Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/399



Behold the  bummer  I  An  unlearned  man  of  modest bearing, but  fathomless  cheek. Or if  he  be  a  legal or political  bummer  we  call  him  brick. He, too,  ma}'^ sicken you  with  nauseating  words,  or  be  as  quarrel- some, indolent, insolent,  vicious,  gambling,  drink- ing, fighting, and  dandified  as  any  member  of  the Macaroni club  that  cursed  Vauxhall  gardens. This man never  did  a  day's  work  in  his  life,  never  did  a useful  thing,  never  earned  an  honest  dollar,  never drew an  honest  breath. What he  eats  is  not  his  own ; his own  flesh  and  blood  does  not  belong  to  him. And when  invited  to  partake,  such  invitation  being the ever-present  hope  and  aim  of  earthly  existence, he takes  from  his  mouth  his  tobacco  quid,  as  the  ser pent vomits  its  venom  before  drinking  for  fear  of poisoning  itself

The godless  miners  were  not  more  free  from  super- stition than papist  or  puritan  fanatic. Once a  Texan charlatan, a  tall,  broad-shouldered,  sallow-faced,  livid- looking fellow,  Fletcher  by  name,  dropped  down  on Murphy's,  and  the  worldly  wise  and  cunning  of  that camp were  caught  as  easily  as  mediaeval  Christians. He professed  to  have  discovered  or  invented  a  gold- ometer which  would  direct  the  possessor  unfailingly to gold  deposits,  and  enable  him  to  trace  unerringly the precious  vein  through  all  its  dips  and  curves  and angles, backing  his  statement  by  an  offer  to  bet  one hundred dollars  that  in  ten  minutes  he  would  find  a purse  of  gold  hidden  within  the  limits  of  an  acre  of ground. No one  cared  to  waste  time  over  such trifling; surely  he  should  know  of  what  he  was  talk- ing; show them  where  the  undug  gold  lay,  and  he should  have  his  pay. Every man  there  had  indulged in some  little  pet  necromancy  of  his  own  conjuring which had  cost  far  more  than  this ;  they  could  but lose. And so  the  Texan  wizard  bled  them. Takintr his magical  instrument,  which  consisted  of  a  metal- mounted wooden  pointer  split  at  one  end  so  as  to  take in the  man's  waist,  he  proceeded  to  the  diggings  be-