ubility, saying nothing, but keeping the party at
their ease like a courtly hostess.

Not a word occurred about the business of the day. Once, twice, and
thrice I tried to slide the subject in, but was discouraged by the stoic
apathy of Rufe, and beaten down before the pouring verbiage of his wife.
There is nothing of the Indian brave about me, and I began to grill with
impatience. At last, like a highway robber, I cornered Hanson, and bade
him stand and deliver his business. Thereupon he gravely rose, as though
to hint that this was not a proper place, nor the subject one suitable
for squaws, and I, following his example, led him up the plank into our
barrack. There he bestowed himself on a box, and unrolled his papers
with fastidious deliberation. There were two sheets of note-paper, and
an old mining notice, dated May 30th, 1879, part print, part manuscript,
and the latter much obliterated by the rains. It was by this identical
piece of paper that the mine had been held last year. For thirteen
months it had endured the weather and the change of seasons on a cairn
behind the shoulder of the canyon; and it was now my business, spreading
it before me on the table, and sitting on a valise, to copy its terms
with some necessary changes, twice over on the two sheets of note-paper.
One was then to be placed on the same cairn--a "mound of rocks" the
notice put it; and the other to be lodged for registration.

Rufe watched me, silently smoking, till I came to the place for the
locator's name at the end of the first copy; and when I proposed that he
should sign, I thought I saw a scare in his eye. "I don't think that'll
be necessary," he said slowly; "just you write it down." Perhaps this
mighty hunter, who was the most active member of the local school board,
could not write. There would be nothing strange in that. The constable
of Calistoga is, and has been for years, a bed-ridden man, and, if I
remember rightly, blind. He had more need of the emoluments than
another, it was explained; and it was easy for him to "depytise," with a
strong accent on the last. So friendly and so free are popular
institutions.

When I had done my scrivening, Hanson strolled out, and addressed
Breedlove, "Will you step up here a bit?" and after they had disappeared
a little while into the chaparral and madrona thicket, they came back
again, minus a notice, and the deed was done. The claim was jumped; a
tract of mountain side, fifteen hundred fe