156 MY MEN. 



vicinity of the gold fields, he felt he could not be answer 

 able for the safety of my camp, horses, and mules without 

 two additional men. To this plausible tirade I replied that, 

 as two more men were all he required, and as I wished to 

 have all trouble taken off my hands, in order that I might 

 give my mind up to sport and observation, he might 

 have them, and thus it was settled. The dog waggon, 

 bell tent, &c., capable of comfortably containing nine 

 men, with some additional stores and extra fittings with 

 in the heavy baggage waggon, were then ordered, and I 

 gave Mr Canterall Cantwell would have been his more 

 apt name instructions to explain as follows the condi 

 tions on which I would hire the men : Their wages 

 were to be twenty -five dollars a month each ; any man 

 displeasing me to be paid off at once, and anywhere. They 

 were to bring their own arms and their own blankets, and 

 to take care of and watch my camp, and distinctly to un 

 derstand that, as I intended to do all the sporting part of 

 the journey myself, they were simply hired for work. 

 I heard this fellow Canterall, while I was within earshot, 

 explaining these orders to one of the men very well; 

 but shortly after that he came to feel his way with what 

 he said was " the request of his men," and he asked me 

 "if they might all bring their ponies?" To this I 

 answered very sharply, " No, my horses and mules 

 would be quite enough for ^them to watch and take care 

 of, and therefore I would have no animal in the camp 

 that was not my property." He then set about packing 

 and arranging the baggage waggon, while I instituted 

 inquiries for horses and mules, and expressed myself 

 desirous of having such as were for sale brought for my 

 inspection. 



Of all the wretched animals I ever saw on the same 



