“The only money in the county was right there,” answered the Virginian. “It was a dead county, and only frawgs was movin’. But that business was a-fannin’ to beat four of a kind. It made yu’ feel strange at first, as I said. For all the men had been cattle-men at one time or another. Till yu’ got accustomed, it would give ’most anybody a shock to hear ’em speak about herdin’ the bulls in a pasture by themselves.” The Virginian allowed himself another smile, but became serious again. “That was their policy,” he explained. “Except at certain times o’ year they kept the bulls separate. The Fish Commission told ’em they’d better, and it cert’nly worked mighty well. It or something did--for, gentlemen, hush! but there was millions. You’d have said all the frawgs in the world had taken charge at Tulare. And the money rolled in! Gentlemen, hush! ’twas a gold mine for the owners. Forty per cent they netted some years. And they paid generous wages. For they could sell to all them French restaurants in San Francisco, yu’ see. And there was the Cliff House. And the Palace Hotel made it a specialty. And the officers took frawgs at the Presidio, an’ Angel Island, an’ Alcatraz, an’ Benicia. Los Angeles was beginnin’ its boom. The corner-lot sharps wanted something by way of varnish. An’ so they dazzled Eastern investors with advertisin’ Tulare frawgs clear to New Orleans an’ New York. ’Twas only in Sacramento frawgs was dull. I expaict the California legislature was too or’n’ry for them fine-raised luxuries. They tell of one of them senators that he raked a million out of Los Angeles real estate, and started in for a bang-up meal with champagne. Wanted to scatter his new gold thick an’ quick. But he got astray among all the fancy dishes, an’ just yelled right out before the ladies, ‘Damn it! bring me forty dollars’ worth of ham and aiggs.’ He was a funny senator, now.” The Virginian paused, and finished eating a leg. And then with diabolic art he made a feint at wandering to new fields of anecdote. “Talkin’ of senators,” he resumed, “Senator Wise--” “How much did you say wages were at Tulare?” inquired one of the Trampas faction. “How much? Why, I never knew what the foreman got. The regular hands got a hundred. Senator Wise--” “A hundred a MONTH?” “Why, it was wet an’ muddy work, yu’ see. A man risked rheumatism some. He risked it a good deal. Well, I was going to tell about Senator Wise. When Senator Wise was speaking of his visit to Alaska--” “Forty per cent, was it?” said Trampas. “Oh, I must call my wife,” said the traveller behind me. “This is what I came West for.” And he hurried away. “Not forty per cent the bad years,” replied the Virginian. “The frawgs had enemies, same as cattle. I remember when a pelican got in the spring pasture, and the herd broke through the fence--” “Fence?” said a passenger.