42 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



in a box, but it did not take the " boss " long to make me 

 understand what he meant. The half-barrel we used had a 

 handle to it, through which at first we put a " porter," and two 

 carried it ; but we afterwards got so strong that one would 

 shoulder it full of water and carry it to camp alone. 



At last our rations are getting ready for the " table," the 

 latter being, in a general way, the ground. The camp kettle, 

 filled with water for our coffee, is on the fire, which the cook 

 is swearing at in a very unlady-like way, as, with sleeves rolled 

 up to the elbow, the tenacious dough is kneaded and a general 

 supervision extended over the cookery. One of us, with a 

 cofFeemill between his knees, is powdering the fragrant Rio ; 

 another is frying with skill more or less artistic our scurvy- 

 producing bacon ; and the third, whom all save the cook is 

 continually enjoining to be saving of the fuel, is tending the 

 stubborn fire, while the rest of the mess are taking alternate 

 smokes from one pipe owned by the crowd. At last the 

 coffee is pronounced boiled, the bacon done brown and the 

 cook has either a lot of saleratus bread, " fat cakes," or " flap- 

 jacks" in readiness. Then he warbles " Grub pile," and we all 

 get to work. Seated like Turks with our table beneath us, 

 and our motto " fingers w^ere made before forks," we go to 

 work, dipping our cups in the common kettle and shredding 

 our meat with our teeth, and dispensing with the effeminacy 

 of butter-knives for the reason that we have no butter. 

 Supper over, pipes are relighted for a social smoke, and we try 

 to enjoy ourselves, while we thank our stars we are not on 

 guard, as we listen to the cries of the distant herders and 

 pity the poor fellows from our comfortable situations, hardly 

 thinking in a few hours we will be routed out to replace them. 



Watches, whereby the herders might determine wdien to call 

 the next guard, which came on at midnight, were a rarity in 

 our train. Mine was of the open-face variety and was full- 

 jeweled. It was the northern sky and the hour hand was the 



