f blood, but it's allers
from some of their own kind, an' up there by 'emselves. Ef they hed a
grain of public spirit, not to say liberality, they'd do some of their
amusements before the rest of us, instead of gougin' the camp out of
_its_ constitutional amusements. Why, I've knowed the time when I've
held in fur six hours on a stretch, till there could be fellers enough
around to git a good deal of enjoyment out of it."

"They wash out a sight of dust!" growled Lynn Taps, from the
Massachusetts shoe district; "but I never could git one of 'em to put up
an ounce on a game--they jest play by 'emselves, an' keep all their
washin's to home."

"Blarst 'em hall! let's give 'em tickets-o'-leave, an' show em the
trail!" roared Bracelets, a stout Englishman, who had on each wrist a
red scar, which had suggested his name and unpleasant situations. "I
believe in fair play, but I darsn't keep my eyes hoff of 'em
sleepy-lookin' tops, when their flippers is anywheres near their knives,
you know."

"Well, what's to be done to 'em?" demanded Lynn Taps. "All this jawin's
well enough, but jaw never cleared out anybody 'xcep' that time Samson
tried, an' _then_ it came from an individual that wasn't related to any
of _this_ crowd."

"Let 'em alone till next time they git into a muss, an' then clean 'em
all out of camp," said Chagres Charley. "Let's hev it onderstood that
while this camp cheerfully recognizes the right of a gentleman to shoot
at sight an' lay out his man, that it considers stabbin' in the dark's
the same thing as murder. Them's our principles, and folks might's well
know 'em fust as last. Good Lord! what's that?"

All the men started to their feet at the sound of a long, loud yell.

"That's one of 'em now!" ejaculated Mississip, with a huge oath. "Nobody
but a Greaser ken holler that way--sounds like the last despairin' cry
of a dyin' mule. There's only eight or nine of 'em, an' each of us is
good fur two Greasers apiece--let's make 'em git this minnit."

And Mississip dashed out of the door, followed by the other five,
revolvers in hand.

The Mexicans lived together, in a hut made of raw hides, one of which
constituted the door.

The devoted six reached the hut, Texas snatched aside the hide, and each
man presented his pistol at full cock.

But no one fired; on the contrary, each man slowly dropped his pistol,
and opened his eyes.

There was no newly made corpse visible, nor did any Greasers savagely
wave