"Well, then! Down on the San Joaquin River there was an old chap--one of the earliest settlers--in fact, he'd come on from Oregon before the gold discovery.

His name, dear me!"-- continued Uncle Sylvester, with an effort of memory and apparently beginning already to lose his interest in the story--"was--er--Flint." As Uncle Sylvester paused here, Cousin Jane broke in impatiently.

"Well, that's not an uncommon name.

There was an old carpenter here in your father's time who was called Flint." "Yes," said Uncle Sylvester languidly.

"But there is, or was, something uncommon about it--and that's the point of the story, for in the old time Flint and Gunn were of the same stock." "Is this a Californian joke ?" said Gunn, with a forced smile on his flushed face.