Again
the scientific law already pointed out prevailed. With the shock of
the onset the entire contents of the cart arose and poured over the
astonished miner, burying him from sight. In any other but a Californian
mining-camp such a propensity in a draught animal would have been
condemned, on account of the damage and suffering it entailed, but in
Rocky Canyon it proved unprofitable to the owner from the very
amusement and interest it excited. Miners lay in wait for Billy with
a "greenhorn," or new-comer, whom they would put up to challenge the
animal by some indiscreet gesture. In this way hardly a cartload of
"pay-gravel" ever arrived safely at its destination, and the unfortunate
M'Ginnis was compelled to withdraw Billy as a beast of burden. It
was whispered that so great had his propensity become, under repeated
provocation, that M'Ginnis himself was no longer safe. Going ahead
of his cart one day to remove a fallen bough from the trail, Billy
construed the act of stooping into a playful challenge from his
master,--with the inevitable result.
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