"Our distinguished friend, speaks truthfully," remarked Nappy Boney, the
only Frenchman in camp, and possessing a nickname playfully contracted
from the name of the first emperor. "_La gloire_ is nothing to them.
Comprehends any one that they know not even of France's most illustrious
son, _le petit caporal_?"

"That's bad, to be sure," said Texas, cutting an enormous chew of
tobacco, and passing both plug and knife; "but that might be overlooked;
mebbe the schools down in Mexico ain't up with the times. What I'm down
on is, they hain't got none of the eddication that comes nateral to a
gentleman, even, ef he never seed the outside of a schoolhouse. Who ever
heerd of one of 'em hevin' a difficulty with any gentleman, at the
saloon or on the crick? They drar a good deal of blood, but it's allers
from some of their own kind, an' up there by 'emselves. Ef they hed a
grain of public spirit, not to say liberality, they'd do some of their
amusements before the rest of us, instead of gougin' the camp out of
_its_ constitutional amusements. Why, I've knowed the time when I've
held in fur six hours on a stretch, till there could be fellers enough
around to git a good deal of enjoyment out of it."

"They wash out a sight of dust!" growled Lynn Taps, from the
Massachusetts shoe district; "but I never could git one of 'em to put up
an ounce on a game--they jest play by 'emselves, an' keep all their
washin's to home."

"Blarst 'em hall! let's give 'em tickets-o'-leave, an' show em the
trail!" roared Bracelets, a stout Englishman, who had on each wrist a
red scar, which had suggested his name and unpleasant situations. "I
believe in fair play, but I darsn't keep my eyes hoff of 'em
sleepy-lookin' tops, when their flippers is anywheres near their knives,