ust impatiently, and accepted victory or defeat with very audible
comments. The gamblers, dressed in black, pale, sat steady-eyed and
silent behind their layouts. I suppose the life must already have
developed, if not a type, at least a uniform mental attitude that showed
itself in outward expression. That was, first of all, an intent, quiet
watchfulness; and, secondly, an iron resolution to meet whatever
offered. The gambler must be prepared instantly to shoot; and at the
same time he must realize fully that shooting is going to get him in
trouble. For the sympathy of a mining camp was generally strongly
against him when it came to a question of this sort. We treated
ourselves to a drink at the bar, and went outside.

Already the drift of miners was toward the end of the street where a
good sized crowd had gathered. We fell in. Under a large oak tree had
been placed a barrel and several boxes from the store, and on these
latter our friend John Semple, the carpenter, was mounting.

"John's the _alcalde_," McNally explained to us. "He's the most
level-headed man in these diggings."

Most of the miners sat down on the ground in front, though some remained
afoot. Semple rapped sharply on the barrel with the muzzle of his
revolver.

"This is a miners' meeting," he stated briefly. "And we have several
things to talk about. Most important thing, 'cordin' to my notion, is
this row about that big nugget. Seems these yere three men, whose names
I disremember, is partners and is panning down there in the lower
diggings, and while one of them is grubbing around with a shovel getting
ready to fill the company pan, he sees this yere nugget in the shovel,
and annexes it. Now he claims it's his nugget, and the rest of 'em claim
it belongs to all of them as partners. How about it?"

Two men sprang to their feet and began to talk.

"You set down!" Semple ordered them. "You ain't got nothing to do with
decidin' this. We'll let you know what to do. If the facts ain't right,
as I stated 'em, say so; but we don't want no theories out of you.
_Set down!_ I say."

They subsided, and a silence fell which no one seemed inclined to break.

"Well," said Semple impatiently, "come on! Speak up! Whar's all this
assorted lot of theories I been hearing in the say-loons ever since that
nugget was turned up?"

A man with the most extraordinarily ragged garments got to his feet and
began to speak in a pleasant and cultivated voice.

"I have n