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Tous les autres axemplaires origlnaux sont filmAs en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la darniira page qui comporte une teile empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la derniAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole -** signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbole V signifie "FIN ". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmte A des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reprodult en un seul ciichA, il est filmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 a 3 4 • 6 GYPSY DAYS. This yolunw is /p)t issued as one claiming general interest. It is compiled from Notes made on the bacli of our Maps, and is mrw printed that my daughter's recollections and associations of our Gipsying Days, when she was from four to seven years of age, may be refreshed. This edition is for her and her friends, is limited to twenty-six copies (one for copy- right), and the type is distributed. This is Number I " The Oaks," Gi^enovia. Jott'S now and she ' be i, IS ^"^^^fs^^is^f^^^^: : g- . v $ ii^>B « lK n^*yrtrv*f^'i-s*'y^m'^''' »« ■,■ 4' k GYPSY DAYS C' )!.( H? \|)< >, C \I 11 Ol' \l •- . 1 1 < >|.' II) \ A \h I III; CA N \ I' \ 111 -^H \ ^ \ , ,... ..-.^. ;-n ,., >n.Mi «.krti^'a.iihi. !'.( )S TON' J. .', Ijiniktan Stvrct A r<»VKll.llT, 1*00, IW I.. WciLIHK-. I.KIIVAKI). Alt rtyhl* rmrrrnl. I' KISS or H>llK.Ks .% AllAMS, II KnAI'H >'T , H«-»M'»>N, MASS. wivi^iWrt-nHManM*.^* J»>*»a™.** GYPSY DAYS. CHAPTER I. After many months of " nervous depression," that most annoying disarrangement of the system that simulates a hundred ailments without yield- ing to the treatment for any, the order came from a physican, wise beyond question, " Go back to semi-civilized life to heal the wear and tear of modern existence, and the enervation of office care >f Banished in this manner from office, home and social surroundings, to the recesses of deep forests, the shadows of canons and the summits of mountain ranges, — all connected with nomadic life immediately assumed commanding interest, 2 arrsY days. to the complete exclusion of the wearying routine of business thought that had become exhausting to mental elasticity. Less than a century ago, nearly all the occu- pants of the iuirrow border lying between the Atlantic Coast and the vast and unknown forests that hid the prairies of the West behind a thousand miles of pathless shadow, were pioneers. They sat before huge, open fives that consumed the trees cut from the new "clearings;" enjoyed venison and trout from the adjacent forest still rich in gifts of nature ; and used furs taken from the "varmints" that worried their flocks. They were hardy yeomen, vigorous, and full of the energy and purpose that has worked such wonders all through a land then hardly dreamed of, _ a domain not suspected by the keenest minds, one hiding under the mantle of wood- lands — by the margin of unknown rivers, amid the mists curling over mountain ranges, and in the mysterious depths of deep ravines — such wealth of mineral, animal, forest and agricultural pro- duct as has since rewarded a vast peoi)le with fortunes like those of necromancy. To these settlers the blaze on the home hearth- stone offered radiated heat as a camp-fire j the GYrSY DAYS. •ying routine s exhausting all the occu- between the nown forests id a thousand leers. They onsumed the s;" enjoyed d forest still . furs taken their flocks. , and full of worked such rdly dreamed the keenest tie of wood- i rivers, amid fes, and in the - such wealth icultural pro- pemile with home hearth- amp-fire; the huge chimney drew away all foul air, while fresh breath whistled through the cracks of window and door unimpeded by double-sash or weather- strip. An electric bell did not in that primitive time summon a servant to put on coal, or turn (m steam, to save a luxurious person from the fatigue of lifting a foot from an art-cushion. Then a few strong blows of the axe, and wood was brought in, accompanied by a whisk of fresh air and a few sparkling snow-flakes, to crackle on the andirons, to warm the folk with wholesome heat. Half the powers of the air, the earth and the Devil had not then been summoned as slaves by science to vex the brain, suffocate the lungs, unstring the nerves, and let unused muscles for- get their purpose until their energy should be lost forever. Gas, coal, steam, electricity, and their increasing kith and kin of light, heat, force and wonder-workers, were minding their own business in unsuspected concealment, and ordinarily when a man wanted anything done, he did it himself : in the present period of mechanical progress and complication, he does not do so if he can com- mand mechanical aid. — We are elevated, con- veyed, transported, lighted, heated, shampooed. Si>^«t-->-i*»^*-^ 4 GYPSY DAYS. half killed and brought to life again by a myriad of mechanical, chemical, electrical and diabolical contrivances, each of which in its evolution has softened many an inventor's brain, and prevented the hardening of the biceps of many a man who knows not the appetite that fresh air and labor formerly supplied, or the sound dreamless sleep that open-air life secures to those who are weary in body but unvexed in mind. But now the keen- edged axe, the steam-driven saw, and the fire from the locomotive, all urged on by eager nervous American haste, have so gnawed, cut and burned away the woodlands that he who seeks a vast contiguity of shade must carry an umbrella between his head and the sun for many miles be- fore the widespread forest silence is found that alone satisfies the nomad woodsman. We should save parts of our glorious forests before they are all gone to the sawmill, or ground into pulp to bear the records of murders and ras- cality that will be printed on fibres torn from pop- lars and cottonwoods that whispered peace only along the wandering streams, before they are used, wasted and destroyed as a spendthrift scatters the fortunes of a productive past. May we not hope that coal, aided by natural gas, will so far ■,« GYPSY DAYS. I myriad iiabolical ition has irevented man who nd labor ess sleep ire weary the keen- fire from nervous ,d burned cs a vast umbrella miles be- )und that us forests or ground s and ras- f rom pop- teace only f are used, 't scatters ly we not vill so far replace wood as a fuel, so cheapen the production of iron and steel and extend their uses as substi- tutes for timber, that we may yet rescue some of the magnificent American forests from the steel of the lumbermen or the more fatal steal of the land- grant railways ? Where to camp is already a vexing question : so rapid and far-reaching has been the continuous invasion of the superb woodlands that — fringed with palms and magnolias on the south, with Cot- tonwood, birch, cedar and willow on the north — were an inheritance from the great past, when nature clothed the land with varied verdure and no offending purpose was known to wreck her handiwork. To the Adirondaeks we have often wandered to revisit scenes that come as welcome and as fresh to memory after many years, as catkins of the pussy willows come after a long winter as har- bingers of spring ; but the lovely lakes and deep forests that lie under the shadows of Mt. Marcy, and the companion peaks, have lost their virgin charms. Forest fires have worked wild havoc, the trout have been carried out salted in barrels by men to -vhom a salt trout was a reminder of cod- fish and as such more valued than the conscious- ,,5^Pfas*WS*i«*f*w*'*«*""'-''' 6 GYPSY DAYS. ness of having left the surphis of good hick to flash their jewelled sides in the amber-colored waters of the woodland, to live, increase, and reward to a proper extent, future ramblers. The deer, too, are few and wary. Hunted in and out of season, with an endless persecution of long- range rifles, powerful lights and hounds, they find little chance to breed ; while in the winter on crust- bound snow they fall before the cupidity of pot hunters for the sake of their skins alone. Ere long little will remain of the noble game animals of our varied land, outside of museums ; and he who seeks rest and recreation, coupled with those stimulating excitements of the chase that render hunters forgetful of fatigue, heedless of danger, regardless of exposure and as hardy as Indians, will have to travel far and wide to find an undevastated domain. It was, perchance, the " missing link " that said so truly that a " monkey knows not the value of his tail untiljie loses it ; " and we will know too well the value of the woodlands when they are cut away, leaving wind-swept, sun-burned barrens, where ver- dure, shade and prattling streams once gave the charms that soothe weariness with softened lights and half-audible silence. j-iii^;T,i i^i* »^>»*te.v d luck to ler-colored ease, and era. lied ill and u of long- , they find r on crust- ity of pot e. able game museums ; iipled with ;hase that eedless of i hardy as ide to find ' that said alue of his w too well ! cut away, where ver- j gave the iued lights CHAPTER II. COLORADO. We had been idling away days at Manitou, gazing at the lofty crags of Pike's Peak, wan- dering through canons, and wondering again and again at the fanciful forms in stone in the Garden of the Gods, when a famous hunter, Mr. Link, came in from South Park with & very ex- citing wagon-load of game : deer, mountain sheep and other noble forest animals. The sight of this load of game so aroused our hunting spirit that we left Manitou in a strong wagon with a constant sky-line of ears appertain- ing to two diminutive mules, and started for a ranche on the Platte River, distance thirty-four miles. The day was clear and crisp, the warm sun had removed all the traces of a recent snow- .^^^^^«»»***"***"*"^"' ' 8 nrrsY days. storm except from shady nooks, and so warm were its rays that our wraps were soon thrown back. Our route was through the famous Ute Pass, then the best of all the entrances to South Park, and an important thoroughfare for mining, In- dian, and Government supply trains. The old time-worn trail has been improved by modern engineering, and a road cut along the rocky sides of the chasm for some miles, opening most beau- tiful scenery. For some twenty miles the ascent was almost constant until at Hayden's Park the road attained an altitude of nine thousand feet and over. Pike's Peak was a constant object of interest on our left, from here not a peak, but a long massive ridge of stone rising in abrupt cliffs. On the sky-line, wreaths of drifting snow showed against the blue like frayed lace-work. The tim- ber line is very strongly marked, all vegetation ceasing at one elevation, no margin of low shrubs gainbg a hold beyond the dark masses of spruce and balsam growth. The forest limit is about twelve thousand feet ; seven thousand feet higher than on the White Mountain range. Ranches ai-e built at nine and ten thousand feet, and snow rarely remains long upon the summit of the pass wiiere exposed to the sun. At lunch-time we ;v. .^swws-^fcs^*! =;«*!**» ^^•■?^#s. .*SMypSiffi?i«*»i**K*=KS&5*»«^«*aa^ " GYPSY DAYS. 9 rt'arra were own back. Ute Pass, 9utli Park, lining, In- The old by modern rocky sides most beau- I the ascent s Park the tusand feet it object of peak, but a brupt cliffs, low showed , The tim- vegetation ; low shrubs !S of spruce lit is about feet higher Ranches ;t, and snow of the pass nch-time we opened our baskets by a clear spring, made a fire for heating our coffee, and sat down to enjoy it on dry ground with no feeling of chill, within six feet of a snow bank that remained from a recent storm. Just as the sun set and the full moon rose, we commenced the descent into the Platte Valley; most enchanting views opening before us of half- wooded plains, surrounded by range upon range of serried mountain lines, all catching the last rays upon their glittering peaks. Guarding each side of the road are huge masses of rock, one upon another, two hundred feet high, rising far above the pines, known as the Twins ; and looking between them the view was one suggesting land- scape gardening, so picturesque were the groups of dark pines, and so clear and broad the sweep of natural lawns. The road was perfect, dry, and as smooth ae those of a park. So we spun along, our mules on the galop, the crisp evening air fresh upon us, until with one lovely view succeed- ing another the day passed away, when under the full moon every romantic feature of the land- scape was enhanced in weird beauty and unreal character. A few small cottages were scattered on the bottom land, where from open doors and ,aHij(cHF.s ^J'm^i^-' .^^jia^«Kfo>v)«yf«*-'* ■»■ ■"- 10 arrsY days. windows flashed the warm rich light of burning pitch pine, reminding us, with its ruddy glow and fragrant smell, of evening views in the South. No impression of recent occupation is received from this peculiar land. The fields are as fair and free from stump or mound as English meadows; the trees stand singly, growing wide and free as trees only grow where there are no rivals for their share of sun and air: while all that art would do in obedience to the dicates of taste, nature has worked out in long centuries, with no eye to admire the graceful results, unless some Indian felt an appeal to his better nature in the widespread beauty. Soon we came upon the Platte River, and were at the door of Mr. Link's ranche, where we un- folded our wraps, and soon were toasting before a huge blaze of pine that filled a wide-throated chimney. The next morning, a fair, bright day, I started on horseback, with Mr. Link, to hunt for deer, leaving the "we" of our party at his ranche. We rode up a wide valley, and after a few miles came upon steep foot hills, mountains in our ideas; and now riding up, now leading our horses over stony banks and ledges where it GYPSY DAYS. 11 ing ind ved Fair lish ide no all of •ies, less turo vere un- fore ated rted leer, iche. niles our our e it seemed beyond the power of a horse to go, we wound our way among scattered pines, carefully scanning the slopes for game. After a time Mr. Link proclaimed deer in view, and levelled his rifle for me to sight them over ; but it was some time before I could see the herd. The air was so clear that the hillside they were on seemed very near, so near that I looked vainly for large forms, and only after close examination saw what looked like rabbits among bushes, really large black-tailed deer among pines, when I realized the distance that was so deceiving. We urged our horses down the hill and along the valley, smash- ing through thickets of willow and quaking asp, eager to get the wind in our favor, well aware that deer are far more dependent upon smell than sight or hearing for warning of danger. When we felt safe in regard to the warning breath of the light wind, we turned up a spur of the hill where the deer were seen, and after a steep pull dismounted, picketed the panting horses, and started to stalk the game we had dis- covered. No more beautiful ground can exist for this sport than these mountains, rising into a crbp high air that stimulates every sense and braces every muscle; where fatigue passes away i^iipj— '«J^ 12 ilVrsY DAYS. after a brief rest and new impulse comes with each hour's effort ; where the rocks and scattered trees afford concealment without shutting in the view, and firm rough ground gives good footing for the scramble ; but it is a fair fight with no favor, and he who gets game must work for it. No hounds can here drive the deer to easy shots from some concealed resting-place, nor can a guide paddle up and hold the deer by the tail until, after many misses, a ball terminates thoir agony of fright. They are as free as air, keen and alert, and their capture calls for guarded but prompt action, united with the hunter's most pro- found strategy. ] Mr. Link was most proficient in the chase of all mountain game, uniting with remarkable physical energy and endurance a great fund of information, enabling him to tell with seeming instinct where game would feed, rest, or run, and he was rarely in error. "These deer," he said, " would work up the mountain, if not around it, before we reach their pass, then to a second spur." To head them we made our ascent as rapidly as we could, halting at times for breath. We were in time ; for in the snow that remained in the shade there were no tracks, and sure OYPSr DAYS. 13 imes with scattered ig in the d footing ; with no ik for it. msy shots DT can a y the tail ates their air, keen irded but most pro- chase of imarkable ; fund of seeming run, and ' he said, round it, a second ascent as r breath, remained and sure that they were below us we full-cocked oiir rifles and cr'jtt alon;K .