Year: 1874

WHAT the CelonePs business was no.
body knew, nor did anybody care, particu-
larly. He purchased for cash only, and he
never grumbled at the price of anything
that he wanted; who could ask more than
that ? - -


Curious people occasionally wondered
how, when it had been fully two years
since the Colonel, with every one else,
abandoned Duck Creek to the Chinese, he
managed to spend money freely, and to
lose considerable at cards and horse races.
In fact, the keeper of that one of the two
Challenge Hill saloons which the Colonel
did not patronize was once heard to absent
mindedly wonder whether the Colonel
hadn't money-mill somewhere where he
turned out double eagles and 'slugs" the
coast name for fifty-dollar gold pieces),


When so important parsonage as bar
keeper INDUCED publicly in an idea. the in
habitants of Challenge Hill, like good Cali
fornians everywhere, considered them
selves in duty bound to give grave eonsid-
Grafton, so for few days certain industri-
Gus professional gentlemen, who won
money of the Colonel, carefully weighed
some of the brightest pieces and tested
them with acids, and tasted them and
sawed them in two, and retired them and
melted them up and had the Jumps assayed.


The result was complete vindication of
the Colonel, and loss of considerable GUS
tom to the indisefeet bar-keeper.


The Colonel was as good-natured man
as had ever been known at Challenge Hill,
but being mortal the Colonel had his occa-
sional times of dependency, and one OF
them occurred after a series of races in
which he had staked his all ON his own bay
mare Tipsie, and had lost.


Looking reproachfully at his beloved
animal, he failed to heed the aching void
of his pockets, and drinking deeply, swear
ing eloquently, and glaring detiantly at
all mankind, were equally unproductive OF
coin.


The boys at the saloon sympathized most
feelingly with the Colonel; they were un-
ceasing in their invitations to drink, and
they even exhibited considerable Christian
forbearance when the Colonel savagely
dissented with every one who advanced
any proposition, no matter how incontro-
Vertible.


But unappreciated sympathy grows de-
cidedly tiresome to the giVer, and it was
with feeling of relief that the boys saw
the Colonel stride out of the saloon, mount
Tipsie, and gallop furiously away.


Riding on horseback has always been
considered an excellent sort of exercise,
and fast riding is universally admitted to
De OlG OI Lie IlOSb ucdlkillul dIIu uCuSlIit
means of exhilaration in the world.


But when man is so absorbed in his ex-
ercise that he will not stop to speak to a
friend, and when his exhilaratiOn is so
complete that he turns his eyes from we'll
meaning thumbs pointing significantly
into door-ways through which man has
often passed while seeking bracing inf1u-
ences, it is but natural that people should
express some wonder.


The Colonel was wei known at Teddy
Flat, Lone Hand, Blazers, Murderer's Bar,
and several other villages through which
he passed, and as no one had been seen to
precede him, betting men were soon offer
ing odds that the Colonel was running
away from somebody.


Strictly speaking, they were wrong, but
they won all the money that had been
staked against them, for within half an
hours time there passed over the same
road an anxious-looking individual, who
reined up in front of the principal saloon
of each place and asked if the Colonel had
passed


Had the gallant Colonel known that he
was followed, and by whom. there would
have been an extra election held at the lat
ter place very shortly after, for the pursueT
was the constable of Challenge Hill, and
for constables and all officers of the law the
Colonel possessed hatred of unspeakable
intensity.


On galloped the Colonel, following the
stage-road, which threaded the old mining
camp on Duck Greek; but suddenly, he
turned abruptly out of the road, and urged
his horse through the pines and bushes,
which grew thickly by the road, while the
constable galloped rapidly ON to the next
camp.


There seemed to be no path through the
thicket into which the Colonel had turned,
bnt Tipsie walked between the trees and