. The golden
opportunity he was looking for was plainly visible on his horizon, but
it had a way of remaining stationary, and as it was contrary to Tag's
nature to move unless under great pressure, the two never met.

In the meanwhile Tag was one of our trio of chums; he was a good deal
with us when we were out and about, bent on storming the world, or
climbing Parnassus; we did the climbing, he the looking on, the parts
thus being distributed to our mutual satisfaction. He was always
pleasantly acquiescent, and had the rare gift of making himself
useless agreeably; a common bond of interest we had in the Colorado
claro and oscuro, whether the fair or dark, applied to the friendly
weed or the still more friendly fair sex.

He describes himself pretty correctly in a letter he wrote to us from
Paris, when he says:--

"Since my arrival here my notes of what I have to do represent
what I have not done, and if it be true that the infernal
regions are paved with good intentions, I shall be received
on my arrival by a deputation of souls to thank me for my
contribution to the pavement."

[Illustration: RAG.]

[Illustration: BOBTAIL.]

There are sketches in which Tag's eloquence is confined to one
exclamation, "Matilda!" But whether that name was coupled with present
felicity or future hopes I do not recollect. But du Maurier's lines
describe him and our chumship much better than any words of mine could
do. He says:--

"To BOBTAIL.

Oh, fortunatos nimium, sua si bona norint
All lazy beggars like me--"

"In the sunshine of April, the April of life,
You and I and our Tag make three;
And few will deny that for such close chums
A queer set of fellows are we.

For I walk slowly, and you walk fast,
And Tag lies down (not to fall);
_You_ think of the Present, _I_ think of the Past,
And Tag thinks of nothing at all.

Yet who shall be lucky, and who shall be rich?
Whether both, neither, one, or all three;
Is a mystery which, Dame Fortune, the witch,
Tells neither Tag, Bobtail, or me!

(RAG)."

The portraits of Rag and Bobtail head the page. A space was left for
Tag's, but never filled.

_Apropos_ of plans and prospects on Tag's distant horizon, I find a
passage in one of his letters, dated November, 1857, which is well
worth recording. I quote it to give myself and my fellow Europeans an
opportunity of rejoicing that Tag's scheme belonged to those that w