ElvDOKADO 149 



seen at intervals in the distance, often numbering two 

 or three hundred. Jack and cottontail rabbits were 

 plentiful. At night and sometimes during the day the 

 dismal howl of the coyote would be heard in the ad- 

 jacent hills, and chickens were thus warned to roost 

 high. These predatory animals were very bold and 

 would often approach within a few steps of the door 

 of a ranch house to obtain food. While in the mines 

 a friend of mine out alone prospecting placed his grub 

 bag under his head for a pillow when camping for 

 the night. Sleeping soundly after a hard day's tramp 

 he gradually became aroused from his slumber by 

 something tugging at his pillow, and before he fully 

 awoke, his head dropped to the ground. Supposing 

 himself to be attacked by nothing less than a grizzly 

 he sat up in his fright and uttered a scream somethmg 

 in the nature of a warwhoop, or as he expressed it, 

 more "like the bellowing of a frightened calf." It 

 was, however, so sudden and pronounced a cry that 

 the bag was dropped, and a moment later a coyote set 

 up a howl not far distant that sounded like a whole 

 pack mixing their discordant notes together. My 

 friend passed the remainder of the night guarding his 

 grub bag. 



I became so impressed with the beauty and apparent 

 ricliness of the section bordering the Consumnes river 

 that the following five years it became my home. 



