aring propensities
of the Rich Barians. Those, of course, would shock you; but, though you
hate slang, I know that you could not help smiling at some of their
bizarre cant phrases.

For instance, if you tell a Rich Barian anything which he doubts,
instead of simply asking you if it is true, he will _invariably_ cock
his head interrogatively, and almost pathetically address you with the
solemn adjuration, "Honest Indian?" Whether this phrase is a slur or a
compliment to the aborigines of this country, I do not know.

Again, they will agree to a proposal with the appropriate words, "Talk
enough when horses fight!" which sentence they will sometimes slightly
vary to "Talk enough between gentlemen."

If they wish to borrow anything of you, they will mildly inquire if you
have it "about your clothes." As an illustration: a man asked F., the
other day, if he had a spare pickax about his clothes. And F. himself
gravely inquired of me this evening, at the dinner-table, if I had a
_pickle_ about my clothes.

If they ask a man an embarrassing question, or in any way have placed
him in an equivocal position, they will triumphantly declare that they
have "got the dead-wood on him." And they are everlastingly "going nary
cent" on those of whose credit they are doubtful. There are many
others, which may be common enough everywhere, but as I never happened
to hear them before, they have for me all the freshness of originality.
You know that it has always been one of my pet rages to trace cant
phrases to their origin; but most of those in vogue here would, I
verily believe, puzzle Horne Tooke himself.

LETTER _the_ SEVENTH

[_The_ PIONEER, _August_, 1854]

_The_ NEW LOG-CABIN HOME _at_ INDIAN BAR

SYNOPSIS

Change of residence to Indian Bar. Whether to go to the new camp on
muleback over the hill, or on foot by crossing the river. The
water-passage decided upon. An escort of Indian Barians. Magnificence
of scenery on the way. Gold-miners at work. Their implements. "The
color". The Stars and Stripes on a lofty treetop. A camp of tents and
cabins. Some of calico shirts and pine boughs. Indian Bar described.
Mountains shut out the sun. The "Humbolt" (spelled without the _d_ on
the sign) the only hotel in the camp. A barroom with a dancing-floor. A
cook who plays the violin. A popular place. Clinking glasses and
swaggering drinkers. "No place for a lady". The log-cabin residence.
Its primitive and makeshift furnishings-