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