-^*P»s4j4^-"'- 18 GYPSY DAYS. bison hunt, as I was anxious to see these fine animals, even if unsuccessful in killing them. A novice in Rocky Mountain hunting must expect very unsatisfactory shooting from his arms, however perfect they may be, until he becomes accustomed to the transparent air. Ob- jects are more distant than they seem, and one is always deceived in elevating for long-range distances until practice renders the new atmos- pheric conditions familiar. these fine them, iting must from his !, until he t air. Ob- y\, and one h)ng-range lew atmos- CHAPTER III. COLORADO. Leaving Madame and our daughter, a little gypsy, learning rough life at seven years of age, at Mr. Link's ranche, we set out for an excursion to the move remote and unfrequented mountains of the Tarryall range, whose red peaks were seen distant against the northern sky. Our outfit of tent, saddles, provisions, tools and guns was stowed in a strong wagon, where we found a com- fortable seat on a pile of fur robes and camp blankets. Our horses were not rapid, but were selected for their hunting qualities, steadiness, surefootedness, and willingness to be shot from. A vehement use of condensed vernacular, the vigor- ous use of two whips, and some remarks that might in the distance have sounded quite like a -^itefe^M;^"' v^'>'^'iU'-*^'^'"'j'^»*''^Vi*-' "^'-.r-t^^^^.v^^i^')^ r- .--a^i^v 20 OYPSY DAYS. negro camp-meeting exhortation, at times roused them to a display of " action," and for a few rods produced a speed of a mile in fifteen minutes ; but as we journeyed northward and gained eleva- tion, several inches of snow covered the road, and we were obliged to be patient and spend a good deal of time upon each mile, amusing our- selves as best we could with stories of hunting adventures. Mr. Link's experience was very varied and covered hunting of all kinds, from " birds " in Missouri to grizzly bears in the coast range of California ; and his knowledge of the haunts and habits of animals rendered his detailed stories in- teresting to an unusual degree. Our road was over a series of summits, each higher than the last, with deeper snow and more violent storm, until at last we were obliged to walk and break a path, through which our weary horses dragged the wagon a rod at a time. So thick were the fleecy flakes that it was not safe to get any distance apart, and for a long time it seemed as if we must get under some rocky ledge and remain until the storm should abate. After a long pull we reached a ranche, — a most snug one, — when we gladly abandoned any effort GTPSY DAYS. 21 es roused few rods minutes ; ned eleva- the road, d spend a ising our- F hunting iried and birds" in range of aunts and stories in- nits, each and more obliged to our weary time. So } not safe long time )me rocky uld abate. — a most any effort to go beyond while the storm raged. The night came on with cold wind ; but the following morn- ing was bright and fine, and we were early on our way. The snow was lying light and pure, and as we went along we read on its surface a record of movements of many animals. A stream, Tarryall Creek, half frost-bound, was on our right: to drink from it, the wild animals had come down from the mountains early in the morn- ing after the storm. Here were the footprints of rabbits and hares; again, creeping under the cliffs, two or three wolves had been. From almost inaccessible ledges, wild-cats and lynxes had sprung down, starting balls of snow that rolled along, leaving pretty prints on the white surface. Amid a clump of bushes was recorded the life-struggle of a " cotton-tail " with a wea- sel ; in the trampled snow were the frantic foot- prints of poor puss in her efforts to shake off her deadly foe, and a groove where she had drawn the slender form of the " varmint " whose fangs were in her throat. At another point a " cotton-tail " had been surprised away from his sheltering rocks by an eagle, whose swoops he had evaded by bounds from side to side, until all the snow was quite beaten down. The low dashes of the bird [siHf>^"'k'^''''^-'s^'i^-&'''^'^^'^'-'-^^^'^'^''''^ ■■^rV"; t£:\rit.-ii0f/i*.'7^ .. ■■■'■^hii'H^- 22 GYPSY DAYS. were marked by the strokes of wing tips on the snow, as he headed off every rush of frlglitened bunny ; but we were glad to see no fur or blood on the snow, and presumed the bird was baffled at last. Three varieties of rabbits, or more properly hares, were seen, and a number shot from our wagon. The long-eared " jack," a wary fellow, wonderful in the awkwardness and rapidity of his flight, has some protection in being white in win- ter, as has the " snow-shoe " hare ; but the plump little cotton-tail remains brown, and is a victim to almost all predatory animals, from man to weasels, while owls and hawks haunt his timid life. He sits in implicit stupidity in front of his rocky home, and is so easy to shoot that only his excel- lence in a stew warrants killing him. The snow told tales of other animals, who, independent of night keys, do ramble late. Big bucks had come with high and dainty step to drink ; panthers (" mountjiin lions " ) had stolen along with noise- less but not unrecorded footfall, and coyotes — fearful of all, but more afraid of starvation — had sueaked about, looking for some sick animal or timid hare for sustenance. A few birds braved the cold mountain air, — grouse, magpies, and OYPSY DATS. 38 ips on the frlglitened p or blood «vas baffled B properly from our ary fellow, idity of his lite in win- ; the plump a victim to to weasels, \ life. He his rocky f his excel- The snow pendent of s had come ; panthers with noise- coyotes — arvation — sick animal (irds braved igpies, and jays, — and their footsteps made patterns on the snow as regular and dainty as if embroidered. All these abundant evidences of wild life, with Mr. Link's comments and explanation of their habits, made our third day's drive more agreeable, and not at all weary we reached his son's ranche before dinner, a daintily-served meal, where we were much pleased with the gentle and affection- ate ways of a tame antelope, a pretty thing with superb eyes, that courted notice and enjoyed it as much as a spaniel. Mr. Link's son Louis here joined us, and we went on and passed the night with a pioneer who had a very snug ranche, newly established. He was a keen sportsman, and usually supplied his table by carrying his gun when going for his cattle. His success was unusual," as will be apparent when we state that in nine shots he had killed eight fine mountain sheep. An early start from the ranche took us to our camp-ground by nine the next morning, and soon, with Mr. Link and his son, we were mounted and en route for the mountains. Mr. Louis Link left us for a long detour through the haunts of sheep and bison. We went among some rough peaks for sheep. Herds of cattle were feeding on the ; 35k"^sfef:rii-.-^.C^V*-'-**6^<^'". i ■^VSE'#*lpS^.^-*^.&t**«sfi- ^•■'■^H «24 «17'.S'y 1>A)S. dead grass that came above the snow; but we were soon above their pastures and on the alert for sheep, the most wary and cunning of any mountain game. They live among the most pre- cipitous ranges, and are fleet and surefooted where seemingly no foot can tread. Their gaze is usually downward, and rarely are they sur- prised, unless from some overhanging crag. Scanning every cliff and stone, we made our diffi- cult way upward, our eyes protected by smoked glass from the danger of snow blindness, here very serious. Our horses labored hard and barely kept their feet on the rugged slope. All at once Mr. Link slid from his horse and mo- tioned me to do the same. Crouching low and looking under the limbs of a low-branching pine, we saw two sheep on a rock some three hundred yards distant. Our horses were hastily tied to- gether, and we crept up to the pine-tree, expect- ing a shot ; but the wind played us false, coming up suddenly, bearing our scent to the game, alarming them so that they fled before we were within rifle range. We went on after them, hop- ing to get near them and then let our dog (a Scotch coUey) go, with the aim of driving them to some rocky retreat where the dog would keep ■ 1-:. ■ i M;i "■L (iVPSY DAYS. 2/> ; but we the alert 5 of any most pre- iurefooted riieir gaze they sur- ing crag. B our diffi- 3y smoked ness, here hard and lope. All B and mo- g low and jhing pine, ;e hundred \y tied to- ree, expect- Ise, coming the game, ire we were them, hop- our dog (a iving them HTOuld keep them ; but when let slip he soon came back, showing they had gone a long way on. We took the trail and followed it to a high peak, where, but for the unfavorable wind, we would have stalked them with success. As it was, we came almost upon them on an overhanging point, where they had stopped to overlook the valley in wliich they had been alarmed. Again we fol- lowed them ; but the snow was waist-deep, and, with the needle of an aneroid bavometer down to about twenty inches, it was too rarefied air for much hard work, and our rests were very fre- quent. Our trail led us among their retreats, where they had lain under overhanging rocks in the warm sun, and out on rocky shelves that were very narrow, and from which the downlook was hundreds of feet of dizzy precipices. These look-out points were hard to reach, but richly repaid the effort ; for, spread far and wide, were the valleys and mountain peaks of endless chains. Near us huge domes of rock stood out from the mountain sides, a thousand or two feet high ; far away over the foot-hills the South Park laid like a frozen lake, treeless and white, with a surround- ing of sharp peaks, some brilliant in sunshine, others hidden by clouds and driving snow-storms. W M1 r — 'V - r r '"" **'■" :.J'&^SaP***'"---'^*^>^''*-^'^"-'^'^*^'''*^"^''^^^ 86 (iYPSY DAYS. The south unshaded slopes of these mountains were rock-ribbed, with bold elilfs and buttresses, all stern and grim, with hardly a shrub or tree. The north sides were black with a dense growth of spruce and balsam, up to eleven or twelve thousand feet, where all vegetation ceases, and the mountain tops bald and white with snow that is almost perpetual. To such scenes do the mountaineers' steps lead in this beautiful country, filling days with pleas- ure, giving constant surprises and fresh delights, as the kaleidoscopic changes of season, of light and shade, pass over these eternal hills, confer- ring fresh beauties on familiar scenes, urging the rambler to new paths and fresh discoveries. Wan- dering here, vigor comes to every limb, weariness is forgotten : while the mind, filled with new and vivid sensations, springs up from pafc.^ depressions and renews the power of keen enjoyiiient. Here, on our own continent, are rambling-grounds worthy of an Alpine club, and scenes that can never be exhausted : all so open that a carriage can pass far and wide upon the plains and foot- hills, and in the saddle almost any point may be safely attained. The game is certainly wary and not easily reached ; but it is noble game, worthy urrsr days. ft mountains buttresses, b or tree, se growth or twelve eases, and snow that steps lead vith pleas- h delights, n, of light ills, confer- urging the •ies. Wan- I, weariness \h new and depressions snt. Here, ng-grounds s that can ; a carnage s and foot- )int may be y wary and me, worthy of every exertion, and if the game bag often conies back to camp empty, the days are not wasted that are passed amid such scenes, nor are disapi)ointmentH serious that are accompanied with new health and every sense made keen. Forced to abandon the now alarmed sheep, we scatuu>d the mountain sides from commanding points for bison, elk, or sheep, hut saw no more ; so we made our way laboriously to our horses and rode back to camp, where we arranged our tents, collected wood and laid down by the fire, listen- ing to the wild-animal cries, while waiting for Louis Link's return. He came in long after dark, picketed his mule, and gave his report. He had been many miles often above timber line, where he had to break a road for his mule through the snow, and came at last upon three fine mountain bison : one he killed, a second was hard hit and left a bloody trail, which he had fol- lowed a mile, when night obliged him to return. This was cheering news, and after arranging to go in next morning for the slain, and perhaps for the wounded bison, we curled up in our blankets, which were soou covered by a light, dry snowfall. S-^.-r"'^ •?-'*'"»? ' CHAPTER IV. COLOUADO. Thk dawn of a snowy moiiiinjjf had hardly nuule visible the banks t)f our narrow ravine be- fore we were in the saddle, making our way to bring in the bison shot the evening before. Our path was the margin of a small stream that had, in geological periods, worn a canon through th« mountains. A low growth of willows hid the brook, except where frequent beaver danis had flowed spaces that, filled with sediment, formed " beaver meadows." The mountaui slope facing north was densely wooded with spruce and balsam; the southern slope, too dry from exposure to sunshine, had but scattered trees, and upon this, where the dry grasses remained, cured into natural hay, we cast iSAa.T^^Lifimnmauat-' ^i»^s'"=»'»U»|i«»»s»ss*i '^ii&'-i, arrsY days. ul hunlly iivluo be- ur way to [)re. Our that had, rough th»! s hid the dauis had it, fonui'd is densely ! southern e, had but 3 the dry ly, we cast our eyes .m •''» wont along in Hie, with the hope of finding nvountain sheep. Mr. Link was in advance, with his twelve-pound rifle lying over his saddle, scanning with keen eyes the burned spots aud fallen timber, when suddenly he sprang horn hiri horse, and, resting his elbow on his knee, aimed carefully but quickly up the rocky cliff and fired. Our dogs rushed up the hank, and in a moment were tussling with a fatally wounded mountain sheep on so steep an incline that all came rolling down, together with dislodged stones and brushwood, an avalanche of snarling, yelping fur and wool. The animal was just passing some large rocks, giving Mr. Link no time to point it out to me, or even to wait my coming up, and consequently the only fair shot was lost. It was a fine animal,— agile, alert and thoroughly game, more so in many respects than the deer, than which the sheep is the finer trophy. Leaving it in the snow, observing the hunter's custom of layuig by it some article that had been worn on the person, to keep off the " varmint " that recognize even by scent the presence of anything indicating man's royal prerogative to his game, we went on in the snow, that grew deeper as we gained altitude, until it was up to the stirrups, «iMwtit'>^^:^'^>iBl^S«*'"^"'i^^*^ GYPSY DAYS. 31 rress by put- Ivance to en- ick. It was stones and \ was becom- as ourselves, 1 becomes a aft in camp ; other ascer- Ititude about snow-squalls derf ul variety uds, that hid their wreaths st where the id a deep and led beast had lie deep snow ; limal we ever ack hair, with his jet-black oak. ists make be- )lains, and his kinsman of the mountains, let them explain. Very little anatomical difference will probably be found; but the noble specimen lying before us was far finer in all respects than any from the low land, and well might he be : for his home was in the pure air of the highest mountains, where the sparkling water and fresh verdure of a brief summer, and the keen air of a long winter, would bring to perfection all the qualities of strength, fine coat, and sura-footed vigor that is so admired in game. A second one of the herd had been badly wounded; and had we brought up our blankets and provisions we should have followed the trail, now reluctantly abandoned. The great head, skin and legs of the bison made a heavy load for one of our horses, a load that would have frightened Tam O'Shanter, or the schoolmaster of Sleepy Hollow, had they met it — head, horns, hoofs, and tail on a black horse by moonlight, — and the quarters were staggering burdens for our two remaining horses, one of which, as an Irishman would say, was a mule, a wily beast, who, when our eyes were turned, would quietly lie down and roll out from under his load, and then stand looking at it with a look of serene satisfaction, that was not disturbed by w.