An Arizonan Hill-side. 175 



hill-side, the same rocks and cacti sheltered both. 

 They basked upon the same sunlit surfaces, often 

 in actual contact; they fed upon the same food, 

 and took refuge in the same safe harbors when 

 pursued ; but in every instance it held good that 

 the lizard was amiable and the skink otherwise. 

 I fancied a score of reasons for this while on the 

 spot, but have no foundation upon which to rest 

 any one of them, even for superficial investigation. 

 A merit of such a stroll as this of to-day is that 

 one must keep moving. To sit long in the same 

 spot where rocks are rugged and loose wearies far 

 more quickly than a constant change of position, 

 and with this change is endless novelty. It needed 

 but half a turn of the head to catch winning 

 glimpses of a new world From the wriggling 

 centipede at my feet, which delighted me by reason 

 of its graceful movements, to some distant moun- 

 tain, wrapped in rosy clouds, was a bold leap, but 

 one that the mountain rambler has constantly to 

 make. However vividly an object impressed itself 

 upon me, be it one at hand or many a mile away, 

 I was never so occupied as to be too late for 

 something new ; and why regret such aimless 



