Year: 1874

nobody knew nor did anybody care,
particularly. He purchased for cash
only, and he never grumbled at the
lprice of anything that he wanted !;
who could ask more than that?
Curiously people eoccasionallywon-
dered 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 freely, and to lose consid-
cradle at cards and horse races. In
fact, the keeper of that one of the
two Challenge Hills saloons which
the Colonel did not patronize was
once heard to absent-mindedly won
der 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 a parsonage as
a bar keeper indulged publicly in an
idea inhabitants of Challenge Hill
like good Californians everywhere,
considered themselves in duty bound
to give it grave consideration, so for
a few days certain industrious pro-
fessional gentlemen who won money
of the Colonel, carefully weighed 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 q complete vindi-
cation of the Colonel, and 8 loss of
considerable custom to the indiscreet
bar-keeper.


The Colonel was as good a man
as had ever been known at Challenge
Hill, but being mortal, the Colonel
had his occasional times of despond-
ency, and one of them occurred after
a series of races il which he had
staked his all on his own bay mare
Tipsie, and had lost.


Looking reproachfully at his be-
loved animal he failed to heed the
aching void of his pockets, and
drinking deeply, swearing eloquent
ly, and glaring defantly at all man
kind, were equally unproductive of
coin.


The boys at the saloon sympa-
thized most feeling with the Colonel;
they were unceasing in their invita-
tions to drink, and even exhibited
considerable christian forbearance
when the Colonel savagely dissent
ed with every one who advanced
any proposition, no matter how in
controvertible.


But unappreciated sympathy
grows decidedly tiresome to the Civ
er, and it was with a 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 univer-
sally admitted to be one of the most
healthful and delightful means of
lexhileration in the world.


But when q man is so absorbed in
his exercise that he viii not stop to
speak to friend, and when his ex-
lhileration is so complete that he
turns his eyes from well-meaning
thumbs pointing significantly into
doorways through which man has
often passed while seeking bracing
influences, it is natural that people
should express some wonder.


The Colonel was well known at
Toddy Flat, Cone Hand, Blazers,
lMurderers Bar, and several other
villages through which he passed,
and as no one had been seen to pre-
Icede him, betting men were soon
offering 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 with
lin half an hours time there passed
over the same road an anxious look
| ing individual, who reined up in
front of the principal saloon of each
place, and asking if the Colonel had
passed.


Had the gallant Colonel known he
was followed, and by whom, there
would have been an extra election
held at the latter place very shortly
after, for the pursuer was the con-
stable of Challenge Hill, and for
cons.ables and all other officers of
the law the Colonel possessed hatred
| of unspeakable intensity.
: On galloped the Colonel, following
the stage road, which threaded the
old mining camps on Duck Creek;
but suddenly he turned abruptly out
| of the road, and urged his horse
through the young 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 but Tipsie walk
ed between the trees and shrubs as
if they were the familiar objects of
| her own stable yard.


Suddenly a voice from the bushes
lshouted: