questions, he would have received clear and
emphatic replies, but he merely said, "Pooh!" and when a man says
"pooh!" to conscience, he is in a very bad way indeed.

At Higgins' store gold-miners assembled to buy and sell, to talk and
drink and gamble. As the necessaries of life were procured there,
miners of all sorts, from the steady to the disreputable, were to be
found assembled at times, but it was chiefly the latter who "hung about"
the place. No notice was taken of Jack as he mingled with the crowd,
except by one or two acquaintances, who gave him a passing nod of
recognition.

At the bar there was assembled a boisterous group, who were laughing
heartily at something. Jack joined it, and found a tall, half-tipsy man
offering to bet with another. When men are smitten with the gambling
spirit anything that affords a "chance" will serve their turn.

"See here, now," said the tall man, looking round, "I repeat, that I'll
bet any man ten dollars--all I have in the world--that there's not any
four of the men in this store can prevent my lifting this tumbler of
water to my lips."

He held out a tumbler in his right hand as he spoke, and straightened
his long sinewy arm.

Some of those present laughed, but one, a short, thick-set, powerful
fellow, said "Done!" at once, and stepped forward.

"Well, stranger," said the tall man, with a smile, "lay hold. You ought
to be strong enough to prevent me by yourself, but come on some more of
you."

Three strong fellows rose and laughingly grasped the man's arm, while
several of the lookers-on began to bet on the event.

"Now, hold fast," said the tall man, giving his arm a slight but
vigorous shake, which had the effect of causing those who held it to
tighten their grip powerfully.

"Oh! you're not strong enough," he added; "come, another of you!"
Hereupon a fifth man rose, and laid hold of the arm amid much laughter.

At that moment a big, rough miner pushed his way through the crowd and
demanded to know "what was up." On being told, he drew a bag from his
pocket and exclaimed, "I'll bet you this bag of dust if you can match
it, that these five men will prevent you easily. They are strong enough
to hold Goliath himself, if he were here."

"Sorry that I can't match your bag, stranger," replied the tall man;
"I'm only game for ten dollars, and that's already staked."

"But _I_ can match it," exclaimed Philosopher Jack, suddenly producing
his bag, which was muc