Year: 1873

IL tOuI CuIH uON, NodHl, ouAu OIAA
Reed, the life of our party, as we all
sat around our campfire on the first
night out. "You know the rule is
that every man must sing song or tell
a story; so take your choice, old boy,
and fire away" Jim had just wound
up Observation-Disclosures narrative about
his experience with horse-thieves dur
ing the days Of the Regulatorsin Texas.
Not wishing to be the first to set bad
example, I took al extra pull at my
merschaum and commenced:


You know, boys, or at least some of
you do, that in the year 1853 I was tax
collector in the Southern mines. Tax
collector in those days was no easy
berth, I can tell you; for we had some
rough old times with all sorts of people.
Cinnamon and Grcasers were our most
troublesome customers; but they paid
the best, and were regarded as our
le climate prey. had not been long
in the country then; and, to tell the
truth, WAS little shaky in regard to
Mexicans and Spaniards. 1t was all
right with the Celestials, although they
sometimes showed fight. But the Greas-
ers, on more than one occasion, made
me feel decidedly streaked.


Well, now to nay story: was riding
along the Tuolumne river one summer
afternoon, after "Soing through" half
the claims on Sandy Bar, when came
upon a camp of Mexicans, some ton or
a dozen in number. The day had been
unusually warm. No, that is not the
word; it was hot, sweltering hot, and l
felt tired and worn out with my long
ride and hard exertions. In fact, my
condition was sach that determined to
ACCEPT the proflered hospitality Of the
Nex.cans, rather than travel eight or
ten miles TO town. So, taking the sad
die off Grinyo, my tough little mustang,
stakcd him out and ejoired the party,
n porsion of whom were busily employed
Getting ready something to eat. They
did not appear to notice my presence
particularly; treating me, however, with
;liat marked politcncss which they gen
orally show to Il stranger. But one
among them could speak English, and
from him I learned that they were min
ers, who had come from an adjoining
country in search of better diygings.
On the way quarrel had arisen be-
tween Two Of the party about that fruit
full cause Of mans troubles as we'll as
blesslnrs--a woman The female in
question was coppev-colored country
woman of their own, of unquestionable
charac;er-that is, it was unquestion-
ably bad-but this did not prevent the
bclligerent individuals referred to from
loving her after their peculiar fashion;
nor did it occur to them that she was
an ignoble and unworthy object of
quarrel between old friends, for such
they seemed to have been. Antoine,
my informant stated to me that he had
made every effort to stop the difficulty
without effect, and now it was proposed
to fight it out early next morning with
bowie knives. My arrival, Antoine
stated, had caused them some uneasi-
ness, as was looked upon as an officer
of the law; and they were even now
undecided what to do, although the
general idea was to postpone the COM
bat until after I had taken my de-
parture.


Here, thought I, is a chance for me
to play the part of peacemaker; and
there and then, through the medium of
Antoine as interpreter, my work began.
The aggrieved parties were brought to-
gether, and the folly and madness of
proceeding to extremes strongly repre-
sented. My eloquence prevailed, mu-
tual explanations followed, the Mexi-
cans shook hands, and friendship was
apparently restored After this we all
felt in such good liumor that the bottle
passed freely, and fear that more
than one of our number swallowed a
little too much of the ardent. At all
events, l know that my head appeared
to have attained most remarkable
growth the next morning.


During the evening, however, one of
tho Mexicans "a big, swarthy fellow,
with On ugly scar on his cheek -evinced
rather Tif unusual interest In q piece Toof
personal property belonging to me
namely, a larse-sized six-shooter, with
white ivory handle, and handsomely
mounted. Twice he reuuested ma to