Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/406



away cities  and  their  contents;  floods  spread  periodic desolation over  the  land,  mining  and  business  ventures were like  staking  money — or  what  was  worse,  time, sinew, health — only  from  the  falling  of  the  dice,  and from that  which  a  man  spent  could  he  expect  to  re- ceive benefit.

Every mining-camp  had  its  Anacreon,  its  jovial  and musical toper,  who  drank  and  sang  in  praise  of  wine and love. Every camp  had  its  ruling  spirits,  careless of the  morrow  if  only  they  might  by  the  magic  of their  gold,  ardently  spiritualized  by  drink,  be  perfectly happy for  to-day,  They  were  as  wild  in  their  beliefs and theories  of  gold-deposits  as  was  Samuel  Lover's fairy-finder,  Darby  Kelleher,  who  threatened  to  make mincemeat of  little  drunken  Doctor  MacFinn,  whom he mistook  for  a  Leprehaun,  if  he  did  not  straightway fill his  chest  with  gold.

It was  a  matter  of  no  small  pride  to  go  back  home successful, and  thousands  remained  and  died  rather than be  seen  by  their  friends  as  poor  as  when  they went away,  "Home  or  the  mines!" was the  watch- word of more  than  one  gambling  venture. There was an Englishman  who,  having  secured  a  bag  of  gold-dust, the result  of  a  summer's  work  in  the  mines,  reached anchorage at  Liverpool  with  his  treasure  in  safety; but on  going  ashore,  the  gang-plank  gave  way,  and he was  precipitated  into  the  water. To save  himself he dropped  his  bag  of  gold,  and  was  never  able  to  re- cover it. Happening to  have  about  him  just  enough to pay  his  fare  to  California,  he  immediately  purchased a ticket,  and  returned  to  the  mines  without  ever  once casting eyes  on  his  old  home,  or  grasping  his  friends by the  hand.

But the  lucky  ones ! How forever  after  by  all  the villagers they  were  held  in  reputation  as  the  bravest and wisest  of  men,  even  as  was  Haddad  Ben  Ahab, who journeyed  to  the  wall  of  the  earth's  end,  and from its  top  gazed  on  the  mysteries  beyond. Yet there were  some  who,  after  a  weary  search  for  great