Page:Life Amongst the Modocs.djvu/60

 Prince

declined. u You must and shall take them as a friend s loan if nothing else. That is, I intend to force you to take these few twenties, and won t take no for an answer."

The Prince took the coins, carelessly dropped them into his pocket, and again tapped the dust with his boot, and looked up at the sun as if he wished to be on his way.

Neither of the men had counted the money, or seemed to take any note of the amount.

The bottle was again uncorked and exchanged. Boston gathered up the reins from the neck of his mule, settled himself in the saddle, stuck his great spurs in the sinch, and the mule struck out, ambling and braying as he went, with his opera-glasses held directly on the river below.

I had not been mentioned, or noticed further. I might have been invisible as air, so far as my presence was concerned, after I declined to take a drink.

California gamblers these, of the old and early type ! And they were men ! There is no doubt of that. They were brave, honest, generous men. But let it be distinctly understood, that the old race is extinct.

These men described were the cream of their call ing, even at that time when gold was plenty and manhood was not rare. Such men were the first to give away their gains, the first to take part in any good enterprise, not too much freighte