ck full of
revolvers and bowie knives. But Jack is always the poor man's friend,
and shabby as he looks, his pockets are always lined with the yellow
boys. He is now here at the station, ever ready to take part in
whatever comes up, whether it be a game of French monte, a frolic, or
to make a foray upon the Indian villages in the mountains, or recover
the emigrants horses. A good story is told of him, of an incident which
transpired a few days ago. He was then over the desert on the Humboldt.
A couple of starved foot packers came across him, and taking Jim from
his wild appearance to be some destitute emigrant as bad off as
themselves, and as misery loves company, hailed him with, "Halloo,
friend, we had better travel in company; you look as if you had seen as
hard times as ourselves." Jack stopped and looked at them until they
came up, when he asked them what they meant. They told him that they
were starving, and had neither provision nor money--"What!" said Jack,
"are you going to starve in this fine country? You are a couple of
d----d fools if you do." They replied that they had no money, and if
they had it would not buy food here. Jack put his hand in his pocket
and pulled out a 10 dollar piece and gave them, telling them to go and
buy some flour. They then started for the river to where there were
some trains in sight, and Jack along with them. They found on the river
a large train, the men of which were feeding flour to their mules.--One
of them walked up to the captain of the train, and stating their
condition and circumstances asked him to _sell_ them some flour. He
refused to do it, telling them he wanted it for his mules. They told
him they were starving, but he replied that he must look out for
himself before he did for other folks, and that they might as well be
off. Jack stood a silent listener to the conversation, but when he
found that the captain would not let them have any flour, he walked up
to him and asked him if he would let the men starve. In reply the
captain made an insulting response, when Jack raised his fist and gave
the captain a blow in the teeth, sprawling him on the ground, and
telling him that he was worse than a d----d digger to refuse starving
men flour, when he could feed it to mules; he left him and went with
the packers to where they succeeded in buying some flour.

Moved our camp up the river six miles to better grass. Saw Bagwell
again; he said that he never came so near perishing