* ^--^r'^ V^-iT»*^ft--^^>=*^*>P'^*'^ .:.e^'>---^.'r:tc^'^iltii«;**«v-.3aeS*1^eS4SeeS*i'. ««i»?**SS«i*»W.S*iwl™=«*»aiR« **'.lHWK»8«i*l» orrsr days. 88 5."i/ ses that ac- loisting the md, wishing Ik, we broke k's, whence, us, and our lie bows, we under trees V, hoping by win antlers tght elk, and pinion as to next morn- Linlight as it A spotless nd mountain wide outlook owly making , sniffing the gry after his ing in sight aunting meat distant roar re recognized the call of the elk, and a response from some listening rival. Quickly, iiuloed, was our light breakfast made, and wo were off. Fortunately there was no fine old china to pack up, nor had we a hotel bill to settle with a leisurely swell clerk. It was only a last pull at the girths and fresh cartridges in our rifles, and we were urging our horses to the point whence came the elk calls. A few miles brought us to the hill where Mr, Link's long experience told him we were likely to find the game, and here the signs were abundant indeed. The snow was printed with many paths, some with hoof marks as large as those of an ox, but easily distinguishable by being longer, nar- rower and more clearly cut. Carefully choosing the freshest trail, one where there had evidently been a " monarch of the glen," with a royal crown of antlers, we followed it, our eyes peering into every thicket, with long pauses upon each knoll that gave us a chance to scan the valleys, and thus, %\ith our rifltb ready, we went for many a mile, or, to shorten a long story, for ten hours, only in the end to find that the band had retraced their steps nearly to our starting-point and thence gone away, perhaps alarmed by our having been there. Farther present pursuit we were unequal bOmi^ti^rSCi^liS^V-- '. ^i»s£afaBS!Ss%i8S;^fteai!<9Bt--i?-y: ' iii'th'^.j-- 84 OrrSY DAYS. to. Our horses Avere jaded from their long travel through deep snow, and with great regret we made our way homeward, our time not permitting another hunt; but so charmed with the life here, and so impressed with the variety and noble character of the game of the Colorado Parks, that a strong impulse remained to try it again, when more time might permit a long chase. Going again, we would use pack mules to carry camp necessities, and then, once on the trail of elk, sheep, or bison, keep upon it, camping where night should find us, thus saving the weariness and waste time of going miles back to camp. Thus success in the end would be certain, and delays and difficulties merely enhance the value of the final triumph of a hunter's victory over the keen scent, alert eyes, acute hearing, and almost tireless speed of our finest game animals. • The veurs that have passed without this plan having been carried ot\t, have seen the game animals of these mountain fast- ne" es prac'tieallv exterminated, so mueh so that the Inhabitants of the ranges will see them hereafter only where they are pre- serA-ecUn parks and museums. • 4 tVl,ftrt»>^i-'*'.!i^I »ii>.f MJi-Mf-ViaiiaflWij;-' " . J*i»i-**»W».f'Aiii»'' ;rii>n*ii»3«S**---fe-«»'«WeJ#ti"'»'*^**'^'***^-^ mg travel egret we emitting life here, 11(1 noble o Parks, it again, ase. 3 to carry e trail of ing where weariness to camp, rtain, and the value itory over ring, and animals.* having been ountaln fast- ic Inhabitants they are pre- CHAPTER V. CALIFORNIA. " A FOUR-SPRING is what you want, sir, two strong side springs, box well up for fording streams, a wagon that will carry sixteen hundred and not leave it in a heap, — a trap that two American horses can draw, or four half-breeds can buck before. Yes, sir; that is what you want, and we can turn it out in a month." This was sound '^ounsel from a German wagon- maker, as he stood in the warm sunshine of Feb- ruary, in front of his shop in Los Angeles, giving a final summing up of a long-continued con- sideration of the best form of conveyance for a Gypsy trip through California, to be taken when the spring heat should fall on the ground still moist from the abundant rains of the winter of rsv^^te^i^afe^^feii'-^^^^S"*'-*'^ 86 aVPSY DAYS. 1876, and summon the wealth of bloom and ver- dure that in Southern California is the growth of a few weeks of early spring, — a sudden over- whelming of luxurious vegetation. March, the month of the "Mad Hare," as all know, has few adherents on the eastern side of the Sierra, where it is regretted that he who "stole a March" did not steal them all, with their wrangles and struggles for mastery between the sun, the south wind, and storm-centres from Manitoba, each winning ground to he surrendered without conditions the next day, and so contend- ing until April wins the cause of mildness and repose ; but on the coast of the Pacific, March smiles with myriad bloom, wins our affection with all the wiles of soft and gentle breezes, and dis- plays all the charms a lovely season can possess. Sunshine later on, becomes actually wearisome; for be it known to ardent enthusiasts of blue sky and days of sunbeams that there is such a thing as too much sunshine, although it is not so stated in the manifold enumerations of the attrac- tions of our Pacific margin. A week of serene cloudless sky is just jolly ; a month is possibly delightful. But when one cloudless, rainless month repeats tte monotone of another just as fc«a»wi.ia«3>.ww*s**i«*'' *.»*.i**«*w^%**M(im^.»»'V«a(^i^ '- GTPST DAYS. 37 XV and ver- jrrowth of Iden over- re," as all in side of t he who I all, with •y between litres from urrendered io contend- Idness and ific, March eetion with ?s, and dis- II possess, wearisome ; ;ts of blue Is such a it is not so the attrac- i of serene is possibly is, rainless her just as dry; when the shrubs whither and the fields assume the hue of bare earth ; when, if one can- not irrigate a garden, there is no resource but to weep over it (a task the clouds will not assume for many months of unmitigated sunshine) : there is just the faintest suspicion that there may be too much of so good a gift as sunshine. More- over, in summer the air of the great valleys that lie between the Sierras and the Sea quivers with heat and rises from expansion, while the cold breeze from the Arctic currents just off shore rushes in to fill the vacuum and burns all vegeta- tion from the western face of the coast range hills. Where there are openings in the coast range, as at San Francisco, this daily summer gale is as regular as sunrise, and it wafts the pe- destrian gently from the street crossing with coo' persuasion. But stop, we have let our good wagon-maker stand while we are garrulous about climate, — a most unusual digression indeed ; for who is ever known to dilate regarding cUmate in Southern California ? The vehicle was duly ordered and once under construction was subject to daily superintendence. Our lodgings, meanwhile, were on a terrace not A-^ttiSkWimii^m^^ ^*t?»Wt«fTf 38 H YPS Y DA YS. far from the old Pico I louse, acceftsible by stuirs, or by a crooked lane that led by low old houses of the Spanish style, — cottajjfes we would have forjrotten but for the tall geraniums that flaunted their gay bloom before the second-story windows in unchecked luxuriance. When we were not examining the wagon in its progressive stages, we had before us a charming view. To the eastward, from a porch, we looked upon the tiled roofs about the old church and into the convent yards, where processions of priests and nuns passed as the half-dozen jingling bells rang Spanish fashion their rather hilarious calls to devotion. As the eye was lifted, palm, olive and orange trees were seen on the borders of the town ; beyond them a rolling plain that attained more and more bold contour until the hills became the foreground of the San Barna- dino range, whose lofty summits, snow-crowned, were beautiful objects, giving an endless variety of sky-line and color. At times snowstorms would hide them in billows of cloud that were often made warm-hued and rosy to our eyes by the sun. The air, crystal-clear, made distance of little effect in even very remote objects : so, in all the changes of storm, shadow, sunlight and even *.♦^^^sg^!^^:^;^?J-«j;-i^:^•4^V,»Si*'»?it'** ■ia)!Si«a*f«*«KS»i»>iU*:**»8BteS^!!SjMS'.«tei*sM*«^*iai:a«oes*i**ai?-©^^ GYPSY DAYB. 41 »e paint was to dry paint erfluons sun- i out rapidly, lalifornia are lished;" but, tatements are Id Spain can mpation first ctions of the ;op of a dili- id mountains rish type and e of the land is that of Southern California. The yellow po])- piea and kindred masses of wild hlooni in fields bounded by hedfj^os of Spanish bayonet are those whose seeds wont with the germs of useful grains to the gardens of the Jesuits, who carried faith, civiliziition and agriculture to the missions on the Pacific : those old missions where olives still show their gray-green foliage over walls of c^-' :.,m^i9^' arrsT days. 48 «r a tt>p-eoat inori) rushly •Ircuuistanees uthcr than a it other than 'ttt couching dead past a f oddly it fits , nevertheleas, jrood families but gracefully To the Span- il and vegeta- systems and )n, were home icess, while the of the Pacific ouraging class as ritual and h of Spain to tie to unlearn iards in South- irly and lasting enabled them 30 deeply that many of their customs will only pass away with tho few remaining SpaiiiHli ranchcroH who still cling to Castilian ways of olden time. Their ohl mission of San Gabriel, near Los Angeles, is yet in a degree pieturestjue, with a high wall pierced for bells as a campanih!, and when in its prime, with its irrigating system, gardens and poa- sessious, it must have been an impressive struc- ture to the lasso-slinging caballero and simple- minded Pueblo Indian. The large irrigated orange is golden, more beau- tiful than luscious, or was when we lunched under tho trees, eager to escape the ef '»V-%Sf .V'^c^^r^ ^ ^iSe£<^4*,sftk>^«t.S^ *, 2^^iticfmt4^ik^ ' .v«^^>^>^ifej:fei^^:t^^5%-l^j^^^ 0TP8YDATS. 45 seat was high and the foot- iving a space B feet. The f' over strong iner of loops, ends. Under bhat contained vhich cost no nference with so well fitted of the traps rnia camping, [lere amid the irmitted while stove was of and after use ing the ashes, ito a hox that 10 room. All ;ed inside of it of stove-pipe > another, and js, which were n. Our main cooking-utensil was an original adaptation that saved us all fear of scorched oatmeal or burned rice, and also relieved us from the necessity of stirring everything that should be cooked with one hand while rubbing smoke from our eyes with the other. It was a water-bath cooker made square, to go in one end of the stove when packed, about nine by twelve inches, of strong tin with a copper bottom fitting the stove holes. Two cylindrical cans, one five and the other five and a half inches in diameter, went through the cover (sustained when in use by rings pressed around them), about two inches clear of the bottom of the main cooker. There were lids for these cans, and the same fitted the cover of the main cooker when the cans were not in use. All knives and forks were carried in the small can, that nested in the large one, which went in the cooker with room for all needed tin plates and many small traps. Thus in a small space our stove and cooking out- fit were carried, and they never turned out a culi- nary failure, — can more be said of a complete kitchen ? In making camp the stove was out in a moment, a fire roaring, and the cooker on it. A very comforting combination was jack rabbit in curry with potatoes, boiling in the main cooker, as^jftBSBs&itesSftpH*.- 9fSfte*aa"*- i«r ^*^ f* 1' 'i 46 OYPST DATS. and half-boiling, half-steaming rico in one can and oatmeal in the other, all going at once in a compact form on one hole of the stove, and no trouble. Oatmeal could cook all night; hot fire could not harm it; if the fire went out, the water remained warm for hours, so that there was one thing ready for early breakfast beside voracious appetites that needed no stimulant. ■j«aW**«te- i>^Sja= I in one can at once in a itove, and no ight; hot fire )ut, the water there was one jide voracious S*l^^^#*W-iSK*l- CHAPTER VII. When we were about to start, our friends mentioned snakes, alluded to tarantulas, and spoke of centipedes. They told too, of bold higbva Tien who had " held up " the stage twel' .vp on the coast range route within a yeai .:^,x had financial transactions with the passengers : so we were not unwarned of annoy- ances. To seclude ourselves from a low intimacy with creeping things, we arranged our wagon for sleeping accommodation. A light boarding made the support for a small mattress, and this was suspended from the bows of the wagon as an upper berth for the petite member of the party ; while a longer mattress fitted the bottom of the wagon, all snugly canvas-covered, with reading- 48 OTPSY DAYS. lamps and many convenient arrangements wholly practical, as one night's use proved : after which we forgot snakes and their kin, none of whom even suggested themselves, and slept undisturbed in our tents. The base of the upper berth had legs fitted, and with them in it served admirably as a table, as well as a rack behind the wagon top, when en route to support our mattresses and covers, all of which were rolled in great dust-proof wraps. Three tents were carried : one for our own use, one for our men (driver and cook), and one for use as a dressing and bath room fully fitted for all purposes. All these and many more provisions for comfort and safety were made when the time came to select horses. Horses were cheap and abundant, but good trusty beasts were excep- tional. Our first pair had one noble animal, strong, patient, handsome, and kind : a good average for a first attempt. His mate had no turn for busi- ness ; his prominent idea was to pose as a model for statuary and paw the air as no horse should that had never seen the bronzes at Washington. He was sold at a loss without delay, and a big GYPSY DAYS. 49 ts wholly ter which of whom disturbed gs fitted, I a table, when en ers, all of raps, our own , and one ally fitted sions for the time heap and re excep- ,1, strong, erage for for busi- ) a model se should ishington. Uid a big solemn horse purchased to replace him at a street auction, and called Jerry, to go with Tom. In time all was adjusted, bundles from half the shops of Los Pueblos de Los Angeles were stored, and we started for Santa Monica on a trial trip, with a driver of rueful countenance and a cook of unknown merit. En route a few damp places of adobe mud threatened to absorb our wagon ; but we pulled out, and before evening entered a ravine that opened on the Pacific just north of Santa Monica, then in its Hush of early growth, brilliant with unpainted roofs, and re- sounding with the racket of many hammers. Our retreat was quiet and sheltered, with abundant shade, water and feed for the horses; the latter the pretty clover alfaleria. As soon as our tent was up, a wild steer came rushing up as if to carry it away on his long horns. The cook was ordered to drive him away, but declined without hesitation, saying he was afraid. Faute de mieux, I made a dash at him with a rail, and after a few threatening demonstrations he turned tail and disappeared, — the only really mischievous beast we encountered in all our rambles. South of Santa Monica, in estuaries and ,j.