bt in my mind that nature designed me for a great
painter. A railway director interfered with that design of nature, as he
has with many another of hers, and by the transmission of an order for
mountain pieces by the dozen, together with a cheque so large that I
feared there was some mistake, he determined me to be an illustrator and
designer for railway and like publications. I do not like these people
ordering 'by the dozen.' Why should they not consider an artist's finer
feelings? Perhaps they cannot understand them; but they understand my
pictures, and I understand their cheques, and there we are quits. But
so it came that I remained in Black Rock long enough to witness the
breaking of the League.

Looking back upon the events of that night from the midst of gentle and
decent surroundings, they now seem strangely unreal, but to me then they
appeared only natural.

It was the Good Friday ball that wrecked the League. For the fact that
the promoters of the ball determined that it should be a ball rather
than a dance was taken by the League men as a concession to the new
public opinion in favour of respectability created by the League. And
when the manager's patronage had been secured (they failed to get Mrs.
Mavor's), and it was further announced that, though held in the Black
Rock Hotel ballroom--indeed, there was no other place--refreshments
suited to the peculiar tastes of League men would be provided, it was
felt to be almost a necessity that the League should approve, should
indeed welcome, this concession to the public opinion in favour of
respectability created by the League.

There were extreme men on both sides, of course. 'Idaho' Jack,
professional gambler, for instance, frankly considered that the whole
town was going to unmentionable depths of propriety. The organisation of
the League was regarded by him, and by many others, as a sad retrograde
towards the bondage of the ancient and dying East; and that he could not
get drunk when and where he pleased, 'Idaho,' as he was called, regarded
as a personal grievance.

But Idaho was never enamoured of the social ways of Black Rock. He was
shocked and disgusted when he discovered that a 'gun' was decreed by
British law to be an unnecessary adornment of a card-table. The manner
of his discovery must have been interesting to behold.

It is said that Idaho was industriously pursuing his avocation in
Slavin's, with his 'gun' lying upon the card-table convenient