lame. He was desperate to think
that he should have been guilty of an act of "such wanton
destructiveness," as he called it,--especially as it was the last fine
tree on the road. He abandoned all idea of dinner, and did nothing
through that fiery noon, when we could hardly stir from the
shade,--which we found farther off,--but rush between the stream near by
and the tree, with his little camp-kettle of water, to try to save it.
He looked back with such a grateful face, as we left the spot, to see
that the flames were smothered. There was something like a child about
him; that is, an uncommon freedom from the wickedness that seems to
belong to most met, certainly the class he is in the habit of
associating with. I doubt if there is one of the men we saw on the
"Forty-nine" who would not have been delighted to burn that tree down;
and how few of them would have thought, as he did, to put the little
pieces of wood that we had to spare, where fuel was scarce, into the
road, so that "some other old fellow, who might chance to come along,
might see them and use them "!

He told us one beautiful story about miners, though, in connection with
the loss of the "Central America." He had a friend on board among the
passengers, who were almost all miners going home. When they all
expected to perish with the vessel, a Danish brig hove in sight, and
came to the rescue. But the passengers could not all be transferred to
her. They filled the ship's boats with their wives and their treasure,
and sent them off; and the great body of them went down with a cheer and
a shout, as the vessel keeled over.

The event of special interest, in our journey home, was our visit to the
Pelouse Fall. We had heard that there was a magnificent fall on the
Pelouse, twelve miles by trail from the wagon-road, which we were very
desirous of seeing; but no one could give us exact directions for
finding it. Our friend the miner wanted very much to see it also; and as
he seemed to have quite an instinct for finding his way, by rock
formations and other natural features of the country, we ventured to
attempt it with him. The little bell-mare, which was a _cayuse_ (Indian)
horse, was offered for my use, and an old Spanish wooden saddle placed
upon her back. I had no bridle; but I had been presented at the fort
with a _hackama_ (a buffalo-hair rope), such as the Indians use with
their horses. This was attached to the head of the horse, so that the
miner could lea