^SSte»rfiS*w*-***-®*^*'»*'**^''*'"''=i**>*^*^- -"^ '^^ 60 UYPSY DAYS. mai-hes, there were wild-fowl iu great numbers. On the plain, plover ran about in immense flocks, while high over head sand hill cranes croaked as they wheeled in long lines. The beautiful top- knot quail were in the low thickets in quantities and often seen, always exciting admiration, with stylish head-dress and snug-fitting plumage. Below Santa Monica the wind had driven pure sea sand into hills and hollows, making the most perfect and secluded spot imaginable for sea and sun bathing. The sand at the bottom of the cup- shaped hollows, which were some ten feet deep, was too hot to lie upon, but midway it was cooler. A plunge in the Pacific surf and a roU in the hot dry sand gave a bath and friction that no Russian bath could equal ; and if the writer were to assume any one cause as a turning pomt to restored health, the sea and the sun baths of Santa Monica would be selected. Every nerve seemed gratefiU for sunlight; and may we not find a truth in suspecting that the myriad nerves and pores of the sensitive human skin need more sun and air than they ever get under the almost impervious dress of civilization ? Once, when visiting this unfrequented spot, a man was seen at a distance ploughing, followed GYPSY DAYS. 51 ; numbers. }nse flocks, croaked as .utiful top- quantities ation, with aage. iriven pure r the most or sea and of the cup- feet deep, «ray it was : and a roll riction that : the writer rning point in baths of Ivery nerve aay we not rriad nerves need more the almost ited spot, a ig, followed by a train of white as if his plough had uplifted a furrow of snow. Curiosity impelled a nearer view, when it was discovered that a flock of white sea-gulls followed the footsteps of the farmer, feeding eagerly on the grubs and worms exposed by the plough. These gulls were free from fear ; for the good sense of the people prevents the destruction of useful birds, and the most harmo- nious relations exist. In San Diego, the gulls were the scavengers; they sat about kitchen doors ready for refuse, and did not hesitate to rush under one's feet for a coveted bit ; they were as useful and far more agreeable in this capacity than the turkey buzzards of the south- ern Atlantic cities. In this connection it may be said that the show of wild-fowl in San Francisco harbor is very interesting to strangers. Popular sentiment protects all birds and seals within the limits of the city; and we were often amused for hours, while yachting, to see huge pelicans plunge in fearlessly among the shipping and fill their pouches with fish in perfect confidence within a few yards of us. Outside of the protected limits they are wild and wary, showing how wisely they understand the bounds of protection and danger. . i^jastf^f-^i?*:!*; . 62 GiTSY DATS. Our days at Santa Monica were full of idle lotus-eating hours, passed watching the slow Pacific surf roll in, shooting wild-fowl in the lagoons, playing in the sand, and doing nothing with energy and success. all of idle the slow )wl in the ig nothing CHAPTER VIII. On our return to Lob Angeles our wagon was strengthened, a new cook replaced the one afraid of cattle, who found safety in a restaurant ; the few needful changes were made that were found desirable in our outfit ; and we were again under way northward, with traps of all kinds in and under the heavily burdened wagon. The second day found us in the park-like country so peculiar to California, where broad- spreading oaks stand alone, with all the stately beauty of trees that have had for centuries ample space to extend their branches free from contact with other growth. Among them were blooming shrubs, the Manzanita and Ceanothus, all naturally so combined as to produce the effects landscape - .;i^J(|g®»^Si**i*>«*«*«*****^' is=^JlKaul,Smrtr. ■ M GTPSY DAYS. gardeners seek to attain, but rarely achieve except on the ancient estates of England. Here we began to see the large gay-colored woodpecker, that digs round pits in the bark of the oaks and fits an acorn tightly into each as provision for hard times, a prudent bird, organizing a savings- bank system. Another peculiar bird is el pay- sano, or road-runner, an habitue of the low thorny cactus, under which it finds a retreat where none can follow. It can rarely be forced to fly by a running horse, but skims over the spaces between the cactus-plants like a shadow, giving the observer but little opportunity to see the style and beauty the bird possesses. An unpleasant experience here was alkali water from a stream seemingly pure and brilUant. Our resources for drinking were limited, ApoUinaris had not come as a boon to ramblers, and the native wines were too sweet and heady for a long drink. The art of making light wines had not then been generally attained ; but now delight- ful clarets come from the same vineyards. The Santa Clara River when we roached it was high and rapid, with quicksand bottom. lu doubt as to the passage, we rested at the ford until some kindly Germans led the way, carrying part GYPSY DAYS. 66 ieve except Here we oodpecker, oaks and tvision for a savings* is el pay : the low a retreat be forced 9 over the a shadow, nity to see }sse8. An nrater from ant. Our Apollinaris ■s, and the for a long les had not [)w delight- :ds. ched it was I. In doubt ford until prying part of our load in their wagon. So deep were many fords that we were not more than above the flow in our high vehicle. San Buena Ventura, we passed on Sunday after a long drive through grain-fields and by pleasant homes. While our cook added supplies to our larder, we visited the old cathedral, where mass was being chanted. It is a well-preserved building with gay altar-tinsel and large paintings of the usual churchly char- acter. At the stony ford of the San Buena Ventura River, emigrants were resting in camp, the women washing travel-stained garments, while the men repaired their harnesses or lounged about. North of the river the road is on the ocean beach, which is pounded hard by the swells that come many thousands of miles before breaking on this shore. For a few miles the available beach between the sea and the cliffs is very narrow and the passage must be made at low tide. The six-horse stages are unwilling to delay long, and many stories are told of their being driven through the surf with the horses hardly able to withstand the undertow. The heat from the high cliffs with the reflec- ■ :;^sb;^^^(^fi6^^^^'^^^*^-'^"'*'****^^^ ^^ irissai^.^^8ji^,.fcS^^a^iH!,^'ii«%rv it^sBt^eii-^^ 56 UYl'SY DAYS. tion from the water made the passage alinont Biiffocatinj?, and it was a charming rest to reach Rincon, where a pure stream of good water runt into the sea and a pleasant camping-ground is near. Drift-wood was our fuel. It gave a very brilliant light, and, after the sunset colors faded from the sea and sky, we sat by our fire which cast its glow on the foaming surf, until, soothed by its rustling, we gave ourselves up to the sweet sleep that comes most welcome to those who are day and night in the open air. Each day of our rambling tended to enhance our enjoyment of gypsy life. It was character- ized by freedom from the restraints and many of the annoyances of travel ; and while there was a great degree of seclusion in our camps, we were often brought in friendly contact with interesting characters of a class that rapid tourists see little of. At Rincon we were near a pretty vine-covered stage-station, where the event of each day was the arrival and departure of the six-horse coach. It came down the line from Santa Barbara at a gallop, and soon with fresh horses went dashing out along the narrow beach until it became a mere speck seemingly surrounded by breakers. iii a IT.V Y DA VS. hi isago alinoHt ■est to reach 1 water runs iig-gruund is [jave a very colors faded ir lire which intil, soothed to the sweet hose who are i to enhance ras character- and many of e there was a .mps, we were ith interesting its see little of. r vine-covered each day was i-horse coach. Barbara at a went dashing [ it became a J breakers. Our dressing-tent was erected on the beach, where an elastic bath-tub was inflated, affording us delightful sea-baths in water warmed by the sun. It was March ; but the waves that broke on the beach derived their energy from gales that came not with them ; all was warm, serene and beautiful about us. The coast trending west- ward was in sight for many miles beyond Santa Barbara, while the islands of Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Cruz were picturesque in the offing. At times the mirage lifted the Ana Capa Islands from below the horizon, and as we watched those interesting scenes, now and then a sea-lion would raise its dark head from the ocean just beyond the surf and gaze steadily at us with dark eyes of almost human intelligence. Our cooking was admirable, thanks to a Swed- ish servant; our appetites needed no enticing dainties, flowers of many hues were on the table, while the sparkling stream was our finger bowl. After our meals we rambled along the sea under the picturesque cliffs and failed to count the hours until reminded of time's passage by hunger. Shells, sea-weeds, and beautiful zoophytes in sprays lie ferns, were^ drifted to our feet__by the ^:i^^Wi«itSf<6*S*- ,t»i-i4»K 58 airSY DAYS. slow-beating surf, and the days were full of interest. Aroused at times by a demi-tasse do caf^ noir from idleness and semi-somnolence, we drove along the beach for miles ; but this was the extreme limit of exertion. After the sunset-g ow Venus, the evening-star, cast a brilliant ray along the sea; while a distant revolving light winked at the celestial goddess in the most impertinent manner, until she hid herself in the waves froiu which she sprang. , , . -^ -^^ if We breathed climate, basked m it, praised it, and sorrowed for all who were in the slush of March as the month is conducted on the Eastern coast ; but one night our climatic enthusiasm was checked most rudely for a short time- --We came in about sunset from driving "»der the cliffs, and the moment we emerged from their shelter we were caught by a gale ; it was a dry norther," that under a brUliant blue sky raged and roared like bedlam on a spree. Our tents were flying wild, fire was belching from the stove, the covers and pipe were blown off, and our cook was spread out like a star-fish, holding a hot pot in one hand, the stove with another, his feet seeking to keep the tents from flying away, and his uose pinning light articles to the ground} IP- ^..; ., «j,>,--*-*»^<'**»W-.^'»f GTP8T DATS. 59 were fwU of demi-tasse de jmnolence, we it this was the e sunset-glow, iant ray along ; light winked st impertinent lie waves froiu I it, praised it, i the slush of m the Eastern enthusiasm was rt time. — We ing under the ored from their ; it was a "dry blue sky raged ree. Our tents from the stove, I, and our cook >lding a hot pot lother, his feet lying away, and to the ground} whUe sand was drifting along like snow over and into all our possessions, and the gale snatched and buffeted like a storm-centre condensed within an acre. Efforts to corral things were in vain. That wind could pick up small stones, whUe a sand-blast from a neighboring mound filled our ears, eyes and mouths with flying grit. Fortu- nately a glen was near, where an hour's hard labor placed us under a high bank over which the gale roared all night without reaching us. The dry norther is devoid of the discomforts of ordinary storms, but possesses an especial selection of its own. There is no thunder or lightning or need of any ; it speaks for itself, and like every product of the Pacific slope it is ample and complete of its kmd. It dries the skm, cracks the lips, makes the hair brittle, sometimes it withers vegetation, and not rarely causes pneumonia and severe neuralgia. »i«**-*«««s»«.^«*i«isi*»««»''-:«^ ■'"'' i; " 1. i'li CHAPTER IX. The road from Rincon to Santa Barbara, six- teen miles, was swept clean by the gale which was still blowing against us as we drove along, meeting dust and pebbles migrating before the wind in the direction of Mexico. Dusty an4 ruffled in raiment and temper, a retreat under an oak-tree in the outskirts of the town was grate- fully occupied, and the remainder of the day was given to removing a strata of soil from our per- sons. After an encounter with the dust of a "dry norther," a tourist might be platted for city lots, — an expedient suggested to speculators. Our protecting oak was the abode at night of a large bevy of the pretty top-knot quail. They seemed to disregard the proximity of our tents I J ,1^i,K-^:!^rt^«ain-^fi*4matMf^''tX-'i^ ■t^fffS*« " ^ v Miftti GYrSY DAYS. ei Barbara, six- ! gale which drove along, r before the Dusty and eat under an n was grate- : the day was rom our per- e dust of a ) platted for ) speculators. e at night of quail. They of our tents and commenced at dawn to cluck and gossip ii^ Volapiik about their plans for the day and the affairs of Santa Barbara. They were so lonfid- ing and amusing that we were reluctant t( dis- turb them by rising before " sun up," an instance of self-denial that is conceivable under the cir- cumstances. Santa Barbara is old and new. The old is thoroughly Spanish: red tiles on low buildings sustained by bamboo rafters, picturesque and intoeresting ; the new represents the school of the i»:>ry^*»'i!.(- .rl—A'««*?»*»''^''''--=^'* I'' li 62 OTPSY DAYS. i, .1, r ( I' ";' Bcroll^aw, planer and ready mixed paints. The city, however, has probably as many solid attrac- tions to win those who can choose new homes as any point in the United States. Points Arguella and Conception give the cold coast currents that flow from the north, an off- shore course, leaving the bay between the shelter of the Santa Inez Mountains and the picturesque islands a summer sea, a small Sargasso, where the water circles until it becomes warm and im- parts less chUl to the sea-breeze than is felt farther south. .a * The railway then was far inland, so that banta Barbara long enjoyed immunity from the hurry- ing crowds and confusion that follow the howl of the locomotive. An amphitheatre of beautiful mountains surrounds the happy vaUey where the village lies in protected isolation; and here, whatever may be the tastes of a rambler, be he a mountaineer, botanist, sportsman, yachtman, rehc- hunter, or given to swinging in a hammock, he can indulge all of his fancies without going far from his cottage or his camp. The climate in winter will compare most favor- ably with that of the Riviera, with much less « ice in the sunshine" in summer; and during our :i I 1 1 < i GYPSY DAYS. 63 aints. The solid attrac- w homes as ;ive the cold orth, an off- a the shelter ! picturesque TassO) ■where irm and im- than is felt [) that Santa oa the hurry- T the howl of of beautiful ley where the ; and here, ibler, be he a chtman, relio- hammock) he »ut going far re most favor* ttuch less " ice 1 during our stay we knew little but blue sky, mild air, with a gentle surf breaking on the sands. There was no suggestion of storm, cold or uncertain weather, so that all plans for excursions were made with- out the weather-permitting clause that casts a shadow of doubt over the best-laid schemes of mice and men in the old States. There had been very heavy rains in January and February, that secured to the soil a supply of moisture for abundant crops ; but later in the season the high sun would fall heavily on fields bare of verdure. In the spring all vegetation revels in sunlight that for two or three months is not too strong for the water within reach of deep roots, and the burst of leaf and bloom is wonderful. The oft-used term, *' a carpet of flowers," is not strained in March and April ; they sprmg in such masses from the soil that they give color to the landscape like sunset clouds laid upon the hill- sides. We gathered them until our arms were weary with constant fresh delight in new and beautiful varieties, and often our wreath of wild- bloom was added to by gifts from the owners of successful gardens. Very kind were the people of Santa Barbara to the strangers in camp, to them unknown. No name was on our wagon or trapsj 64 QYrSY DAYS. i\ 'i1 ! I' 'Ill 111 ■ our only token was a small yacht flag that waved over our tent; but they were not inquisitive be- yond finding opportunity for generous hospitality. One morning in our camp as the little table was being set for breakfast, we saw a large sun- bonnet moving through the tall grass and flowers, seemingly invisibly supported. As it drew near we saw under it a charming little girl toddhng along timidly with a basket which she summoned courage to bring to us, " a few fresh rolls that Mamma thought we might enjoy," all covered with dainty napkins and fresh flowers. One evening a tall figure, that might have stepped from the pages of Cooper's " Leatherstockmg Tales," came to our campfire bearing a large frosted cake smothered in roses,— " a little offer- ing from his wife to the campers." He was a most interesting old man, erect and wiry, with small evidence in his step that he had been for over seventy years on the frontier, from the time when Western New York was border- land. He had been a bold invader of the un- known West before the Indians had dreamed of yielding to the White Man, and his wild-life tales made our hours about the camp-fire very inter- esting. II^a the ride-and-tie plan: Gypsy, our new purchase, was