Bythistimewearedrawingneartotheappointedspot。I
mountuponthebridge，theobservedofallobservers。
“Captain。”Isay，inclear，emphatictones，heardfarandwide，“themajorityofthecompanyappeartobeinfavourofthelittlecovebeyondOneTreePoint。”
“Allright，Mr。Dodd。”respondsthecaptain，heartily；“allonetome。Iamnotexactlysureoftheplaceyoumean；butjustyoustayhereandpilotme。”
Ido，pointingwithmywand。Idopilothim，totheinexpressibleentertainmentofthepicnic；forIamwhyshouldIdenyit？thepopularman。Weslowdownoffthemouthofagrassyvalley，wateredbyabrook，andsetinpinesandredwoods。Theanchorisletgo；theboatsarelowered，twoofthemalreadypackedwiththematerialsofanimpromptubar；
andthePioneerBand，accompaniedbytheresplendentasses，filltheother，andmoveshorewardtotheinvitingstrainsofBuffaloGals，won’tyoucomeoutto-night？Itisapartofourprogrammethatoneoftheassesshall，fromsheerclumsiness，inthecourseofthisembarkation，dropadummyaxeintothewater，whereuponthemirthofthepicniccanhardlybeassuaged。Upononeoccasion，thedummyaxefloated，andthelaughturnedratherthewrongway。
Infromtentotwentyminutestheboatsarealong-sideagain，themessesaremarshalledseparatelyonthedeck，andthepicnicgoesashore，tofindthebandandtheimpromptubarawaitingthem。Thencomethehampers，whicharepileduponthebeach，andsurroundedbyasternguardofstalwartasses，axeonshoulder。ItishereItakemyplace，note-bookinhand，underabannerbearingthelegend，“Comehereforhampers。”
Eachhampercontainsacompleteoutfitforaseparatetwenty，coldprovender，plates，glasses，knives，forks，andspoons：anagonizedprintedappealfromthefeveredpenofPinkerton，pastedontheinsideofthelid，beseechesthatcarebetakenoftheglassandsilver。Beer，wine，andlemonadeareflowingalreadyfromthebar，andthevariousclansoftwentyfileawayintothewoods，withbottlesundertheirarms，andthehampersstrunguponastick。Tillonetheyfeastthere，inaverymoderateseclusion，allbeingwithinearshotoftheband。Fromonetillfour，dancingtakesplaceuponthegrass；thebardoesaroaringbusiness；andthehonorarysteward，whohasalreadyexhaustedhimselftobringlifeintothedullestofthemesses，mustnowindefatigablydancewiththeplainestofthewomen。
Atfourabugle-callissounded；andbyhalf-pastbeholdusonboardagain，pioneers，corrugatedironbar，emptybottles，andall；whilethehonorarysteward，freeatlast，subsidesintothecaptain’scabinoverabrandyandsodaandabook。Freeatlast，Isay；yetthereremainsbeforehimthefranticleavetakingsatthepier，andasoberjourneyuptoPinkerton’sofficewithtwopolicemenandtheday’stakingsinabag。
WhatIhaveheresketchedwastheroutine。ButweappealedtothetasteofSanFranciscomoredistinctlyinparticularfetes。
“YeOldeTimePycke-Nycke。”largelyadvertisedinhand-billsbeginning“Oyez，Oyez！”andlargelyfrequentedbyknights，monks，andcavaliers，wasdrownedoutbyunseasonablerain，andreturnedtothecityoneofthesaddestspectaclesIeverremembertohavewitnessed。Inpleasingcontrast，andcertainlyourchiefsuccess，was“TheGatheringoftheClans。”
orScottishpicnic。Somanymilk-whitekneeswereneverbeforesimultaneouslyexhibitedinpublic，andtojudgebytheprevalenceof“RoyalStewart“andthenumberofeagle’sfeathers，wewereahigh-borncompany。IthrewforwardtheScottishflankofmyownancestry，andpassedmusterasaclansmanwithapplause。Therewas，indeed，butonesmallcloudonthisred-letterday。Ihadlaidinalargesupplyofthenationalbeverage，intheshapeofThe“RobRoyMacGregorO“Blend，WarrantedOldandVatted；andthismustcertainlyhavebeenagenerousspirit，forIhadsomeanxiousworkbetweenfourandhalf-past，conveyingonboardtheinanimateformsofchieftains。
Tooneofourordinaryfestivities，wherehewasthelifeandsoulofhisownmess，Pinkertonhimselfcameincognito，bringingthealgebraistonhisarm。MissMamieprovedtobeawell-enough-lookingmouse，withalarge，limpideye，verygoodmanners，andaflowofthemostcorrectexpressionsI
