rty-niners like us, or
ordinary greenhorns, ain't allowed to see the difficulties they've got
to go through before reaching a strike. Mighty cute, ain't it? It's
to be made life-size,--that is, about the size of a girl of that kind,
don't you see?" he explained somewhat vaguely, "and will look powerful
fetchin' standin' onto a pedestal in the hall of the hotel." In reply to
some further cautious inquiry as to the exact details of the raiment
and of any possible shock to the modesty of lady guests at the hotel, he
replied confidently, "Oh, THAT'S all right! It's the regulation uniform
of goddesses and angels,--sorter as if they'd caught up a sheet or a
cloud to fling round 'em before coming into this world afore folks;
and being an allegory, so to speak, it ain't as if it was me or you
prospectin' in high water. And, being of bronze, it"--

"Looks like a squaw, eh?" interrupted a critic, "or a cursed Chinaman?"

"And if it's of metal, it will weigh a ton! How are we going to get it
up here?" said another.

But here Mr. Trigg was on sure ground. "I've ordered it cast holler,
and, if necessary, in two sections," he returned triumphantly. "A child
could tote it round and set it up."

Its arrival was therefore looked forward to with great expectancy when
the hotel was finished and occupied by the combined Excelsior companies.
It was to come from New York via San Francisco, where, however,
there was some delay in its transshipment, and still further delay at
Sacramento. It finally reached the settlement over the new wagon
road, and was among the first freight carried there by the new
express company, and delivered into the new express office. The
box--a packing-case, nearly three feet square by five feet long--bore
superficial marks of travel and misdirection, inasmuch as the original
address was quite obliterated and the outside lid covered with corrected
labels. It was carried to a private sitting-room in the hotel, where
its beauty was to be first disclosed to the president of the united
companies, three of the committee, and the excited and triumphant
purchaser. A less favored crowd of members and workmen gathered
curiously outside the room. Then the lid was carefully removed,
revealing a quantity of shavings and packing paper which still hid the
outlines of the goddess. When this was promptly lifted a stare of blank
astonishment fixed the faces of the party! It was succeeded by a quick,
hysteric laugh, and then a dea