inally
a bit of "miraculous walking" on champagne bottles set upright on the
dining-table. This proposition was accepted without audible dissent,
only the parson's wife not voting. Then the Californian spoke for a
self-styled "young gent" and "amateur professor" who had eagerly
volunteered to "take everybody's breath away" by the magic of his tricks
with hats, handkerchiefs, and cards, and to "throw them into
convulsions" with his "evening cat fight among the chimney-pots." But
"Beware the laugh that sours overnight," Mrs. Gilmore said, and the
decision was prompt, Madame Hayle voicing it, that as convulsions could
be brought on and breath taken away by the cholera itself the young
gent, through "California," be gratefully requested to await a situation
either less desperate or more so.

The gold hunter admitted the wisdom of this action, though his humble
spirit felt acutely its discrediting reflection on himself, especially
when--with only the kindest meaning--Ramsey laughed. He bravely kept his
pain to himself and said nothing to disown the "amateur professor." With
a brief aside to Hugh, to which Hugh nodded, he slipped away to the
lower deck and for nearly two hours made his nursing skill so valuable
to "Harriet" among the immigrants that her fearless mind overlooked the
main object of his stay; which was to defend her from any stratagem of
the twins and others, that Marburg might not detect in time or might be
unable to cope with. At length, puzzled to know why Mrs. Gilmore did not
appear, he was leaving, when at the foot of the narrow stair under the
kitchen he met Lucian coming down. They stopped. He smiled. "Howdy!" he
said.

Lucian stood silent.

"Can't come down here, you know," said the gold hunter, and instantly
Lucian was white hot.

"Who tells you," he drawled, "what I may or may not do?"

"Who? oh--just a little black dog."

"Black--_what?_"

"You heard. He's a funny little cuss; like you, a trifle puny. Has
coughin' fits. Coughs six times each fit. Spits up a chunk o' lead ev'y
time he coughs. Want to see him?"

Lucian's unaffrighted eyes blazed down, though his reply was as if to
himself. "Great God! if my brother----"

"Oh," kindly said the Californian, "he ain't fur off. Go, get him. I'll
follow you, lock-step."

Lucian turned and went, the speaker adding as he followed close:

"Ladder's no place for scienced fighting, you know."

They found Julian, evidently waiting, on the passenger