s, who, disguised as foot-pads, had stopped the county
treasurer on the Wingdam road, were jaded from their playful efforts
next morning. The principal physician and lawyer of Monte Flat, who had
entered into an unhallowed conspiracy to compel the sheriff of Calaveras
and his posse to serve a writ of ejectment on a grizzly bear, feebly
disguised under the name of one "Major Ursus," who haunted the groves
of Heavytree Hill, wore an expression of resigned weariness. Even the
editor of "The Monte Flat Monitor," who had that morning written a
glowing account of a battle with the Wipneck Indians, for the benefit
of Eastern readers,--even HE looked grave and worn. When, at last, Abner
Dean of Angel's, who had been on a visit to San Francisco, walked into
the room, he was, of course, victimized in the usual way by one or two
apparently honest questions, which ended in his answering them, and then
falling into the trap of asking another, to his utter and complete shame
and mortification; but that was all. Nobody laughed; and Abner,
although a victim, did not lose his good-humor. He turned quietly on his
tormentors, and said,--

"I've got something better than that--you know old man Plunkett?"

Everybody simultaneously spat at the stove, and nodded his head.

"You know he went home three years ago?" Two or three changed the
position of their legs from the backs of different chairs; and one man
said, "Yes."

"Had a good time, home?"

Everybody looked cautiously at the man who had said, "Yes;" and he,
accepting the responsibility with a faint-hearted smile, said, "Yes,"
again, and breathed hard. "Saw his wife and child--purty gal?" said
Abner cautiously. "Yes," answered the man doggedly. "Saw her photograph,
perhaps?" continued Abner Dean quietly.

The man looked hopelessly around for support. Two or three, who had been
sitting near him, and evidently encouraging him with a look of interest,
now shamelessly abandoned him and looked another way. Henry York flushed
a little, and veiled his gray eyes. The man hesitated, and then with a
sickly smile, that was intended to convey the fact that he was perfectly
aware of the object of this questioning, and was only humoring it from
abstract good feeling, returned, "Yes," again.

"Sent home--let's see--ten thousand dollars, wasn't it?" Abner Dean went
on. "Yes," reiterated the man with the same smile.

"Well, I thought so," said Abner quietly. "But the fact is, you see,
that he ne