Forty-one Thieves / A Tale of California

els of J

would have pleased him better than to lay hands on those highwaymen; but,-thoroughly discouraged at the outlook,-like a true sportsman he enjoyed the humor of betting against himself in the vague hope that such

don't want to hang out a sign, 'John Keeler, Detective.' Ther

, and looked r

I reckon. Those fellows are probably a

be right here in Nevada City. Some of those fellows

careful. That is, I'll appear to be careless. I haven't any inkling

mmins was your partner once; and a better man never lived in Nevada County

two straw men dressed in the dis

ve you a fair idea of the height of those fellows. Mat Bailey was in here the other day to h

up Mrs. Somers, who gave him the names and descriptions of a dozen bad men of Nevada County; and the next day he returned to hunt up some of these same bad men. One of them was O'Leary of You Bet,

there about a couple of rather odd-looking Californians traveling eastward with gold, he often felt that he was on a fool's errand. He fell in with Californians everywhere. If the building of the transcontinental railroad had served no other purpose, it had sent a steady stream of people away from the gold fie

ecognized him also, and for an instant Keeler thought he saw a wild gleam in the man's eye. Then it

arest bar. And Keeler was so much in the humor of the thing that he was soon t

when one offer you a drink

I do," replied

Frenchy. "And what eef yo

slowly shook his head, and

t me there

ily-rather too heartily, Keel

East or

e," replied Kee

dust for capital, this country seems right good. Why, out there in the Sierras, you know as wel

and would be good enough for me. As it is, Califor

any a Saturday night I've seen fellows drop into town with a hundred and fifty d

ss my character won't be ruined. The churches have got star

rnian, "this here is a Christian country, and I

ay-School class," suggested Keeler.

very thing! And I'll shoot

lement, and thought it time to

n swear I've seen you in Nevada C

ornian, as cool as you p

llins had reached Louisville undetected. Had there assumed the character of honest miners, shipped their bullio

ut a few steps across the border into Ohio,-and became a prosperous and respected citizen. He actually associated h

his train sped westward, "There is a sensible miner! One who has safely transferred his money

the incident when Darcy was

at Bailey; but the hot sun of another California summer had stricken down old man Palmer. Keeler mistrusted that something was wrong, as he had not heard from his old f

he narrow gauge railroad, whence, at nine cents a mile, you travel northward to Nevada City. The iron bars on the high, narrow windows of the station, the low whistle of the little engine, like the lon