In this way Sandy Bar began to accept the enmity of the former partners as a lifelong feud, and the fact that they had ever been friends was forgotten.  The few who expected to learn from the trial the origin of the quarrel were disappointed.  Among the various conjectures, that which ascribed some occult feminine influence as the cause was naturally popular, in a camp given to dubious compliment of the sex.  “My word for it, gentlemen,” said Colonel Starbottle, who had been known in Sacramento as a Gentleman of the Old School, “there’s some lovely creature at the bottom of this.”  The gallant Colonel then proceeded to illustrate his theory, by divers sprightly stories, such as Gentlemen of the Old School are in the habit of repeating, but which, from deference to the prejudices of gentlemen of a more recent school, I refrain from transcribing here.  But it would appear that even the Colonel’s theory was fallacious.  The only woman who personally might have exercised any influence over the partners was the pretty daughter of “old man Folinsbee,” of Poverty Flat, at whose hospitable house—­which exhibited some comforts and refinements rare in that crude civilization—­both York and Scott were frequent visitors.  Yet into this charming retreat York strode one evening, a month after the quarrel, and, beholding Scott sitting there, turned to the fair hostess with the abrupt query, “Do you love this man?” The young woman thus addressed returned that answer—­at once spirited and evasive—­which would occur to most of my fair readers in such an exigency.  Without another word, York left the house.  “Miss Jo” heaved the least possible sigh as the door closed on York’s curls and square shoulders, and then, like a good girl, turned to her insulted guest “But would you believe it, dear?” she afterward related to an intimate friend, “the other creature, after glowering at me for a moment, got upon its hind legs, took its hat, and left, too; and that’s the last I’ve seen of either.”

The same hard disregard of all other interests or feelings in the gratification of their blind rancor characterized all their actions.  When York purchased the land below Scott’s new claim, and obliged the latter, at a great expense, to make a long detour to carry a “tail-race” around it, Scott retaliated by building a dam that overflowed York’s claim on the river.  It was Scott, who, in conjunction with Colonel Starbottle, first organized that active opposition to the Chinamen, which resulted in the driving off of York’s Mongolian laborers; it was York who built the wagon-road and established the express which rendered Scott’s mules and pack-trains obsolete; it was Scott who called into life the Vigilance Committee which expatriated York’s friend, Jack Hamlin; it was York who created the “Sandy Bar Herald,” which characterized the act as “a lawless outrage,” and Scott as a “Border Ruffian”; it was Scott, at the head of twenty masked men, who, one moonlight night, threw the offending