216 



A CALIFOllNIA TKAISfP. 



was done packing it around; but here it was like the " Ohl 

 Man of the Sea," impossible to shake from my back. There it 

 lay on the grass, the same old carpet-bag, roll of blankets and 

 boots. I loathed their sight, but could not do without them. 

 So I had nothing to do but shoulder tliem, and between the 

 Scylla of moccasons with wet feet, and the Charybdis of 

 tight boots and ])listered ankles, go on my way. Our route 

 lay over a level ]>lain, wliicli the recent rains had rendered 



Largest Fekkyboat in tui; ^VoRLD, Plying Between San Francisco 



AND Oakland. 



impassable by mud and water, and as I now was in the moc- 

 cason stage of foot-gear I suffered therefrom. 



The plain was dotted at various intervals with ranch build- 

 ings, but they were generally far from the road, so that we 

 were obliged to make long detours in our search for employ- 

 ment. We had arrived in California at a bad time for work, 

 as the farmers had all supplied themselves with help. Each 

 farmer, however, probably to get shut of us, could tell of some 