haveeverhearduponthehumanlip。AsPinkerton’sincognitowasstrict，Ihadlittleopportunitytocultivatethelady’sacquaintance；butIwasinformedafterwardsthatsheconsideredme“thewittiestgentlemanshehadevermet。”“TheLordmendyourtasteinwit！”thoughtI；butIcannotconcealthatsuchwasthegeneralimpression。OneofmypleasantriesevenwenttheroundofSanFrancisco，andIhavehearditmyselfallunknownbandiedinsaloons。Tobeunknownbeganatlasttobearareexperience；abustlewokeuponmypassage；aboveall，inhumbleneighbourhoods。“Who’sthat？”
onewouldask，andtheotherwouldcry，“That！Why，DromedaryDodd！”or，withwitheringscorn，“NotknowMr。
DoddofthePicnics？Well！”andindeedIthinkitmarkedaratherbarrendestiny；forourpicnics，ifatriflevulgar，wereasgayandinnocentastheageofgold；Iamsurenopeopledivertthemselvessoeasilyandsowell：andevenwiththecaresofmystewardship，Iwasoftenhappytobethere。
Indeed，therewerebuttwodrawbacksintheleastconsiderable。
Thefirstwasmyterrorofthehobbledehoygirls，towhomfromthedemandsofmysituationIwasobligedtolaymyselfsoopen。Theother，iflessmomentous，wasmoremortifying。
Inearlydays，atmymother’sknee，asamanmaysay，IhadacquiredtheunenviableaccomplishmentwhichIhaveneversincebeenabletoloseofsinging_JustbeforetheBattle。_I
havewhattheFrenchcallafilletofvoice，mybestnotesscarceaudibleaboutadinner-table，andtheupperregisterrathertoberegardedasahigherpowerofsilence：expertstellmebesidesthatIsingflat；nor，ifIwerethebestsingerintheworld，does_JustbeforetheBattle_occurtomymaturetasteasthesongthatIwouldchoosetosing。Inspiteofallwhichconsiderations，atonepicnic，memorablydull，andafterIhadexhaustedeveryotherartofpleasing，Igave，indesperation，myonesong。Fromthathourmydoomwasgoneforth。EitherwehadachronicpassengerthoughIcouldneverdetecthim，ortheverywoodandironofthesteamermusthaveretainedthetradition。AteverysuccessivepicnicwordwentroundthatMr。
Doddwasasinger；thatMr。Doddsang_JustbeforetheBattle_，andfinallythatnowwasthetimewhenMr。Doddsang_JustbeforetheBattle；_sothatthethingbecameafixturelikethedroppingofthedummyaxe，andyouaretoconceiveme，SundayafterSunday，pipingupmylamentabledittyandcovered，whenitwasdone，withgratuitousapplause。
ItisabeautifultraitinhumannaturethatIwasinvariablyofferedanencore。
Iwaswellpaid，however，eventosing。PinkertonandI，afteranaverageSunday，hadfivehundreddollarstodivide。Nay，andthepicnicswerethemeans，althoughindirectly，ofbringingmeasingularwindfall。Thiswasattheendoftheseason，afterthe“GrandFarewellFancyDressGala。”Manyofthehampershadsufferedseverely；anditwasjudgedwisertosavestorage，disposeofthem，andlayinafreshstockwhenthecampaignre-
opened。AmongmypurchaserswasaworkingmanofthenameofSpeedy，towhosehouse，afterseveralunavailingletters，I
mustproceedinperson，wonderingtofindmyselfonceagainonthewrongside，andplayingthecreditortosomeoneelse’sdebtor。Speedywasinthebelligerentstageoffear。Hecouldnotpay。Itappearedhehadalreadyresoldthehampers，andhedefiedmetodomyworst。Ididnotliketolosemyownmoney；IhatedtolosePinkerton’s；andthebearingofmycreditorincensedme。
“Doyouknow，Mr。Speedy，thatIcansendyoutothepenitentiary？”saidI，willingtoreadhimalesson。
Thedireexpressionwasoverheardinthenextroom。Alarge，fresh，motherlyIrishwomanranforthupontheinstant，andfelltobesiegemewithcaressesandappeals。“Surenow，andyecouldn’thavethehearttout，Mr。Dodd，you，that’ssowellknowntobeapleasantgentleman；andit’sapleasantfaceyehave，andthepictureofmeownbrotherthat’sdeadandgone。
It’satruththathe’sbeendrinking。Yecansmellitoffofhim，moreblametohim。But，indade，andthere’snothinginthehousebeyontthefurnicher，andThimStock。It’sthestockthatye’llbetaking，dear。Asorepennyithascostme，firstandlast，andbyalltales，notworthanowldtobaccopipe。”Thusadjured，andsomewhatembarrassedbythesternattitudeIhadadopted，Isufferedmyselftobeinvestedwithaconsiderablequantityofwhatiscalledwild-catstock，inwhichthisexcellentifillogicalfemalehadbeensquanderingherhard-earnedgold。
