a couple uv old whisky-soaked souls like yourn and Bill Jones’s, which ain’t wuth powder to blow ’em to hell, ’n’ you’d let him go on doin’ it in that old shack of Sal’s ’n’ never make a move. Now, I’m goin’ to rustle round ’n’ dig up dust enough from the boys, and we’ll jest build him a meetin’-house as’ll be a credit to the camp’; ’n’ in a few days the boys hed a good log meetin’-house, built, floored, ’n’ benches in it, ’n’ everythin’.

“The parson was tickled ’most to death. Next they built him a house, ’n’ he ’n’ his pardner moved into it. Then Pete said the gals must go; sed it wuz a dead, rank, snide game to work on the parson ter hev to go down street ’n’ be guyed by them hussies (’n’ they did guy him awful sometimes, too); so the gals they went. Then Pete sed the church had to be properly organised; hed to hev deacons ’n’ churchwardens ’n’ sextons ’n’ things; so Old Bill Jones ’n’ Alabam ’n’ me wuz made deacons, ’n’ Pete ’n’ Five-Ace was churchwardens.

“In a month every last man in camp wuz worryin’ ’bout his future state. Old Bill Jones came into meetin’ one night with his face ’n’ hands washed ’n’ an old black suit on, ’n’ sot down on the anxious bench and ast to be prayed fer. The parson knelt down ’n’ put his arm round him, ’n’ how he did pray! Before he got through, Lucky Barnes, Alabam, ’n’ me wuz on the bench too, ’n’ Pete shoved his Chinaman up the aisle by the collar ’n’ sot him down ’longside o’ me. Pete sed he was high-toned Christian gentleman himself, hed been born ’n’ raised a Christian, ’n’ wuz a senior churchwarden to boot, and that he’d make a Christian of Ah Foo or spoil a Chinaman.

“That parson prayed most powerful that night. As a offhand, rough ’n’ tumble, free ’n’ easy prayer, I never see his beat; he hed the whole aujience in tears, ’n’ you might hev heard Pete’s amens ’n’ glory- halleluyers off to Buller’s Flat. Old Jones wuz a rolling around on the floor ’n’ hollering fer to be saved from the devil before the parson were half finished, ’n’ he made so much noise that Pete hed to fire a bucket uv water over him to quiet him down. That meetin’ wuz so plum full uv the spirit (ez the parson called it) that it never broke up till twelve o’clock, ez Jones’s shift to deal faro begun at twelve.

“There wuz over twenty perfesses that night, not countin’ Pete’s Chinaman, ’n’ next Sunday we hed a big baptism in the crick, ’n’ forty uv us wuz put through. Pete sed he reckoned Ah Foo hed better be put through every day for a week or so, sence he’d always bin a dodgasted heathen, but the parson ’lowed wunst wuz enuff; but he giv’ him an extra dip jest fer luck, ’n’ I never see a more ornery-lookin’ cuss in my life than that Chinese were when he came out.

“The Chinese laundrymen were ast to jine the church, but they wouldn’t savey, ’n’ so Pete ’n’ Five-Ace, Old Bill ’n’ me ’n’ Alabam we waited on ’em ’n’ told ’em to git, ’n’ took ’em down to the crick ’n’ baptized ’em jest fer luck. Pete sed if they stayed Ah Foo ’ud git to backslidin’ fust thing he knowed, ’n’ then where’d his reputation be?

“Waal, stranger, things run along nice ’n’ smooth fer a couple uv months er so till Chris’mus come nigh. The boys hed been a keepin’ mighty straight; there wuzn’t a man in camp that drinked more’n wuz hullsome fer him; there hedn’t bin a shootin’ scrape fer weeks. Pete sed things wuz gittin’ so all-fired ca’m ’n’ peaceful that he wouldn’t be at all surprised to git up some fine day ’n’ find Ah Foo with wings, ’n’ feathers on his legs like a Bramah hen. Nary a man packed a gun, ’n’ when a gent ’ud forgit ’n’ drop a cuss word he’d beg parding. The parson wuz thick with all the boys. He writ letters for us, advised us about all out biznus, ’n’ knew all about everybody’s affairs. Lots uv ’em gave him their dust-sack to keep fer ’em, ’n’ he knowed where every man hed his cached.

“Along jest afore Chris’mus cum Pete called a meetin’ uv the deacons ’n’ churchwardens down to his place, ’n’ after the sexton (Ah Foo) hed brought in a round of drinks, he sed:

“‘Gents, ez chairman ex-officer in this yer layout, I move that we give the parson a little present fer Chris’mus. Yer know he won’t take a dern cent from us, ’n’ never has. Uv course, he has taken a few thousand from time to time to send to orfings ’n’ things uv that kind, but not a red fer hisself or pard; ’n’ I move that we make him a little present on Chris’mus Day, ’n’ it needn’t be so derned little, either. Gents