FIRST IMPRESSIONS 13 



hat of the country, and further adorned by 

 the long ears of the burro, or native donkey, 

 whose four little legs, greatly abbreviated at 

 that, pattered along underneath the whole 

 affair two Mexicans, in short, carrying 

 firewood to market. And after these fol- 

 lowed a ten-horse team laden with ore for 

 the smelter. 



Weeks lagged by, spent in what seemed 

 an almost hopeless attempt, not at ranch- 

 hunting good ranches abounded, people 

 being at the tail-end just then of a destruc- 

 tive boom, and willing enough to sell but 

 home-hunting. The dreariness of the sur- 

 roundings of the average farmer's home in 

 this section debars description. The new- 

 comer, straight from the East, and unable 

 or unwilling to put a small fortune into 

 ' improvements/ may well be discouraged. 

 As one gets better acquainted with the 

 country, some reasons for this apparently 

 wanton neglect of home-making present 

 themselves, but they are far from being 

 sufficient in themselves. The absence of 

 flowers and creepers is partially explained 

 by the care they require, owing to the dry 



