a head of stiff, bristly red hair,
formed a setting which intensified rather than embellished the
peculiarities we have noted.

The first settlers, who seemed quite venerable and dignified, now that
the camp was nearly a fortnight old, were in the habit of extending
hospitality to all newcomers until these latter could build huts for
themselves; but no one hastened to invite this beauty to partake of
cracker, pork and lodging-place, and he finally betook himself to the
southerly side of a large rock, against which he placed a few boughs to
break the wind.

The morning after his arrival, certain men missed provisions, and the
ugly man was suspected; but so depressing, as one miner mildly put it,
was his aspect when even looked at inquiringly, that the bravest of the
boys found excuse for not asking questions of the suspected man.

"Ain't got no chum," suggested Bozen, an ex-sailor, one day, after the
crowd had done considerable staring at this unpleasant object; "ain't
got no chum, and's lonesome--needs cheerin' up." So Bozen
philanthropically staked a new claim near the stranger, apart from the
main party. The next morning found him back on his old claim, and
volunteering to every one the information that "stranger's a grump--a
reg'lar grump." From that time forth "Grump" was the only name by which
the man was known.

Time rolled on, and in the course of a month Painter Bar was mentioned
as an old camp. It had its mining rules, its saloon, blacksmith-shop,
and faro-bank, like the proudest camp on the Run, and one could find
there colonels, judges, doctors, and squires by the dozen, besides one
deacon and a dominie or two.

Still, the old inhabitants kept an open eye for newcomers, and displayed
an open-hearted friendliness from whose example certain Eastern cities
might profit.

But on one particular afternoon, the estimable reception committee were
put to their wit's end. They were enjoying their _otium cum dignitale_
on a rude bench in front of the saloon, when some one called attention
to an unfamiliar form which leaned against a stunted tree a few rods
off.

It was of a short, loose-jointed young man, who seemed so thin and lean,
that Black Tom ventured the opinion that "that feller had better hold
tight to the groun', ter keep from fallen' upards." His eyes were
colorless, his nose was enormous, his mouth hung wide open and then shut
with a twitch, as if its owner were eating flies, his chin seemed to
ha