126 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



watering their crops continually to prevent them from being 

 destroyed by the intense, all-pervading drought of these re- 

 gions, and compelled to haul fuel long distances to keep them- 

 selves from freezing during the long and bitter winter, they 

 have decidedly a hard life to lead ; and when we consider how 

 the mass of the people, who are honest in the opinions they 

 profess, have been harangued and excited by their fanatical 

 leaders, until they have been led to consider themselves a 

 persecuted race, we should be more lenient towards them than 

 what we are, and allow them to peacefully pursue their 

 favorite hobbies until they become disgusted with them, which 

 they ultimately will. 



We emerged from the village gate early in the morning of 

 the 16th, and took our way over a region as desolate and 

 dreary as that passed over the preceding day. Our route lay 

 through the middle of a broad, level valley, lined on either 

 side by low mountain ranges, and we encamped towards sunset 

 at a little, isolated ranche, situated on a small stream which 

 wound over the level plain from its source in the contiguous 

 mountains. There were but two families in the settlement, 

 which looked lonely and unprotected, and as if it would fall 

 an easy prey to an Indian attack. In the course of the even- 

 ing we were treated to a vocal serenade by a couple of pre- 

 cocious Mormon boys ; their song being one of the patriotic 

 effusions gotten up by the Saints during the rebellion; and 

 it was to these what the Marseillaise was to the French 

 Revolutionists. The burden of the song was an extolment of 

 the virtues of the Mormons and their ability to crush Federal 

 troops should they be so foolhardy as to enter their domains. 

 Four lines of this defiant ditty ran thus : 



" The Yankees feared our Brigham Young, 

 And Heber, his companion ; 

 They would have liked to crush us out, 

 But they thought of Echo Canon ; " 



