"When I was a little chap," proceeded Jim Blair with retrospective deliberation, "I lived in a village on the further side o' the Ohio. Most folks did their business on t'other bank, and went over generally by the eight o'clock ferry in the mornin.' Now, there was two or three that didn't; men whose work lay nigher home, or who went later. But the crowd went over reg'lar at eight. Arter awhile they got awful sot agin them who didn't go over at the same time. There weren't no hell's delights you could think of them fellers didn't lay to the men who didn't travel by the eight boat; and at last, damn me if they didn't want to lynch 'em!" "Lynch 'em for not goin' in the eight boat!" cried the Judge, whose respect for the majesty of the law always asserted itself, as was meet, on hearing any tale of its infringement. Jim Blair nodded. "Not so much, I reckon, for not goin' in the eight boat as for not doin' what other folks did. However, them who ever try to trouble Ches Harding'll have a rough time, I guess." "You think he's sech a game fighter?" inquired Jack Storm with lively interest. "That may be too. But what I meant was, there's them on the Flat who believe in Ches for all his lonesome ways, and won't see him put upon. For my part I reckon he's more sinned against than sinnin'." "I guess you're half right, Jim," admitted Judge Carboy with diplomatic concession; "more'n half right. But mark my words"--and the Judge's voice rose to the orotund swell which denoted his purpose to be more than commonly impressive--"thar'll be the devil's own time on the Flat some day, and that air duck'll be king pin and starter of it. I never know'd no such silent, sulky cuss as that moonin' round but that he kicked up pettikiler h-- in the long run." It will be seen from this that there were differences of opinion respecting Chester Harding at Bullion Flat, and it cannot be denied that there was some reason for it. CHAPTER II. MISS TINSEL. It was in a magnificent theatre that Chester Harding first saw her--a theatre grand in size and tasteful in decoration. It had only lately been opened, and was one of the lions of the Golden City. Harding went there to while away an idle hour, and in order, perhaps, that he might see all there was to be seen before leaving San Francisco. His visit was one of merest chance, and no trifle had seemed lighter in all his California life than his straying that night into the Cosmopolitan Theatre.