to aid by bearing a pack ; that is, we made that plan without cou- sultinK hiin. His saddle was of the Vaquero style, high pommel, having a great deal of sheer fore and aft, with many rings for lariats and saddle-bags. The eargo was miscellan-ous: the bath-tub in collapsed f..rm, bags of loaded shells and cartridges, a lot of " canned goods, and a general selection of what the cook termed " hefty stuff." As pound alter pound was added, and turn after turn of the long cinch was drawn tight, the mustang stood with legs stiffly apart, in the attitude of a saw-horse, with seemingly no more spirit. Finally all was arranged: the result - a great corded mass of luggage, leaving only the ends of the horse visible. A gentle pull at the end of a long lariat, accompanied by a " Come, Gyp, started him, aroused him, developed him, as pull- ing a lanyard awakens a cannon, and he responded. The writer held the rope, and in an instant was flying a kite or, more truly, a nebulous formation, orrSY DAYS. 69 mountain rd pull, it rsc should -tie plan: y bearing hout con- Vaquero 1 of sheer ,riat8 and "ous: the ded shells Is," and a ed " hefty dded, and awn tight, art, in the y no more — a great ;,he ends of le end of a me, Gyp," im, as pull- responded, instant was formation, for Gypgy was " bucking " ! Bucking is u com- posite action. It has movements aptly chosen from those of birds, lishes, snakes, fleas, squirrels, kangaroos and bats, with figures from the ger- man, the flying trapeze, and points from Cath- arine-wheels and chasers. They are simultaneous in execution, and no instiintaneous i)late is made that would define any one distinct outline during action. It was grape, cannister and small arms at the end of the rope: cords were bursting, hoofs cracking'on the hard ground and in the air ; bath-tubs, cartridges and " canned goods " were radiating with centrifugal force from a storm- centre of great intensity, with rapidly increasing risk of a general explosion. Madam's horse, for- tunately, surveyed the scene calmly ; but her mind was full of apprehension that the display might become contagious among our horses, when sud- denly Gypsy came down rigidly on four stiff legs and stood like a bronze statue, quiet, complacent, triumphant. Either the horse or the saddle had turned over during the action ; it was directly underneath the beast, while remnants of cords with frayed ends alone attested the load that had been so carefully packed. There was a sugges- tion in the surrounding debris that " Gyp " would 70 nrrsY DAYff. ■'■ ■!' not asHumo the 'uiml.lo role of a pack-horw. The pouit was conceaod, and the unsmaBhed re- mains collected on the wa^on. "Gyp repre- sented fifty dollars in sold; how much he « bucked " us out of, we refrain from estimating. It seemed as if his cost would be fully realized by the satisfaction of leudin^ him to a secluded spot and shooting him ; but as wo hesitated, the cook said he would ride him, and with self-remember- injr irenerosity we gave Mm the first chance. Increasing attractions mark every step that carries one onward and upward on this road, one that would be toilsome did not widening viewi constantly open of land, mountoin range, island, and summer sea,- all varied with rural beauty, and our depressed spirits rose again, as the charm- ing impressions obliterated the vexations attend- ing the start. We were about half-way up, one of our party in advance to meet the heavy coach then due and secure a passing place, as it would come down the mountain like an avalanche, when another mam- testation of equine perversity brought us to a *01d Jerry balked, not with the indecision of youth or the impetuosity of sudden suggestion, ^tg^sammmiimimmmmmm UYPSY DAYS. 71 pack-horse, unnshed re- ,yp" repre- much he estimating. ' realized by deluded spot ud, the cook If-remember- ihance. y step that lig road, one lening viewi ange, island, •uval beauty, \B the chann- itions attend- of our party then due and )me down the mother mani- ight us to a indecision ol n suggestion, but in a quiet, stolid nmnner that was evidence of mature purpose. He hud been dwoUing upon the idea for some miles, and now struck work with a cooli't'sa worthy of r. " walking duli'gate," K. of L. Ho chose a narrow place and held the gap like a Roman, utterly oblivious of suggettiong that, commencing piano, rapidly rose in c^-esceudo to forte. He was reminded by the whip of the need of progress, while being addressed in lan- guage full of the " big, big D's " of the vernacu- lar, and the abundant " r-r-r 's " that distinguish the vehemence of the Spanish aids to comprehen- sion. We had heard that a mouthful of earth would divert a horse's mind from obstinate intent : so, regardless of future values, we put a corner lot or two in his mouth ; but he would have taken a suburb without hesitation, no tender-foot tricks would move him, and the big stage was due at the narrow pass. It was humiliating to have so soon a second defeat, but then there was no choice ; the horses were unharnessed, and the wagon run back to a plateau just as a coach full of pleasure-seekers came swinging along on a gallop, with brakes set and traces loose. But it was not half bad after all ! Lunch was set on a rocky ledge, a bottle of the red wine of !r 72 'tYFSY DAYS. the new vineyards cheered us, myriad flowers of famUiar and novel form and hue were aU about, while the golden sea and f orest-clad valley made a return to Santa Barbara no sacrifice. We were vagabonds, with no aim beyond open-air life day and night ; in such^ air, amid such surroundings, delays were added enjoyment. ii, • •i Hi ' il I iti' ^St^!!M^iii0 I flowers of re all about, alley made a . We were -air life day irroundings, CHAPTER XI. Our driver, Ferguson, a most skilful horseman and excellent man, was called in council after lunch, and the conclusion was reached to return to the Cathedral Oaks, a lovely spot, and there, with feed and water at hand for our horses, arrange our plans. Our camp there was a most attractive one, under the Gothic arches of grand trees, with a running brook at our feet. A very beautiful pointer had joined ouv cavalcade, not even the threatening of the long whip would drive him away, and at night he came and curled up at the tent opening, a most faithful guardian. We ad- vertised him, but no owner responded. A second council held before our camp-fire led 74 GYPSY DAYS. to our buying a very fine horse that Ferguson knew of , and a lead harness. With some stout boughs and copper wire, we fashioned a set of lead bars while awaiting a .agon-maker's better work, and ^ypsy ^^d the beautiful new horse were gently trained to har- ness,- Gyp proving very willing and tractable so W as not' s'ub3ectcd to the indignity of a pack. The result was that after a few days we emerged from the Cathedral Oaks with a very efacient and not bad-looking four-in-hand, that promised and performed good service. Again we breasted the mountain road, with our horses rested, well-fed and in great spirits, and all went on smoothly until the spot was reached where we halted before. Here Jerry planted himself again with a confidence founded on pa^t success, but his glory was evanescent indeed^ Ferguson had brought his old six-m-hand wh^ with a stock as true in spring as a fly-rod a lash of the most scientific taper, and a silken end made hard with wax. Gracefully it was swung aloft, writing mystic forms la the air ; with a whis ling of serious import the lash came swoop- Tng like^'an eagle, not on the horse s back where whipping was an old-time sensation he liad GTFST DATS. 76 ; Ferguson er wire, "we awaiting a sy and the aed to har- tractable so f of a pack, we emerged afficient and romised and ,ad, with our spirits, and was reached )rry planted ided on past cent indeed, n-hand whip [y-rod, a lash a silken end it was swung I air ; with a I came swoop- s back, where tion he had aohooled himself to meet, but with a flash like lightning it came up under him, lifting him like a shock of electricity high into the air, to return to the earth an astonished, reformed, humiliated horse. Later, on the Sierra, he would pull his shoes off and stay in the collar until his neck was worn; so it was evident that he regarded balking as a lost art, ever after this well-accented experience. No rambler can leave Santa Barbara, looking back amid the rocky turrets that are so pictur- esque on the crest of the Santa Inez range, with- out regret at leaving a scene full of beautiful and impressive features that never show so charmingly as from the last turn of the road before a descent is made on the land side of the coast range and the ocean is lost to view ; but new attractions of novel beauty were at hand to divert our mind from thoughts that were a bit depressing. The sea side of the coast range has little verdure : cool winds, often laden with salt fog, seriously check vegetation ; but the east slopes gladden the eye with a wealth of foliage that is full of novel effects to ramblers from the old States. In March and April, all is in perfection : the dark green of the chaparral, the polished leaves of the myrtle, 76 GYrSY DAYS. and other trees having a burnished foliage, catching the light like silver, are mingled with the tender tints of new leaflets that add mist-like delicacy to the woodlands. We removed the harnesses from our leaders, replacing them with saddles, which enabled us to ride on in advance to gather the flowers that were in myriads about us, to linger at attractive points and escape the monotonous motion of the wagon. Not far from the summit on the route to the north, a grand spring bursts from the mountain- side in a ravine, and here we halted for a noon- day lunch. A party of charming Eastern people were picnicing in the romantic spot, who extended a hospitable stirrup-cup as we mounted to go on. Far below, a thread among the trees, our road curved and wound its way to the plains, which we reached in time to select a camping-spot for a two- days' halt, the morrow being Easter Sunday, a day we were glad to use for rest. We found an ideal retreat where the chaparral of the mountain-side terminated in a wide expanse of plain ; behind our tents a mountain brook went cheerily over the stones, and some venerable oaks gave widespread shade without shutting in the air as do ordinary forest-trees. The brook yielded GYPSY DAYS. 77 I foliage, d with the mist-like ir leaders, bled us to I that were tive points he wagon. »ute to the mountain- or a noon- ern people extended to go on. , our road , which we for a two- Sunday, a ! chaparral de expanse brook went jrable oaks ing in the )ok yielded a few small but delicate trout, " Dolly Vardens," a gaudy variety peculiar to the west coast, espe- cially distinguished by a band of pink extending longitudinally from the gills to the tail, equal in width to about a third of that of the fish. Here we felt no sea-breeze ; the evenings were warm, tempti ;g us to sit until late about our camp-fire, listet/ng to Ferguson's tales oi stage-driving on the o'.erland when attacks by Indians were fre- quent experiences. He had not long before driven the stage over the road we were on, and on one trip saw three " grizzlies " passing where we were in camp, — deferentially the right of way was conceded to them. The dense, impenetrable chaparral affords such extensive retreats for bear, panther, and other more or less dangerous beasts, that they will long find refuge in the coast range. We felt safer with a double gun at hand when following the stream back into the dark ravines, and at night we always had two guns heavily loaded under the edge of our blan- ket ; for the road agents at that time were bold thieves if tempted, but we were not deemed prey worthy of their attention. Camp-life is not necessarily one of hardship or self-denial. Half the care and science needed to '^^H%.,'<,^;,;g^i]^WIb^«%^t^KSd»$«^i«M««::«<>«««i^^ T8 GYPSY DAYS. make an ordinary home agreeable will render camping luxurious, safe and perfectly comforta- ble under such favoring skies as we enjoyed in California, and perhaps more details of our camp arrangements may be of interest to some readers. As to risk, it is very little. A vigor comes from exercise, fresh air and constant interest that wards awav illness. More colds and lame throats owe their 'inception to the bad air of houses, to defective sewerage, dust from carpets, and the contagion of a coughing, sneezing neighborhood, than to fresh-air exposure; and as to the small dangers of life, a camp is exempt from more ot them than any house contrived by man. One cannot fall down stairs, pinch fingers in a door, have a head broken by the failure of a picture cord, fall over a coal-scuttle, be caught in an ele- vator, killed by an electric wire, or run over by a herdic in camp. It is not necessary to post notices of Uon t blow out the gas," " Don't stand on the platf orm,^^ « Don't walk under a new building," " Danger,^^ « Don't go to crowded theatres or towering flats, — in camp ; and after a few days under canvas, the tent becomes a home with all home attributes, even if to-day by the sea, to-morrow by a mountain tor- ■t GYPSY DAYS. 7« J will render itly comforta- ve enjoyed in } of our camp some readers. >r comes from interest that d lame throats • of houses, to rpets, and the neighborhood, 8 to the small from more of by man. One gers in a door, :e of a picture usfht in an ele- : run over by a ices of "Don't n the platform," g," "Danger," towering flats," nder canvas, the ! attributes, even a mountain tor- rent, and the next day under stately sighing pines in some remote ravine. Our arrangements were very simple. In early life the writer went often into the deep forests, carrying " everything need- ful," provisions for emergencies, and guns, rods and traps for all the forms of game known to nat- ural history. Getting ready for these trips was simply delightful, as one thing after another was laid in due form in the packing cases. Such ingenious things as were offered for all purposes in sportsmen's fascinating shops as indispensable, from pepper-pots of horn to tele- scopic rifles and interchangeable rods; bright with metal, new with well-oiled joints, and tempt- ing to sight and touch, they were associated months in advance with the furry monsters they were to bring down, with the dashing trout they were soon to allure, and with the sumptuous re- pasts they would insure for the well-known (and sometimes alluded to) hunters' appetites. A room was always given up to packing these lovely devices, where they formed a medley of the most picturesque details ; but when they were once in the deep woodland, where one horse and one steer before a " go devil " was the sole means of transportation over boulders, roots, fallen trees ««ti»««i«i*»i*«AttiSSfasw*--' ' 80 GYPSY DAYS. and slipping snow-banks, they were just a little diffi- cult to arrange, even laying aside all artistic and ffisthetic motives ; and if there lives a bronzed old woodsman who has not decorated many miles of trail with things that would not work when wet, were immovable if strained, and useless in an emergency where one cannot recall the proper manipulation of some unfailing inconvenience,— we have not met him. First of all, in turning from the ways called civilized, find out what is unnecessary, and a long atep is taken in becoming a gypsy. H. little diffi- tistic and 'onzed old y miles of when wet, less in an he proper enience, — ays called tsaiy, and sy. CHAPTER XII. Our outfit was organized for service, and few changes were made after the trial trip to Santa Monica. Our wagon was perfectly adapted to the work and stood seven hundred miles of varied service with little or no repairs. The high driv- er's seat insured command over four horses and gave admirable space for carrying baggage. All trunks and boxes were fitted to spaces, so that there, was no " shucking about," and when the spaces were filled there was little chance of any- thing being left behind. The table-top was hung behind the canvas that covered the rear seat, at an angle, and here was stored the bedding, light but bulky. In many forest-camps we always found beds 82 GYPSY DAYS. I! of « hemlock feathers " better than any art could offer. Elastic, clean, free from creepmg things, fragrant and wholesome, it has no equal for in- ducing sweet sleep; but the plains of California offered no provision of the kind, although the