juration. He colored slightly and said, with a smile, "You know what
I mean; you could have protected yourselves better. A levee on the bank
would have kept you clear of the highest watermark."

"Hey you ever heard WHAT the highest watermark was?" said the first
speaker, turning to another of the loungers without looking at the
secretary.

"Never heard it,--didn't know there was a limit before," responded the
man.

The first speaker turned back to the secretary. "Did you ever know what
happened at 'Bulger's,' on the North Fork? They had one o' them levees."

"No. What happened?" asked the secretary impatiently.

"They was fixed suthin' like us," returned the first speaker. "THEY
allowed they'd build a levee above THEIR highest watermark, and did. It
worked like a charm at first; but the water hed to go somewhere, and it
kinder collected at the first bend. Then it sorter raised itself on its
elbows one day, and looked over the levee down upon whar some of the
boys was washin' quite comf'ble. Then it paid no sorter attention to the
limit o' that high watermark, but went six inches better! Not slow and
quiet like ez it useter to, ez it does HERE, kinder fillin' up from
below, but went over with a rush and a current, hevin' of course the
whole height of the levee to fall on t'other side where the boys were
sluicing." He paused, and amidst a profound silence added, "They say
that 'Bulger's' was scattered promiscuous-like all along the fort for
five miles. I only know that one of his mules and a section of sluicing
was picked up at Red Flat, eight miles away!"

Mr. Hemmingway felt that there WAS an answer to this, but, being wise,
also felt that it would be unavailing. He smiled politely and said
nothing, at which the first speaker turned to him:--

"Thar ain't anything to see to-day, but to-morrow, ez things go, the
water oughter be droppin'. Mebbe you'd like to wash up now and clean
yourself," he added, with a glance at Hemmingway's small portmanteau.
"Ez we thought you'd likely be crowded here, we've rigged up a corner
for you at Stanton's shanty with the women."

The young man's cheek flushed slightly at some possible irony in this,
and he protested with considerable stress that he was quite ready "to
rough it" where he was.

"I reckon it's already fixed," returned the man decisively, "so you'd
better come and I'll show you the way."

"One moment," said Hemmingway, with a smile; "my credentials are
addressed t