The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales

It was toward the close of a bright October day. The last rays of the setting sun were reflected from one of those sylvan lakes peculiar to the Sierras of California. On the right the curling smoke of an Indian village rose between the columns of the lofty pines, while to the left the log cottage of Judge Tompkins, embowered in buckeyes, completed the enchanting picture. Although the exterior of the cottage was humble and unpretentious, and in keeping with the wildness of the landscape, its...