balsams of the Sierra were very good when obtain- able. Hence it was necessary to carry mattresses. As soon as our three tents were up, india-rubber sheets were spread in all but the dressing-room tent, and even when the ground was seemmgly as dry as months of sunshine could render it, these sheets were always wet on the under side when taken up. On these sheets the mattresses were laid, and soft rugs above them. A tew cushions with gay covers, mission blankets of varied hues, and wall pockets, made the open tent rich in color and attractive. Camp-chairs were set under the trees about the camp, where our table was convenient between meals for maps, books and correspondence. Uur horses were tethered with long ropes to iron pins, to enioy the nutritious clovers and grasses, which, with rations of barley, kept them in fine working condition. In the mornings they eyed keenly the tents, and when signs of life were seen, they neighed and capered like dogs with dehght. H. V GYrSY DAYS. 83 art could jr things, lal for in- California lough the en obtain- nattresses. dia-rubber ising-room seemingly render it, under side mattresses tt. A few (lankets of B open tent B about the nt between ence. Our iron pins, sses, which, me working 1 keenly the seen, they th delight. They differed widely in adapting themselves to being tethered. Some of them, if the ropes caught under root8 or logs would stand patiently awaiting assistance; but Tom would feed in a forest around trees and stumps until his long rope seemed a snarl of hopeless intricacy, but he inva- riably worked backward and diHcntangled himself without cutting any Gordion knots. The presence of our faithful animals was always a source of interest and prevented loneliness, giving some- thing of a homestead air to the wild situations we were often in. A brilliant lamp in our tent made reading a pleasure in the evenings ; and another night-light hung by the opening, where the faithful pointer nightly assumed a watchman's post as if detailed for the service. Our men were excellent, secur- ing us every safety and attention, while the cook- ing outfit now tested for many days proved more than capable of equalling the best cuisine of the few hotels we dined at. Supplies at times gave out ; but shipments from San Francisco met us at stated points, rod and gun brought trout and quail to the larder, and when all resources failed, a payment of a small sum would secure the right to shoot domestic fowls that could not be caught •aMKSg(^gBM&j^^5ai^Si9i^^SSj#»SMe».i««W^*«***»ssi'SBi«i«^««*s^^ .'-. ^*tv;JiVis*^^- 84 UyPSY DAYS. in any other way, as they were quite as wild as the game of Enj,^li8h presorves. Ranches were many miles apart, U'i usually one was j.assed between luncheon and night, v> hen milk could be procured. The Spanish residents conduct their dairying in prim.tlve ways. To get a qujut of milk, a half-wil(? row would be lassoed and led to a post where a few turns would fasten the rope ; another coil would then be cast around her hind feet, binding them together, nfter which the quantity needed would be milked, itad the cow turned loose to be milked again if net led, or not approaijli d for day». Yet \nth all this se-uniug lack of system, good butter was the rule and excellent bread ordina- rily obtainable. When the latter was missing, oatmeal, rice, and various farinaceous foods were made extremely palatable by the perfect steam cooking of our multifarious utensil. "J »a i »M»ai j »ai w . ig. T twaffaiw'w»»-fc"' -f'*«*»* * '" *' ■^f- - ■■' ■ . 'i \ - 1 \ ■t J ^^^^^F' • IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 110 1^ 1^ ^ 12.2 i ■ 40 I 2.0 1.8 1-25 1.4 |||.6 < ^ 6" ► 73 # /^ ''a /. '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation •y 23 west MAIN STtlfT WEBSTIR.N.Y. 14SM> (716) S72-4503 m^^'^^l^s^i^'cwmm^m' sc^ssift ? f/. e CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques ■^••:-%iS8. ms \> CHAPTER XIII. OwwABD by easy stages over sand-hills at Arroyo Grande, by the interesting Mission of Santa Mar- gareta, we made our way northward, every hour full of keen interest and enjoyment, galloping over the sod that was a carpet of blossoms, loiter- ing under the great oaks whose shade gave moisture to a lovely blue flower (a flower limited to the ground under the trees, producing the cunous effect of blue shadows), and camping every evening amid new scenes, all having enough variety to fiU the twilight with pleasure. El Paso de Robles (the Pass of the Oaks) is approached from the south by a road equal to a park-drive, through a vast expanse of plain where the grass is fed down to lawn-like keeping by 86 GYPSY DAYS. sheep; indeed landscape gardening could add little to this beautiful spot, filled as it was with majestic single trees that only centuries could pro- duce, with groups of blooming shrubs scattered in graceful outlines, and views of mountain summits over all. We could gallop far and wide seeing neither fence nor barrier, where every hour's rambling made it more a mystery why these great oaks, many of them six or seven feet in diameter, should have found soil favoring their superb growth ; with no other trees, as in the East, crowding to share the space about them. Day after day of azure sky, soft air, brilliant twilight and assured immunity from coming storms made life a holiday. We rode and drove for hours, returning hungry to our camps, to eat and sleep as only those can who hve in the open ab. Health — ruddy, vigorous health — came to us all; our hardened muscles seemed to know no fatigue, and as to nerves, we forgot their existence. A half-day's easy drive from Paso Robles Springs brought us to the Mission of San Miguel, a large church with other buildings surrounding a quadrangle with one entrance only, indicating, in connection with old walled-up loop-holes, that v.. arrsY days. 87 )uld add was with ould pro- scattered mountain g neither rambling eat oaks, er, should growth ; owding to er day of id assured a holiday, ig hungry those can . — ruddy, hardened and as to ISO Robles an Miguel, irrounding indicating, -holes, that the arrangement had defensive as well as religious purposes in contemplation. One hundred years ago the buildings were evidently a much more imposing group, but time has left little to show their original extent beside the outlines of old foundations. Birds very similar to our Eastern favorites were quite abundant in wooded districts, but some slight difference in color or unfamiliar notes made them practically strangers. Quail were in frequent flocks ; so numeroup, indeed, as to do mischief in vineyards. Driving rapidly along we often shot them over the heads of our leaders, but no second barrel could be used without endanger- ing Gypsy's head, as he invariably reared at the report of the gun, although he made no effort to run. They are not an especially tempting bird for the table, but a few often came to good purpose, when our supplies ran low. Often no market was passed for several days, so that our gun and rod were our only resource for variety on our table. Once when all other schemes failed, a fat lamb was bought, with the result of unlimited feasting on curries and chops. A fat cotton-tail rabbit simmered in curry in the large part of the cooker, with rice steamed, potatoes ditto, brought before .■sife^ifc^gyijis6iij«fej6,;s»»ij«i^j fii*t's-M/M>,T ^-J^^-^^;3V■" 88 arp^iY DAYS. lis ftftor a long ride or drive was not to be de- spised ; but the long-eared jack-rabbits took loo much violent exercise to be tender, and we ceased shooting them. Our pointer added miles to his daily course by chasing them, never seeming to become discouraged by their sailing over grain or weeds in long bounds that carried them out of his reach in a moment. The route up the San Antonio was through a very lonely but picturesque country, the few ranches being occupied by the original Spanish Indian half-breeds, a seemingly harmless popula- tion, but many stage robberies in this wild region indicated that the " road men " were in a country where they found protection and assistance in their raids on the express boxes. We were sup- posed to carry no money. Our men were paid at the banking-houses of the larger towns, and they usually paid our bills for us from their earn- ings. Once, as we will recount later, we were actually out of cash, all pockets empty, no grain in the sacks or supplies in the hampers, no known friends to call upon. From tlie sources of the San Antonio, quite high on the east side of the coast range, we passed to the head-waters of the Salinas, which (I Yl'S Y DA YS. 89 u be r\{i- took loo vo ceased Ics to his jming to grain or m out of irough a the few Spanish J popula- Id region country tance in irere sup- ere paid ms, and eir earn- «ve were no grain D known 0, quite nge, we By which runs northward to the Bay of Monterey, where there is a wide break in the coast range through which the sea-air chilled by Arctic currents is drawn to fill the vacuum caused by the heated air rising over the sun-scorched plain of the San Joaquin Valley. As this cool air passes over the land, its temperature is rapidly raised : consequent- ly it covets moisture and derives it from every possible source. It hardens the skin, which is at the same time sun-burned and chilled, the hair and nails become brittle, and there are many discom- forts. Trees grow only in ravines where some moisture remains, and they do not hold their heads much above the banks that protect them. Bird and animal life is not abundant on the plains, and the few specimens that exist adapt themselves to the exigencies of their habitat. The ground squirrel is common and a pest. He resembles the gray squirrel of the East, with a less superb tail ; but a glorious tail to balance and guide him in leaping from bough to bough would be of no value, for he has not the trees to sport upon ; he burrows in the ground where possible moisture is found ; if not, he is at least out of the wind. This loss of the plume-like tail of the squirrel of the forest is an instance of the weakening of J>0 tiYl'SY DAYS. an unused niombev. Our experience would sug- gest that a squirrel with a full bushy tad, such a plume as curls over the backs of our home bunnies, would possibly be blown away by the gale as is the flying spider by his parachute web. A small mud-tinted bird runs in the ruts of the road when they are deep enough for shelter, flying only when forced to. He has no visible feathered companion ; for the only other bird observed is the burrowing owl, who does not suggest social character as a prominent trait as he sits on the mound by bis hole in the ground, turning his head around so fast and far that it is a source of wonder that he does not wring his own neck. A most amusing habit has this especial member of the family ot wisdom: it is a most pronounced and constantly repeated bow or, more correctly, courtesy. It is not the bow of welcome or the nod of hospitality; it is curt, rapid and definite, conveying plainly the hint: "Good-bye! Good-bye !!- Don t wait out in the wind. Good-bye !- Good-bye ! — Why don't you go on? " Sad would be the lot of beast or bird on the Salhias plain, that possessed no hole in the ground for refuge. 8Ug- icli a kiiies, as is small when when nion ; )wing r as a ^y his nd so lat he lusing lily of tantly It is itality; )lainly Don't d-bye ! be the 1, that CHAPTER XIV. Fbebh supplies awaited our arrival at Soledad, where we halted only long enough to select our route eastward. Two were offered, neither very tempting : one around the spur of the San Benito range, where we would face a gale of dust-laden wind; the other back on the east side of the Salinas River, over the range of the San Benito. We chose the latter as more picturesque and sheltered. It was a prudent choice, although the road led along the Bitterwater, a little rivulet as clear as air, but so full of alkali that our horses would not approach it. At midday on the Bitterwater our thermometer nearly reached 90'; in the evening a cool gale blew the sand, and rendered necessary .^«g^^agsagSi,^ssss8WSs,»aM.5.j«S4>i.wi«*-«^^ r't-J^^^-"*<«^ y '>'" ^---'^^^m iS^-^^V" 92 (} YPS y DA YS. many extra blows on the tent-pc^s to drive them deep enouf^h to hohl the stay ropes. Down the San Benito, with thirty fords to the Pinoehe, was difticult driving. Late high-water had rolled bowlders into the tew passable parts of the river- bed, the round stones made footing too uncertain to encourage the use of our saddle-horses, and only Ferguson's skill and unceasing care carried us through safely without breaking a buckle. Approaching Ilollister we found the valuable lands fenced in, leaving no wayside corners for gypsy tents, nor rich alfaleria clover for the horses ; so we accepted the hospitable welc»>me of a farmer and camped in his grounds, where seven bright children surrounded us with friendly curiosity, olfering us their aid in little ways. In all our wanderings we met with this constant kindness : fruits, flowers and dainties were sent to our tent by those who knew nothing of us, and we could only acknowledge the favors by small gifts, a supply of which we always had on hand. Offerings of money would have offended the generous people who, having in nearly all instances had long camp experiences, were prompt in hos- pitality to wayside wanderers. We rested long after the rough, fatiguing drive GYPSY DAYS. 03 ^e them iwn the *inoche, (1 rolled le river- neertain jes, and carried de. valuable iiers for for the [come of re seven friendly constant ere sent f us, and by small 3n hand, ied the instances b in hos- ing drive of the San Benito and Pinoche, giving the day (Sunday) to much needed n-st ; but we were a little disturbed on making our inventory to find ourselves out of nearly all supplies and totally out of money, (u>r men having expended theirs also. We knew no one within a hundred miles, while our needs were immediate and pressing : food for our horses, everything for ourselves, and wages for our faithful attendants. There was nothing for it but "cheek." The horses were given an extra grooming, the harness a long omitted polishing, the wagon was washed, while we put on our best flannels and as many evidences of civilized life as one trunk could afford. The empty wagon was a light load for our four best horses ; they snapped it around the corners of Hollister just as the good people were going to church, and we were soon in the business part of that prosperous place. Inquiries for a banker secured the information that the post- master was the person to see. He was fortunately in his office, where a mass of mail awaited us ; and with a confidence we could not have expected, he said he would take our checks ; in fact, he wanted checks on the Bank of California for various amounts, all of which we drew, and soon were in -^meg.-. :^»JfeS-v*a''a-=^*«*6'^^ i,i|f;:4Btrif:w- -*' i^ 106 (lYP.sY DAYS. the jrmit trees, which stood tall and stately, some of tlu'in covcreil with jroKk'n moss that made them resunibU' the jrihled pipes of a great orj^uu, otliers dark and somhre. Tlioy were not the giant se- (luoia, hut the hardly less impressive sugar-pine, Douglas spruce, cedars, and their giant km that so overwhelm ns with surprise and annul our pre- conceived ideas of forest-trees. There were fallen trees about us whose mammoth stems prone on the earth could not be overlooked from our saddles. In the deepening gloom they seemed more monstrous than they were, to our unaccus- tomed eyes, and we felt conscious of sensations like those of Gulliver in Brobdignag. Masses of snow still rested on the road, to the terror of our horses. Raised in Southern Cali- fornia, they had never seen winter, and from this novel substance under their feet, or from scenting some wild beast, they screamed with fright, the thrilling sound a horse rarely utters,— one we had never heard before, nor wish to listen to again. We had to lead them over the soft path of pme needles; and to induce them to cross the bridges over the mountain torrents, that were sheets of white foam, required all of our skill and patience, as they called and answered one another ; but ^,^...*,i*/Si»«^'aBAr.