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,
