ouble about
that, mister; but jine with us a free heart, and run our injine for us,
and we'll be downright glad, I guess!"

"That we will, sure!" chorussed the miners in a body, with a shout. And
so, pressed with a rough but hearty cordiality, Ernest Wilton consented
to be a member of the mining party in the same frank spirit, and was now
saluted as one of the Minturne Creek adventurers in a series of ringing
cheers that made the hill-sides echo again, and the cavernous canon
sound the refrain afar.

Jasper and Josh, now quite reconciled after some "little bit of
unpleasantness" between them, that had resulted in operations tending
towards a lowering of the wool crop, as far as each was personally
concerned, were unfeignedly glad the rather prolonged conference was
over. They had been gazing at the group gathered around the young
Englishman with a sort of puzzled wonder, and listening to what scraps
of conversation they chanced to overhear, without being able to make out
what the matter was about, with feelings of mingled expectancy and
impatience at the length of the debate. But, now it was all settled, as
they could see from the dispersal of the group, their joy was great,
especially that of Master Jasper, who felt his dignity hurt, as a former
steward and present butler in ordinary, on account of the neglect paid
to his intimation that the viands were ready and "dinner served!"

"Hooray!" shouted out Josh, throwing up his battered straw-hat into the
air, and capering round the improvised caboose, in response to the
miners' ringing cheers on Ernest's consent to join the party and act as
engineer of the mine. "Me berry glad Massa Britisher now am one of us,
for sure! Golly, we nebbah hab to put up with dat nasty salt pork no
more now, yup, yup! Massa Britisher um berry good shot, su-ah! Um
shoot tree sheep at one go. Golly, Jasper, you no laugh. I tell you
for true!"--And the negro cook grinned himself, to the full extent of
his wide mouth and glistening ivory teeth, while administering this
rebuke to his darkey brother.

"Shoo! go way wid yer nonsenz, and don't bodder me," responded the
hungry and aggrieved Jasper, who did not appreciate the joke, the young
Englishman's humorous mistake as to the result of his rifle-shot not
having yet been promulgated for the benefit of those in camp. "Am none
ob you gentlemens comin' to dinnah, hey?"--he called out more
loudly,--"Massa Rawlins me tellee hab tings ready