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Only when I looked that outfit over, and saw they was only two of them and six of these jabbering keskydees, why, I jest nat'rally wondered whether it was by and according to the peace and dignity of this camp to mix up in that kind of a muss. I should think they ought to be capable of doin' their own ejecting." A discussion arose on this point.
Their ignorance of English together with their national clannishness caused them to stick together in communities. They soon became known as Keskydees. Very few people knew why. It was merely the frontiersmen's understanding of the invariable French phrase "Qu'est-ce qu'il dit?"
Most of the men were hugely amused; but some few were so disgusted at having been fooled that they were almost inclined to take it as a personal affront that we had not made the expected "strike." "You'd think they was a bunch of confounded Keskydees," growled one of them. The miners slowly dispersed, returning to their own diggings.
A very tall, quiet, slow moving man arose, aimed his tobacco juice at a small tree, drawled out the words, "All right, Jedge," and departed, trailed by a half dozen jabbering keskydees, to whom he paid not the slightest attention.
Then I learned that most of them were prize winners in a series of lotteries, called the Lotteries of the Golden Ingot. The prizes were passages to California, and the lotteries were very popular. The French, or keskydees, as they were universally called, always went about in gangs, while the other nationalities were more inclined to amalgamate with the rest of the community.
"It looks like we're in the hole," he admitted, "and have got to do something. Now, I tell you what I'm going to do: I'm going to have Jim here give these keskydees blank warrants that they can serve themselves, and to suit themselves." This ingenious solution was very highly commended. "Unless somebody else has something to bring up, I guess that's about all," announced Semple.
We saw also a compact little group of dark small men, with bright eyes and quick manners. They held close together and chattered like a lot of magpies. McNally, who had spotted us from afar, informed us that these were "keskydees," and that they always did stick close together. "What are 'keskydees'?" I asked him. "That's what everybody calls them," said McNally.
We then and there decided, almost unanimously, to follow Shirttail. "Now," resumed Semple, after this matter had been disposed of, "there's a bunch of these yere keskydees around throwin' assorted duckfits all this morning; and as near as I can make out they say somebody's jumped their claim or their camp, or something. Jim, supposin' you and your tin star saunter down and eject these jumpers."
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