372 Reminiscences of 



clearly that the assemblage stood in appreciative awe 

 of him; and he had undoubtedly a contingent force of 

 railroad employes who could be speedily called upon 

 for aid whenever it might be required. 



He was a noted and remarkable character, this 

 Tucker, as will afterward be seen from what I shall 

 relate of him, as I had occasion to see and leani much 

 of him after becoming well acquainted during my many 

 visits to New Mexico. 



Together we sauntered about more or less, keep- 

 ing well together and on guard, continually followed 

 by hangers-on, and one of our party, Adams, a young 

 man from Springfield, Mass., met with two advent- 

 ures not pleasant. He was somewhat difficult to 

 keep in line, and incautiously entered one of the tents 

 we were passing — where some minerals were displayed 

 on a table near the entrance. The interior was a 

 drinking saloon (which he had not noticed), and 

 no sooner had he entered than a burh' ruffian in- 

 vited him to throw dice for a small sum, which he 

 declined ; and, having satisfied his curiosity, he started 

 to go out, when the ruffian blocked the outlet and 

 said he must stand drinks for the half-dozen inmates. 

 Alarmed, he did so, as the easiest method of escaping, 

 just as we were returning to look for him, and related 

 his amusing experience. Somewhat startled by the 

 occurrence and having several hundred dollars about 

 him, and in anticipation of a possible hold-up, he took 

 out his roll of bills when unobserved, and tucked it 

 down next to his heel in one of his stockings. But we 

 were not held up, and at night when looking for his 

 roll of money he found it had worked out and was 

 lost, and he never saw it again. 



