Year: 1871

len.'


"Jack got the start of them, and step
ping in front of them, said, in tragic tones,
Jack, the Wicked, known all over the
Pacific coast for my diabolical acts-and let
me assist our friend-this is the Judge, who
is the terror of all evil doers, and the pro-
tector of distressed innocents, wherever
and whenever they have the good fortune
to fall into his hands


"'Yes,' said Judge, with the most i'm
perturbable gravity; and now you know
us all, and must consider us your obedient
servants


She laughed low, rippling laugh, and
said 'Yes, l am sure / know you all,
around it would give me a sort of home
feeling,and you would feel better acquaint-
ed with me, guess


She began with the judge, and he look
ed, while he held her hand, as though he
had been translated.


"She has got an awful lot of magnetism
about her, / tell you, my arm and hand
thrills now when l think of that first hand
clasp. We hadn't chair in the cabin, but
we gave her out our best three-legged
stool. She took off her jaunty hat and
sack, and each one of us sprang to take
them. She didn't seem to notice us, but
left them lying in her lap. She told us she
had some baggage little way from the
house, she had left it there SO as to walk in
upon viii unannounced, hut instead of
finding dear old Will, she had stumbled
upon such a lot of friends.


"'Can you give me something real good
to eat p and she glanced at the table with
it's dirty dishes and the scanty remains Of
our supper.


"The table was cleared off in q jiffy a
plate was washed, and can of chicken
opened. Aunt Betty made cup of tea,
and another stirred up some flapjacks, and
one us of thought to scour knife and fork
by running them into the ground several
times. Oh, there were lively times for q
few minutes, you'd better believe Only





right at her. She did not seem to notice
him, but watched our operations with great
interest.


"While she ate-and the quaintness of
her surroundings did not effect her appetite
we all stood round and waited upon her.
guess never day while she lived with us
but what she laughed about her first meal
there.


"We partitioned her off bedroom in one
corner, putting up some blankets, and all
but the Judge and Aunt Betty went into
the store house to sleep for awhile.


"You'd think that when we got there
we should be likely to talk over the won.
derful event, but we didn't not word
was spoken concerning it. But reckon
there was considerable thinking done in
that place that night


"By light we were all up and pacing in
front of the cabin. The teamster had
given notice of the charge he had left witt
us, and all the other boys were over to learr
how things were. There wasn't stroke O.
work done in camp that day, and not mucl
for week. lJa,


"Then the Judge called us together
and told us it wouldn't do; we were get
ting demoralized that Miss Browning wa
unhappy, because she felt she had inter
rupted our arrangements, and we mus
come right down to steady days work afte
that. Well, we tried to, but we could nev
er get back to the old times. There was
good deal of rivalry among us, and SOM
cutting things were said. The Judge sen
letters in every direction for viii, but thre
weeks had passed without word in reply
We had all in turn offered to accompan.
Miss Browning to San Francisco, but sh
she knew no one there VIII would be sur
TO come before long, and would be so dis
appointed if she should leave besides, haG
she not eight of the best brothers in tn,
she would help to cook and mend for us, s.
as not to burden us too much. She had
few new books she had brought for Will
and would read TO us evenings. We cam
up an hour earlier than usual, and cur Ia
, bic was always ready for us, and it ha'
many an extra touch that none but VIC
man would have thought of. We were
silent set of men through the day; bu
each did his best when we got home.-
: Stories were told, songs sung, and wit
/ her reading we were all entranced. Sh
called us by the names which were firs
+ given her, and ever so many times she wen
4 through with the introduction, acting ou