“Good-morning, gentlemen,” said Miss Brown, with a cheerful smile, “please be seated.  I suppose you wish to speak of your children?”

Toledo, who was a very young man, blushed, and the whole committee was as uneasy on its feet as if its boots had been soled with fly-blisters.  Finally, Toledo answered: 

“Not much, marm, seein’ we ain’t got none.  Me an’ these gentlemen’s a committee from the boys.”

“From the boys?” echoed Miss Brown.  She had heard so many wonderful things about the Golden State, that now she soberly wondered whether bearded men called themselves boys, and went to school.

“From the miners, washin’ along the crick, marm—­they want to know what they ken do fur yer,” continued Toledo.

“I am very grateful,” said Miss Brown; “but I suppose the local school committee—­”

“Don’t count on them, marm,” interrupted Toledo; “they’re livin’ five miles away, and they’re only the preacher, an’ doctor, an’ a feller that’s j’ined the church lately.  None uv ’em but the doctor ever shows themselves at the saloon, an’ he only comes when there’s a diffikilty, an’ he’s called in to officiate.  But the boys—­the boys hez got the dust, marm, an’ they’ve got the will.  One uv us’ll be in often to see what can be done fur yer.  Good-mornin’, marm.”

Toledo raided his hat again, the other committee-men bowed profoundly to all the windows and seats, and then the whole retired, leaving Miss Brown in the wondering possession of an entirely new experience.

“Well?” inquired the crowd, as the committee approached the creek.

“Well,” replied Toledo, “she’s just a hundred an’ thirty pound nugget, an’ no mistake—­hey, fellers?”

“You bet,” promptly responded the remainder of the committee.

“Good!” said the judge.  “What does she want?”

Toledo’s countenance fell.

“By thunder!” he replied, “we got out ’fore she had a chance to tell us!”

The judge stared sharply upon the young man, and hurriedly turned to hide a merry twitching of his lips.

That afternoon the boys were considerably astonished and scared at seeing the schoolmistress walking quickly toward the creek.  The chairman of the new committee was fully equal to the occasion.  Mounting a rock, he roared: 

“You fellers without no sherts on, git.  You with shoes off, put ’em on.  Take your pants out uv yer boots.  Hats off when the lady comes.  Hurry up, now—­no foolin’.”

The shirtless ones took a lively double-quick toward some friendly bushes, the boys rolled down their sleeves and pantaloons, and one or two took the extra precaution to wash the mud off their boots.

Meanwhile Miss Brown approached, and Toledo stepped forward.

“Anything wrong up at the schoolhouse?” said he.

“Oh, no,” replied Miss Brown, “but I have always had a great curiosity to see how gold was obtained.  It seems as if it must be very easy to handle those little pans.  Don’t you—­don’t you suppose some miner would lend me his pan and let me try just once?”