is more, they acted upon the thought. Some
men think, and others work. They did both; and, through their strenuous
efforts, ere the early buds of spring had given a palpable green tinge
to the shrubs and trees that clothed the slopes of the hills and dotted
the valley of Minturne Creek here and there, or the snow had quite
vanished from the topmost mountain peaks, and the river that ran through
the gulch subsided down into its proper proportions, all traces of the
storm ravages had been cleared away, and the snug little camp of the
Boston exploring party looked itself again, "as neat and trim as a new
pin, I reckon!" as Seth Allport said.

The miners themselves allowed, however, that the victory might not have
been theirs had they not had the assistance of a visitor--and that a
most unexpected one, as the spring was not sufficiently advanced to have
cleared away all the snow from the back track to the settlements and
made the roads passable, so as to allow the diggers to return to their
claims on the hills.

Strangers are rare birds amongst the squatters out West, and are
generally regarded with much suspicion by travellers on the prairies and
in the mountain fastnesses.

The rougher part of the restoration of the camp belongings having been
accomplished and not so many hands being now required for the further
repairs needed, while the day was especially fine and suggestive of
"sport," the hunters were out on the hills, under the leadership of Mr
Rawlings, who had proved himself by this time one of the best shots in
camp.

There were other reasons for the hunters' activity besides the fact of
the day being fine and signs of sport apparent.

"The hull crowd, from the Boss down to Sailor Bill, who wouldn't say nay
if he could kinder express himself," as the ex-mate observed before the
setting out of the expedition--"were dog-tired of pork and fixin's,"--
and their stomachs craved after game, or fresh meat of any sort.

Besides their having lived through the whole of the winter on salt pork,
it had not been improved in quality by its contact with the flood-water
that had submerged their cabin at one time; but, whether damaged or not,
it must be acknowledged that even to the most easy-going and contented
palate, a never-varying diet of fried pork and damper cakes--that
resembled somewhat the unleavened bread of the Israelites in their
passage through the wilderness--will prove somewhat wearying and
monotonous in th