^>i»sn*«*»i»ft*»« tl Yl'.s Y DA I'.V. 107 some them itliers nt se- -pine, 1 thnt r pre- were prone [u our L>cme(l accus- latiuns tu the 1 Cali- >m this cntiiig ht, the we had jain. of pine bridges eets of atience, jr ; but when it grew dark, thoy Hnrrondcrnl thcnisolvpH to inanagomont with a trust that was ahnost chihl- like, and pressed as closely as possible to our shoulders, as we felt for the path we could not see. Horses that have been picketed about a tent, fed from the table, as ours often were, are com- panions day and night, and arc ridden far away from their native homos and familiar scenes, assume relations of affection and dependence that are very interesting. They become more like dogs, clinging closely to the movements of the party if permitted, and wild with alarm if sepa- rated from it. Knowing nothing of the long road down the mountain, our progress was slow and uncertain until the moon rose, shedding a faint light through the trees that held their dark tops often two or three hundred feet above us. At last we saw the gleam of the lights at " Clark's," a snug hotel ; but Madame and La Petite declined to seek the shelter of a house, late as it was ; so feeling for a level plateau with our feet, we turned aside into the forest, where in half an hour we were as much at home as ramblers can be. By the light of a reflecting lamp we found a few sugar-pine cones, each one a handful. A i?,/iriHi:int lij-ht wliicli La IVtitf kt'pt supplifil with frcsli fiwl, \vliil»' the liorHew wcro pick.'tod ami tln' t»'iitH ititclied. Really as rapiiUy as it can bo writtni, a j;;Iiuy forcst-iiook was lraiisfay blankets and crim- son eushit)ns. 'I'he transition from darkness, fa- tiirue and anxietv to surroundings so luxuriouH aiul eheprful always acet-nted our camping after a louir dav's travel, and enhaiu-ed the enjoyment of food and rest. Weary as we were, wo sjit for hours burning the huge eones to flash light far into the forest, and chatting over the day's events before we dropped back on our blankets to sleep. It was late before we awoke the next niorning to SL'o, before we had separated our dreams from tho reality of our si^-iation, the face of an Indian 8(piaw steadily peering at us through the folds of th..-. Vn '< i*-;i=>^^u.***r*' ,-a*«M*ii«S^*s;%i=i*s*^^^J»^:^=^!i;ViUfl^Ja>S*^i^Vi^. .T'X'.SMai&iJ^-?*. '-^i^^-*''*-'-*^''^**^'''^'^^'*^'' ' kept wcro pidly WJIH cr a kiiij?, I our f the criin- H, f a- irious Cter a nt of ,t for it fur vents sleep, ng to HI the lulian Ids of CHAPTER XVII. "Clauk'k," or the " Big Tree vStation," is on the Merced route to the Yosemite Valley, and the near- est point to the Mariposa Grove of " hig trees." Stages daily passed our camp laden with tourists, nearly all of whom were making the trip as rajv idly as possible, eager to see the salient points of the valley and be off and away. Yet there were many inducements to linger and enjoy the great forests, to breathe the air so full of the soft odors peculiar to evergreen woodlands, and rest surrounded by superb scenes. Winter amid the mountains is very much in earnest. The fall of snow blocks the roads until often the only egress is on snow-shoes; but May sees a beautiful spring casting lavish favors of verdure and bloom r^j»-^*t-''j> ifofvv*to).'i».sr- 110 arrsY days. i.\ broadcast, and those who can Unger among the rfivines have loveliness all about them. Four miles away, througii the sombre forest by a trail that saddle-horses can follow, the giant se- quoias stand. We mounted our horses, — Fergu- son with our gipsy girl of seven years before him on sure-footed Sam, Madame on her faithful Billy Gray, the cook following on Jerry, with a hamper of lunch, — and set out, climbing leisurely along the trail, passing trees of ten and twelve feet ciliameter constantly, sjigar-pines straight and cylindrical, reaching from two hundred and fifty to three hundred feet into the air, with room under their lowest branches for the monarchs of Eastern woodlands. Under the shade, bursting up at the edge of the snow that still remained, we saw for the first time the snow-flower, a gorgeous bloom very del- icate in detail. A plant like an asparagus head, but much larger, an inch and a half or two inches in diameter, pushes up through the soil without a leaf, and when about six inches high, opens a soft crimson mass of flowers, in character resembling a hyacinth, with encircling ribbons of scarlet and black. It is of extreme beauty, and one can but regret that it is dif&cult, if not quite impossible, ».'»ir!B«^-Sf«^3SS»S^:5?W!tSBlR.Kri!^ long the 'orest by [^ant se- - Fergu- Eore him Ful Billy hamper ly along live feet ;ht and md fifty Lh room archs of edge of the first i^ery del- is head, o inches ithout a as a soft iembling irlet and can but possible, »Si!@!5('«5BS»TW^- SS 'Jlf^Jt i^\^«**-r GYPSY DAYS. Ill to have them show their glories where more lovers of flowers can enjoy them. Our pointer started a (leer from his midday rest to hound before us, and beyond doubt, many of the animals of the Sierra were at home among the ravines we followed. We brought no guide, escaping the annoyance of vi.siting wonderful things "personally conducted," but found our way along the trail that evidently was not often followed at that time. We came unexpectedly upon the cinnamon- colored sequoias,— marked trees from their pecu- liar bark and its tint, and extremely beautiful in outline and character. So perfectly are they proportioned that the first impression is rather one of great beauty than size. Indeed it took time, study and comparison to realize the immen- sity of the stems towering so lightly in the air. Two were quite near us, standing on the opposite bank of the stream. This bank was fifteen or twenty feet high, but the vast roots extended from top to bottom, grasping it as if it was a hil- lock, with massive interlacing roots that alone could uphold the towering trees that held their heads on high as if defying time and storms for- ever. These trees were about fifteen feet in clear it 112 GYPSY DAYS. diameter, not large members of the giant family, but among the most perfect, tempting us to long study before passing on to others. One of the same size, or larger, was prone upon the earth, giving a greater impression of magnitude than those that were standing. Our rambles eventually brought us to the famous "Grizzly Giant," the patriach: thirty- four feet in diameter, carrying immense size with slight diminution to the limbs which were well towaid the top. These wonders of the arborical world do not disappoint the most exalted antici- pations of their grandeur ; they are so truly vast that long study of their towering forms enhances the delight they inspire, and one leaves them with sincere regret. Onward, Yosemite-ward : the road is through glorious woodland with wild mountiiin scenery of constantly increasing boldness before the eye. Each succeeding summit gives more definite sug- gestion of the wonderful beauties of the valley, so that one reaches Inspiration Point by steps admirably calculated to lead up to the highest enjoyment of this first look into the great chasm. It is a view that perhaps has no equal ; it is so harmonious in altitude and extent, so surprising aVPSY DAYS. 113 family, to long of the ; earth, le than to the thirty- ize with sre well iborieal I antiei- uly vast nhauccs em with through inery of he eye. lite sug- i valley, )y steps highest i chasm. it is so rprising in combination, that for a time it pours sensations upon the eye that the mind fails to comprehend. The vision has to learn new lessons. To regard what looks like fine moss under shadowy cliffs as huge forests undt'r cloven mountain precipices, — to see in a silver thread the winding Merced River, to recognize a wisp of white mist as a rushing fall of fabulous altitude, and a field of seemingly tiny features, as a valley seven miles long ! We were not hurried on as stage tourists usu- ally were, but were free to take ample time to study this comprehensive outlook of the varied wonders we were later to enjoy in detail, until they should become familiar features, ever more beautiful as they became better known. Leaving our men and horses to follow, we walked down the mountain-side with new glimpses of the most exquisite character opening at every step, forgetful of time, lingering until night was upon us, when we reached the torrent of the Bridal Veil Fall, which was so swollen by water from the snow-fields far above us, that it was un- safe to try the ford, a very rocky one with a cur- rent of high velocity. We were some miles from any building, out of food for our horses and short of many necessaries ; but there was no get- f-ii 114 fiVPsr DAYS. ting on, 80 we turned from the road to a thicket near the foot of the Bridal Veil Fall, where we 80on had a snug camp-fire and fragrant balsam couches. Lying before the camp-fire we looked up at the great fall, which, in the night, seemed to come from the zenith : swaying, rushing, thundering, as white as snow, indeed almost luminous. From eliil's nine hundred feet above us it sprang, and came without a ledge to check its fall. At times the torrent poured directly down, Heecy and quiet ; then with a cannon-like boom it would sway far away to be wafted back again, so closely that the spray fell upon us and the tree glistened with the mist-drops in the fire-light. It was a weird, ghost-like presence, one we watched for hours, until the moon shone over the towering cliffs to dispel some of the mystery of the sway- ing form, while revealing still new beauties. As the frost of the night locked up the water of the snow-buried mountain tops, the power of the stream was slightly checked ; but all night long the ground trembled and the boom of the torrent prevented us from forgetting, even in sleep, the white-robed Spirit of the Sierra. i thicket here we balsam p at the to come ndering, From ing, and Y down, boom it gain, so the tree ?ht. It watched owering le sway- es. As r of the of the ht long ! torrent eep, the CHAPTER XVIII. The great cataract was not the creation of a dream, but on our early awakening was coming as white and beautiful as ever from the blue sky. The volume of water was lessened by the cold ni the mountains, so we hastened our packing to make an early crossing of the ford that had baffled us the night before. As our last thnigs were being stored, a large open coach drawn by six horses dashed through the river, and up the road on a gallop, bearing a gay party of tourists who waved salutation and cheered us as they spun along. » i xu They were going out, and in a few days the individuals of the merry partie des voyageurs would be scattered far and wide, — to Australia, 116 (,)•/'> V /^tv>. China, Orefjon or the East, ix-coimtinj; in various tonjjues the beauties of the Yoseniite Valley. The ford was a deep one tilled with bowlders, the powerful current was r()llin<; on all the time, the water was up to the box of the w:igon ; but the ladies were on the high drivei's-seat, and our perishables piled up on the rear tuut out of danger, with the e(H>k precariously balaneed on the summit of the eoUection. The writer prospected the ford on horseback, and all passed through safely, finding an excellent road winding between the Merced liiver and the south walls of the mountains. Sunrise is practically a midday event : so tall are the lofty walls that encircle the valley ; and we drove merrily along under the shadows of the towering cHffs with gorgeous views opening momentarily before us, seeking a spot for a i"«r- manent camp, embarrassed only in selection by the myriad of charming situations that offered rival attractions. Our choice fell upon a sloping [dain under the shadow of the Sentinel Rock, an obelisk shaft that pierced the sky three thousand feet above us. A wnall stream rustling from the craggy summit dissipated into spray by falling froni rock to rock, came rushing by our tent, brilliant, pure various )owl«'r- eetlon by it offered under the lisk shaft above us. »y Rummit 1 rock to iaut, pure ' dhtiJQ / / GYPSY DAYS. 117 and coM, while a few scattered pines afforded shade for the few hours of midday during which the sun peered over the royal summits that shut in the sky to a narrow limit. From our well chosen encampment, six water- falls were in sight, including the great Yosemite Fall. Indeed it was hardly necessary to move to see many of the most exquisite features of this unequalled spot; so we spread out our blankets and cushions, and rested hour after hour, realiz- ing the vastness and wonderful characteristics of the varied scene. The Yosemite Fall, two thou- sand six hundred feet high, was opposite to us, brilliant in full sunlight, — a wonderful feature. The sound of the rushing waters filled the whole valley; and every few moments booming ex- plosions came from the torrents, echoing like peals of artillery over the continuous roar of the cataract. ThJse loud reports strike the ear when the streams are full, day and night. They are attributed to variou, causes, such as great rocks falling over, or more probably to the sudden release of compressed air which finds vent when the torrent sways rapidly away to one side or the other, as it does constantly. We have noticed the mme waving aside, like a curtain Its tiVrSV DAYS. blown bv the wind, at tlie Staubach Fall in Switzerland and the same detonations, but in a loss degree, as might be expected when the falls are compared: the Swiss fall being but six hundred feet high, or less than one quarter the altitude of the famous Sierra cataract. The fall of stones at the time of high-water renders it unsafe to approach the foot of either fall without great caution, as we found after having been exposed to danger from fragments of rock that came with meteoric force, to be shattered on the cliffs about us as we stood near the Yosemite. When our gaze turned from the Yosemite Cascade, the great granite precipice of El Capitan was a feature that was of endless interest. From the lofty summit of this brilliant crag a small rivulet leaped into the air, — falling, falling, falling, becoming first spray and then white foam, then from its velocity a thin almost invisible mist, to sway with the varying wind which at times caught the impalpable stream and carried it cloud-like over the mountain. Often the stream was so dissipated that it could be traced only by the shadow it cast on the white rock, before which it was wafted like the spirit of A cascade. Amid all these beautiful things oypsV DAYS. 119 \\\ in ut in n the r but uarter •water either after ments to be [ near tn the ice of ndless illiant illing, then ilmost wind n and Often Id be white spirit things our situation was a most fortunate one, quite remote from hotels, leaving us free to study the gigantic features without any distracting com- panionship, or intruding suggestions from guides or peddlers. Ordinary tourists were hampered by more or less annoying restrictions as to guides, saddle- horses and routes; they were often hurried to keep up with the impatient souls who never linger to enjoy impressions, and nearly always were accompanied by a gushing element more or less pronounced, ready to essay putting the wonders — so full of inspiring suggestion — into superlatives of especial unfitness. All these vexations we escaped; indeed our tent was ordinarily as secluded as if we were the discoverers of the valley. Beside a daily stage, there was little passing our retreat to remind us of companionship other than that of the stu- pendous works of nature. All tended to the perfection of gypsy life, especially as we did not permit the tempting points about us to so hasten our inspection of them as to expose our minds too rapidly to the intense impressions they must make on any one who is sensitive to the beauties and wonders of 120 GYPSY DAYf!. nature. There is probably no accessible spot where vast and magnificent combinations of mountain and valley are so interwoven with the beauties of calm and falling water, forest, cliff and dome as in the valley we were camping m ; and quietly as we lived among the wonders, we could but be at times bewildered and over- whelmed with all that excited awe, wonder and admiration, nor did the deep impress of our surroundings lessen as day by day we became familiar with them. *»• CHAPTER XIX. Ouu breakfast, served in the open air under a low-spreading pine, was a very different event from the conuuonphice beginning of the day within the confines of civilization. Sleep in tents leaves the gypsy rambler with a fresh, wide-awake vigor that seldom favors one when aroused from the soft beds, curtained chambers and artificial heat of even the most perfectly ventilated houses ; it has a restoring influence that has not only " knitted up the ravelled sleeves of care," not only made good the waste and weariness of a day forever gone, but one that gilds the glad possession of another morning with keen appreciation, high hope and physical enjoyment. 