Itcouldscarcebesaidtobettermyposition，butthestepquietedthewoman；and，ontheotherhand，IcouldnotthinkI
wastakingmuchrisk，forthesharesinquestiontheywerethoseofwhatIwillcalltheCatamountSilverMinehadfallensometimebeforetothebed-rockquotation，andnowlayperfectlyinert，orwereonlykickedlikeotherwastepaper
aboutthekenneloftheexchangebybankruptspeculators。
Amonthortwoafter，Iperceivedbythestock-listthatCatamounthadtakenabound；beforeafternoon，“thimstock“
wereworthaquiteconsiderablepotofmoney；andIlearned，uponinquiry，thatabonanzahadbeenfoundinacondemnedlead，andtheminewasnowexpectedtodowonders。
Remarkabletophilosophershowbonanzasarefoundincondemnedleads，andhowthestockisalwaysatfreezing-pointimmediatelybefore！Bysomestrokeofchancethe，Speedyshadheldontotherightthing；theyhadescapedthesyndicate；
yetalittlemore，ifIhadnotcometodunthem，andMrs。
Speedywouldhavebeenbuyingasilkdress。Icouldnotbear，ofcourse，toprofitbytheaccident，andreturnedtoofferrestitution。Thehousewasinabustle；theneighboursallstock-gamblersthemselveshadcrowdedtocondole；andMrs。
Speedysatwithstreamingtears，thecentreofasympatheticgroup。“ForfifteenyearI’vebeenatut。”shewaslamenting，asIentered，“andgrudgingthebabestheverymilk，moreshametome！topaytheirdhirtyassessments。Andnow，mydears，I
shouldbealady，anddrivinginmycoach，ifallhadtheirrights；andasorrowonthatmanDodd！AssoonasIseteyesonhim，Iseenthedivilwasinthehouse。”
ItwasuponthesewordsthatImademyentrance，whichwasthereforedramaticenough，thoughnothingtowhatfollowed。
ForwhenitappearedthatIwascometorestorethelostfortune，andwhenMrs。Speedyaftercopiouslyweepingonmybosom
hadrefusedtherestitution，andwhenMr。SpeedysummonedtothatendfromacampoftheGrandArmyoftheRepublic
hadaddedhisrefusal，andwhenIhadinsisted，andtheyhadinsisted，andtheneighbourshadapplaudedandsupportedeachofusinturn；andwhenatlastitwasagreedweweretoholdthestocktogether，andsharetheproceedsinthreeparts——oneforme，oneforMr。Speedy，andoneforhisspouse——Iwillleaveyoutoconceivetheenthusiasmthatreignedinthatsmall，bareapartment，withthesewing-machineintheonecorner，andthebabesasleepintheother，andpicturesofGarfieldandtheBattleofGettysburgontheyellowwalls。Portwinewashadinbyasympathiser，andwedrankitmingledwithtears。
“AndIdhrinktoyourhealth，mydear。”sobbedMrs。Speedy，especiallyaffectedbymygallantryinthematterofthethirdshare；“andI’msurewealldhrinktohishealth——Mr。Doddofthepicnics，nogentlemanbetterknownthanhim；andit’smyprayer，dear，thegoodGodmaybelongsparedtoseeyeinhealthandhappiness！”
IntheendIwasthechiefgainer；forIsoldmythirdwhileitwasworthfivethousanddollars，buttheSpeedysmoreadventurouslyheldonuntilthesyndicatereversedtheprocess，whentheywerehappytoescapewithperhapsaquarterofthatsum。Itwasjustaswell；forthebulkofthemoneywasinPinkerton’sphrasereinvested；andwhennextIsawMrs。
Speedy，shewasstillgorgeouslydressedfromtheproceedsofthelatesuccess，butwasalreadymoistwithtearsoverthenewcatastrophe。“We’refrozeout，medarlin’！Allthemoneywehad，dear，andthesewing-machine，andJim’suniform，wasintheGoldenWest；andthevipershasputonanewassessment。”
Bytheendoftheyear，therefore，thisishowIstood。IhadmadeByCatamountSilverMine。$5，000
Bythepicnics。3，000
Bythelecture。600
ByprofitandlossoncapitalinPinkerton’sbusiness。1，350
towhichmustbeaddedWhatremainedofmygrandfather’sdonation。8，500
Itappears，ontheotherhand，thatIhadspent。4，000
Whichthusleftmetothegood。$14，450
AresultonwhichIamnotashamedtosayIlookedwithgratitudeandpride。Someeightthousandbeinglateconquest
wasliquidandactuallytractileinthebank；therestwhirledbeyondreachandevensightsaveinthemirrorofabalance-