'm
mutable, an"


"Aw-loving, and merciful, and long
suffering" said Hoxford, coming quickly
to the assistance Of the Squire, as tina
good man hesitateG, while he racked hi
memory for divine attributes which wer'
to his own taste.


"They don't need to be told that sim
wrong" continued the Squire, shrewdly
regardless of Hoxford's untimely aid
: 4 L Z Al Il