122 OYPSY DAYS. About US, around our gypsy home, our horses were tethered, watching our movements with an intelligence that comes only from nomadic com- panionship. Billy Gray, if loosed, would take his feed-box in his mouth and bring it right side up like a contiibution-box, soHciting an extra treat of grain; and if refused he would com- mence a career of mischief that only ended when he was ignominiously led to his tether-pin, after having burned his nose on the stove-pipe and upset many things, the cook's temper included. At the time of our lingering in the valley the sun's increasing power was unlocking the streams, opening the buds, painting the flowers, giving rainbow color to the spray from the lofty cat- aracts, and awakening the animal and vegetable life that, tented under billows of snow, had slept away a long winter. All was fresh, fragrant and vigorous. Life, motion and power pulsated in sky, water and sod, filling our ears with the roar of the cascades, our eyes with myriad beauties, our lungs with the spring-breath of the woodland laden with the perfumes of bursting bud and opening flower, and our hearts with gratitude at being permitted thus — an undis- turbed little family circle in a tint^:;d home — to •. *ar«i- *ii»«i --*!%« J»Pf*Bi*"- " GTrST DATS. 128 give ourselves to enjoying scenes that are un- equalled. It is difficult to realize how much of the impress of the valley must be lost to those who are within hotels — all bustle and confusion from arriving and departing tourists; to the parties who bargain for strange horses, follow different guides, invade such sanctuaries as the Minor Lake in company with half a hundred sharp- voiced "personally conducted" wanderers, and are hastened here and there to see wonders that must forever float in their minds as mixed phan- toms of confused succession. Our days were half idle, given to gazing at the cataracts, the cliffs and domes, watching from eouehes of fragrant balsam the shadows come and go, and letting the delicious influences of the magnificence about us make their slow impress until they became so deep and lasting that through the memories of many a later wandering the scenes of the Yosemite come as fresh and shapely to mind as the development of a well-exposed photographic plate. Occasionally, as a mild form of industry, we took trout from the clear pools of the Merced giver, — a welcome addition to our bill of fate, .•w -^t'7l^=t^fSttfSlJOfS»''^^*'" ' 124 a YVS Y If A JVS'. but H less delicate fish by far than their speckled cousins of the Eastern States. Our horses proved sure-footed and more powerful than the ponies that are secured for climbing the trails to the hij;h points of interest. The trails are very crooked, narrow and gener- ally uncertain, often passing points where a stumbling horse might throw a rider a thousand feet over ragged rocks. At first it is dizzy climbing, causing as much fear as pleasure to nervous persons ; but the wonderful scenes soon overcome all timidity, and equestrians learn to leave their horses to pick their own way, which they do with great caution. Our first ascent was to Glacier Point, — an excursion giving a most comprehensive series of views, including the especially noted points of the high Sierras, fine down-looks into the valley, and an extensive survey of the famous domes and great peaks of the ragged ranges that bewilder the eye with the vast perspectives of rock and snow that make a superb sky-line to the far east. Union Point first affords a resting-place two thousand three hundred feet above the valley. This rocky plateau commands a bird's-eye view 'litjS^.*; :* V.^*-te.*>*-I.-' ,.j^.>^rtMiW»*^--"*'^**'*t'>«-' < ^■i.:- ,r?-:::-^«i*W.+*--r.Siitt|WBa«« (, )/',sV /MK.v 125 of the valley, iiicliuling tho Yoseiuite Fall, Mirror Lake and a hmulied ••reat foatmi's, and richly rewards the toil of tho ascent should no wonders be found beyond; but when after a rest the tourist passes on to Sentinel Dome and Glacier Point, new views unfold themselves that are not included in the sweep of the valley itself. Directly in front of Glacier Point, beyond a deep precipitous chasm, the magnificent cataracts of tbe Vernal and Nevada falls are superb features : one above the other in a wild ravine, through which the snow-fed river pours from the high Sierra, falling two thousand feet in two miles, leaping at the Vernal Fall four hundred feet, and at the Nevada six hundred feet in cascades of driven foam. All the setting of these cataracts is worthy of them: towering granite domes, riven peaks, deep gorges with dark foliage in such spots as earth is found to support trees, and over all the grand Sierra sum- mits, white with mantles of snow that accent their picturesque forms against the deep blue sky of Nevada. Part of the way to these points we went on horseback through cuttings in snow so deep that we could not reach the tops of the drifts with our whips while in the saddle. Men i i nrrsr DAYf. extending these tunnel-like cuttings, but we men compelled to leave our steeds and go on foot over fields of hard snow that were of un- known depths, where a slip might send one over ledges that crown dizzy heights. Our days were full of varied pleasure; each night developed new beauties as the moonlight fell on tlie snow-white cascades that with their constant roar were ever present, filling even our ■leep with consciousness of their ceaseless power. No one pen can describe the mysterious valley •o long hidden in the Sierra fastnesses; the geologist, the botanist, artist, poets, scientists, ittd gypsies, — all may give pages filled with attempts to tell the story of the valley, and •fbandon the vam task, leaving more untold. Tke wildest fancy can scarcely suggest a fan- teitic feature that does not exist, and it is indeed ane place where the longing for wild and infinite WMity it IvUy satisfied. ■,^:i«a«7Ct'ii»ta>V"-««!*«tW5^JJ^^ 6l)iSa>-^l!«!«!/j'U!»«> I, but ro on >f Uh- 1 over each nlight their n our ower. valley ; the ntists, with r, and mtold. Et fan- Indeed nfinite CHAPTER XX. MjmaiAL conwderation* break mdel; iMo th« BMit romantic moments. Our d»y» weie fril of ckfigbt, but our hours for vagabonding W9te Artmrng to an end. Hay (barley straw) was seventy dollars a ton and hard to get Our honst missed the nutritious alfaleria of more fertik lands, and sh DAYS. were) and oii ovor tlu* mountain ranges north of tho Mcri'i'tl Kivcr, wliiili wiis roarinj; savaj^ely far below iih. Tlie varyin^'' views hel'oro us were very {j[rantl, hut tame in (omparison witli those ^^.'^^ "( (■ CoMiMi 111 I Of 1 iir, \' \IM;^ . we were leaving ; and we all Celt, in looking back to the last glimpse of the Hall' Dome and Mount Starr King, that the vivid enjoyments we had so fully realized would long be more actual in memory than any new ones we eould anticipate. Our outward route was by the then newly m ':t^"" ww^fe^' (iVrsv n.ws. 12U complctcil ("tiiillcrvillf Uoiul. a will-i ii;iiu'( U'll and jifil'dllv made toll-rnad. Sniu al'lci' Iciivltij;' the valley wc |.asM'i| lli' ilti|» l<»r«I (»!' llio Cuwadi'rt ill .si;;lit ul' tin- Tal's, w Iiiili an- \crv Imndsoiuo, s(» uriiiid (hat tlu'V would lie a luaikdl fi'aturc in any spot Itt s iidl id* greater atlrac- tiuns. For some m\Uf> the road i; hl<;ii on (he norlh side of thi' Canon of thi; M reed, whieh, ia;;in^' with du' ihxxl of s|)rin<.';, (ills (h(! air \Ni(h i(s ceastdesfi roar. \\ hen al last it disappeared from view anion;.;' eraij;s a. id foi' >i, w.f were; i'ov \\w. first nionient .since enterin;^' the v;iHey in a (piiet woodland, wli 're the stilhiess was a novelty, — we having l)een so ion;^ amid the p: r[)etnal hoDiii and rush of falling- wat rs that onr (ar.s had become aeeustoineil lo it. From the high passes norih of th(f Mereed there were six thonsand fet-t of dtsccnt in onr favor as wt> drovi; westward; and ov^r (he ^ond road we went famously, exet pt wlun wc; halted to j>ather onr last souvenirs of the great forest, — huge eones, hranehes cowred v,it!i golden moss, sequoia-hark from trees shattered hy lightning, and flowers; (d' the litter we hid fouu 1 two hundred and thirty dillVrjut kinds (all wildj, ■- ■■»«»e*^p^.^«i^'-i*ft'^-- 130 GTrST DATS. many peculiar to California, among them abund- ant specimens of rare beauty. At niidday we passed the Merced Grove of Sequoia Gigantea, a fine collection of the giant trees, containing many of handsome form, but none equal in size to those of the Mariposa Grove. There were however among them speci- mens of twenty feet clear diameter, larger by far than any trees found away from the Sierra slopes. 1-11 Ferguson's rapid driving was admirable,— making us feel safe when swinging around curves so short the leaders were sometimes half out of sight, with precipices yawning far below the narrow ledges we were upon. Thirty.four miles we passed, amid lovely scenes, camping at Bower Cave, where deep among the rocks a subterraneous pool afforded interest for several hours' inspection. On again — through low half-barren foot-hills, passing hydrauUc mining-fields — to La Grange, our last camp, on ground so hard that an iron tent-pin could not be driven. So great was the fear on the part of the farmers of fire reaching the vast grain-fields, that we could only get permission to set our stove by placing it on the ll.-".--yA*iWy^--*:aat-:£?i^^i';iSJ-?-ei^S*.?i:* i^^-:-l=ti?- 4«'*K;^li**VV*^'^----^^ ■^^iS'^S^^^'^'^^''*'i^r^ .]t53t'^iij|*iiwr^'au :f *fear^*!s?^iatta^"--t^^ GYrSY DAYS. 131 em abund- Grove of : the giant form, but I Mariposa chem speci- rger by far the Sierra Imirable, — )und curves half out of below the mid lovely jfheTe deep )ol afforded n foot-hills, La Grange, bat an iron reat was the ire reaching d only get ig it on the gravel in the bend of a stream where it was watched with anxious eyes. It was the twenty-second of May, but a sharp shower fell ; the day before there was snow on the foot-hills, — an unusual event for the season. Our gypsy days were ending : this was to be the last day of our drive of seven hundred miles amid all varieties of scene and all classes of people; so we abandoned, not without regret, our camping traps, our stove utensils, and the many contrivances that had secured us luxuries and comforts no matter how remote our camp or forbidden our surroundings. With little to pack and a light wagon we were early on the road, — one of very slender interest, — passing through grain-fields, with here and there a house on posts, having little look of a home, shadeless and entirely unattractive. At lunch we haltec at one of these houses, where kind permission was accorded our cook to use the family stove in preparing our lunch. Awaiting it with keen appetites, for an hour we had a novel experience of climate. The sun was high and powerful, the air so clear that there was very little refraction, shad- ows were dark and sharp-edged, while the cool ~r--tit^.'4j^-%S5*- 132 CrYPSY DAY,"^. Avlnd I'lom tlio Pafific blew a steaily Wast. We Aveve too hot in tho sun : so we sought the only shelter available, wliich was the unroniantic north suh of a barn, where in three minutes we were chillca ; we wont back to get warm on the sunny side and wero soon sun-scorched ; agani we fled to the shade, only to be driven back into the bnrnin'" heat, and so it was with the ludicrous result that we marched in procession around the barn, chilled, burned and chilled again, untd we could lunch and drive on. , i The twin p--aks o!= Mt Diav^*.<«aiSteSfe»iSi*2afefe»iwas>as-^^^ 140 arrsr days. looked down into a white walled chasm through water that seemed too ethereal to support our skiff. It was a dizzy dowiilook into this deep pool, where long weeds writhed and swayed forty or fifty feet below us in the swell of the current, and where shoals t)f huge fish would swim out from under rocks and he swcjit rai>idly about like shadows. The water ros." with such force as to make a high boiling centre, where skilful rowing could poise a boat, only to slide* away with a rapid balloon-like motion that was not quite pleasant. Fine palmettos had surrounded this wonderful pool with a fit and beautiful shade ; but they were just then a heai) of snu)ulderuig ashes, having been cut away for cotton ground that might better have been taken from the unlimited forest beyond the small clearing. Van- dal hands have rarely marred a more weird scene, nor ignorance more surely damaged the value of a rare possession ; but so it is in Florida. All hands — from the jewelled one that wrote a lady's name in a font at St. Augustine, to the cracker's horny palm — are against the ancient, the curious and the beautiful, and ere long the shore may bear quack-medicine names, and old walls fall before want of taste and give way to pine- avrSY DAYS. 141 ur Bp ty It, ut kc to a ite lis e; m\ he in- ae, of r's >U8 lay all ae- fences as has the old and mysterious " Treasury wall" at St. Aujijiistine. Full of reirret at the useless saerifu'O of those trees, we let our boat drift down the stream, start- linjj again the water-fowl and the fish. A pale- faced crackei-boy came alon<;side in a dugout and tried to sell a wild tiukey f»)r a price that fell very rapidly ; hut we left it with him, as hardly to he cooked over a spirit-lamp or to he safely done by the (iremun under the boiler. Steaming on we foinid the numth of the Upper St. J(din, now a narrow river, flowing with some current through dense forest, where new forms of vejietable life abound and seeni to strive to cover the river with plants that float in miniature islands with the stream, and vines that reach out like cari)ets of green from the leaf-laden shores. Animal life did not abound here as it did a few years before, but was more abundant by far than now. Every man and boy on a steam- boat does " Shooting in Florida " with some arm : pistol, champagne-corks, orange-pips or rifles ; and no bird, from the sparrow to the carrion buzzard, is safe, except in the abundance of bad shooting. All are wild and flit on just out of range, and even the stupid alligator slips from 'v**i«*S**»f#:V'JW;fes^*ai«i***5»'^!Vfe»»flWS!^fe^ Vv "!„,j,:,a->y3F4?^'S.j;i3K- -.M 142 orrSY DAY.9. his mud bank wlieu tho Bteamers come laboring against the Ktrtam. Tho tropical character of this noble river w chielly scon above Lake George. North of this lake the northwest gales — tho cold storm winds of the country — pass only overland from the frozen north, and in mid-winter sometimes bnng a very unpleasant chill,— one that renders orange- culture precarious, blighting in some years the new buds ; but south of this, the winds havmg any westerly direction pass over more or less of the Gulf, and are disarmed by the warmth and moisture of that body of water of their blightmg chill and dryness, until about Enterprise cold and frost are practically unknown : palms, palmettos, bananas and orange-trees assume forms of vigor that render them very beautiful to the Northern eye, and the refugee from winter finds an assured promise of gentle air and golden sunshine. The river is very crooked, bending sharply around points, cutting deeply into the banks, forming deep boiling pools, where fish are seen breaking constantly. The shores are usually low ; a point ten feet high is known as a bluff, and such are sought by settlers for homes, pos- sessing all the freedom from miasma, insects, and ffTPSY DAY. 9. 143 •ing r is this iiidB the ring iige- the ving B of and ting and ittos, rigor hern iured irply inks, seen ually bluff, , pos- , and dampness that can he expected wlioro thr mu of almost perpetual Kumnier broeds (hiring many months a full crop of iinnoyaiiccs. The dryest and most desirable places are found upon the shell-mounds, where one Htrata upon another of shells forms elevations of very coii»i(l<'riil)le extent. These shell-formations are of greiit inttrest and puzzle the keenest minds with their layers of different shells, each distinctly defnu'd in char- acter and differing in a marked form from the next. The water-worn river-banks show long and perfect sections of this character, and the strata are plainly seen in even an