ilver Bar.

Every man, in the temporary silence which followed Jake's summary, again
bent industriously over his pan, until the scene suggested an amateur
water-cure establishment returning thanks for basins of gruel, when
suddenly the whole line was startled into suspension of labor by the
appearance of London George, who was waving his hat with one hand and a
red silk handkerchief with the other, while with his left foot he was
performing certain _pas_ not necessary to successful pedestrianism.

"Quicksilver Bar hain't up to snuff--oh, no! Ain't a-catchin' up with
Frisco--not at all! Little Chestnut don't know how to run a saloon, an'
make other shops weep--not in the least--not at all--oh, no!"

"Eh?" inquired half a dozen.

"Don't b'leeve me if you don't want to, but just bet against it 'fore
you go to see--that's all!" continued London George, fanning himself
with his hat.

"George," said Judge Baggs, with considerable asperity, "ef you _are_ an
Englishman, try to speak your native tongue, an' explain what you mean
by actin' ez ef you'd jes' broke out of a lunatic 'sylum. Speak quick,
or I'll fine you drinks for the crowd."

"Just as lieve you would," said the unabashed Briton, "seein'--seein'
Chestnut's got a female--a woman--a lady cashier--there! Guess them San
Francisco saloons ain't the only ones that knows what's what--not any!"

"I don't b'leeve a word of it," said the judge, washing his hands rather
hastily; "but I'll jest see for myself."

Cairo Jake looked thoughtfully on the retreating form of the judge, and
remarked:

"He'll feel ashamed of hisself when he gits thar an' finds he'll hev to
drink alone. Reckon I'll go up, jest to keep him from feelin' bad."

Several others seemed impressed by the same idea, and moved quite
briskly in the direction of Chestnut's saloon.

The judge, protected by his age and a pair of green spectacles, boldly
entered, while his followers dispersed themselves sheepishly just
outside the open door, past which they marched and re-marched as
industriously as a lot of special sentries.

There was no doubt about it. Chestnut had installed a lady at the end of
the bar, and as, between breakfast and dinner, there was but little
business done at the saloon, the lady was amusing herself by weighing
corks and pebbles in the tiny scales which were to weigh the metallic
equivalent for refreshments.

The judge contemplated the arrangements with considerable satisfaction,
a