e of fair dealing."

Having in this skilful fashion drawn the venom from the fangs of the
mob, he went directly ahead at his sermon, hammering boldly on his major
thesis. He finished in a respectful silence, closed his Bible with a
snap, and strode away through the lane the crowd opened for him.

Truth to tell, there was much in the sermon. Gambling, although
considered one of the respectable amusements, undoubtedly did a great
deal of harm. Men dropped their last cents at the tables. I remember one
young business man who had sold out his share in his firm for ten
thousand dollars in cash and three notes for five thousand each. He had
every intention of taking this little fortune back to his family in the
East, but he began gambling. First, he lost his ten thousand dollars in
cash. This took him just two days. After vacillating another day, he
staked one of the notes, at a discount, of course. This he lost. A
second note followed the first; and everybody confidently expected that
the third would disappear in the same fashion. But Jim Reckett, who was
a very good sort, took this man aside, and gave him a good talking-to.

"You confounded fool," said he, "you're barred from my tables. My advice
to you is to go to your old partners, tell them what an ass you've made
of yourself, and ask them to let you have a few thousand on that last
note. And then you leave on to-day's Panama steamer. And, say, if they
won't do it, you come to me."

The young fellow took this advice.

The Panama steamers were crowded to the rail. Indeed, the exodus was
almost as brisk as the immigration, just at this time of year. A
moderate proportion of those going out had been successful, but the
great majority were disappointed. They were tired, and discouraged, and
homesick; and their minds were obsessed with the one idea--to get back.
We who remained saw them go with considerable envy, and perhaps a good
deal of inner satisfaction that soon we were to follow. Of the thousands
who were remaining in California, those who had definitely and
permanently cast their lot with the country were lost in the crowd. The
rest intended to stay another year, two years, perhaps even three; but
then each expected to go back.

[Footnote A: Broderick actually manufactured coins with face value of $5
and $10 containing but $4 and $8 worth of gold. The inscription on them
was simply that of the date, the location, and the value. They passed
everywhere because the