of the wildest conjecture. I've been laying around town here
hating myself to death, thinking perhaps I could sell some shares
in a mine that we'll find yet, if we have good luck. If you want
to go wild-catting over the hills and far away, I'm your
huckleberry.'

"'That hits me all right,' says I. 'For, what I don't know about
mining, nobody don't know. When do we start?'

"'This, or any other minute,' says he, getting up from the table.

"'Wait till I finish up these eggs,' says I. 'And there's a matter
of one drink coming to me outside--I may as well put that where it
won't harm any one else before we start.'

"'All right!' says he, waving his hand. 'You'll find me
outside--at your pleasure, sir.'

"I swallered the rest of my breakfast whole and hustled out to the
bar, where my friend and the Hotel-man was waiting. 'Now I'll take
that drink that's coming, and rather than be small about it, I'll
buy one for you too, and then we're off,' says I.

"'You won't do no such thing,' says the Hotel-man. 'It's a horse
on me, and I'll supply the liquor. Mr. Jones is in the play as
much as anybody.'

"So the Hotel-man set 'em up, and that made one drink. Then Jones
said he'd never let a drink suffer from lonesomeness yet when he
had the price, and that made two drinks. I had to uphold the