Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/78

 ble, and

the grizzly  bears,  and  wolves,  and  wild  Indians  more companionable than  civilized  man  with  his  detestable prejudices and  tyrannies. Present assisting  on  the works were  eight  good  Indians  from  New  Helvetia, and because  they  would  not  speak  when  spoken  to, the valley  people  did  not  like  their  brethren  of  the mountains, but  called  them  mala  gente,  and  wanted  to kill  them.

Weimer and  his  aborio-inal  mechanics  were  indus- triously employed  in  the  lower  part  of  the  race,  which by this  time  was  nearly  deep  enough  at  that  end. Up near  the  place  where  the  mill-wheel  was  to  be Bigler  was  drilling  into  an  obstinate  boulder. Ben- nett and Scott  were  working  at  the  bench ;  Stephens and Barger  were  hewing  timber;  Smith  and  «1ohn- son were  felling  trees. Near the  men's  cabin,  and close by  where  Bigler  was  blasting,  Brown  was  whip- sawing with  an  Indian. This heathen  was  greatly interested in  affairs,  and  worked  with  a  will ;  for  he had  been  told  that  this  machine  when  finished  would saw out  boards  of  its  own  volition ;  whereat  he  had responded that  it  was  a  lie. It was  as  good  as  a  play to see  this  fellow  when  the  mill  was  first  started  run- ning. He was  "  completely  beaten,"  Bigler  says. " He  lay  on  his  belly,  where  he  could  have  a  fair  view from  the  bank,  but  near  the  saw ;  and  he  lay  there for  two  hours  watching  it.  He  was  taken  with  it, and  said  it  was  wano — Indian  Spanish  for  bueno — and  wanted  to  be  a  sawyer  right  away."

Brown and  Bitxler  were  amusino;  themselves,  while at their  work,  by  quizzing  the  doubting  aboriginal  in the  saw-pit  respecting  supernatural  agency  in  the handling of  saw-logs,  when  they  were  approached  by a  3^Qung  Indian  who  requested  them  to  get  him  a  tin plate, at  once,  for  Mr  Marshall,  who  was  at  the  lower end of  the  race  with  Weimer. Brown jumped  off from the  log,  and  brought  from  the  cabin  the  plate, wonderino; meanwhile  what  Marshall  could  want  with the thing. When about  to  quit  work  for  the  night,