"Even if he is," said Joe, "we are two to one. I dare say he's all
right, but keep your weapon ready."

Though Joe was but a boy and Bickford a full-grown man, from the
outset he had assumed the command of the party, and issued directions
which his older companion followed implicitly. The explanation is
that Joe had a mind of his own, and decided promptly what was best to
be done, while his long-limbed associate was duller witted and
undecided.

Joe and Joshua maintained their sitting position till the stranger
was within a rod or two, when he hailed them.

"How are ye, strangers?" he said.

"Pretty comfortable," said Joshua, reassured by his words. "How fare
you?"

"You're a Yank, ain't you?" said the newcomer, disregarding Joshua's
question.

"I reckon so. Where might you hail from?"

"I'm from Pike County, Missouri," was the answer. "You've heard of
Pike, hain't you?"

"I don't know as I have," said Mr. Bickford.

The stranger frowned.

"You must have been born in the woods not to have heard of Pike
County," he said. "The smartest fighters come from Pike. I kin whip
my weight in wildcats, am a match for a dozen Indians to onst, and
can tackle a lion without flinchin'."

"Sho!" said Joshua, considerably impressed.

"Won't you stop and rest with us?" said Joe politely.

"I reckon I will," said the Pike man, getting off his beast. "You
don't happen to have a bottle of whisky with you, strangers?"

"No," said Joe.

The newcomer looked disappointed.

"I wish you had," said he. "I feel as dry as a tinder-box. Where
might you be travelin'?"

"We are bound for the mines on the Yuba River."

"That's a long way off."

"Yes, it's four or five days' ride."

"I've been there, and I don't like it. It's too hard work for a
gentleman."

This was uttered in such a magnificent tone of disdain that Joe was
rather amused at the fellow. In his red shirt and coarse breeches,
and brown, not overclean skin, he certainly didn't look much like a
gentleman in the conventional sense of that term.

"It's all well enough to be a gentleman if you've got money to fall
back on," remarked Joshua sensibly.

"Is that personal?" demanded the Pike County man, frowning and half
rising.

"It's personal to me," said Joshua quietly.

"I accept the apology," said the newcomer, sinking back upon the turf.

"I hain't apologized, as I'm aware," said Joshua, who was no craven.

"You'd better not rile me, stran