Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/268



esty, it  was  becoming  really  unsafe  in  California  to profess  or  practice  virtue  too  boldly. It was  safe  to display  only  one's  vices. And it  is  safe  to  say  that since ante-Csesarian  days,  for  a  time  three  of  the Latin deities  at  least  were  nowhere  more  devoutly worshipped than  liere  :  Plutus,  Venus,  and  Bacchus, each one  of  whom  was  known  to  have  ])ut  to  death thousands  of  human  beings  without  a  license.

Now and  then  was  one  as  lucky  as  Barney  O'Bier- don, who,  when  he  was  lost  at  sea,  got  himself  paid for piloting  the  ship  that  showed  him  the  way  home. Others were  obliged  to  live  like  plovers,  that  is  to  say on little  else  tlian  wind,  yet  all  the  while  as  sure  of discovering  treasure  by  means  of  their  superior  knowl- edge or luck  as  was  William  Legrand  by  his  scara- hmis, or  gold-bug  indicator. Many would  have turned schoolmasters  like  the  younger  Virginia  scions upon the  bursthig  of  the  Alabama  bubble,  but  unfor- tunately there were  no  children  to  be  taught. It takes time  and  sex  to  make  men,  or  even  youth  for discipline.

They had  no  time  for  law. Cases were  decided  by the  pistol  beforehand  and  tried  afterwards. The most insignificant quarrels  were  settled  by  a  resort  to  arms, frequently resulting  in  the  murder  of  one  of  the  par- ties, the survivor  finding  it  often  easier  to  obtain  an  ac- quittal for the  crime  of  murder  than  some  simple  mat- ter of justice  hi  the  courts. Whenever a  murderer chose to  come  forv/ard  and  stand  trial  he  was  almost sure to  be  acquitted  on  the  ground  of  self-defence, though he  who  touched  his  neighbor's  ]3roperty  was hunted and  hanged. In politics  they  were  as  dispu- tatious as the  Athenians.

Rude men  formed  into  a  new  and  crude  society, seize the  few  pleasures  that  first  present  themselves, and if  these  are  of  a  lower  order  than  hitherto  have been in  accordance  with  the  habits  and  tastes  of -some of them,  the  more  refined  soon  sink  to  the  level  of the  rest,  and  accept  with  thankfulness  a