ON THE TRAMP. 227 



town on a navigable stream in which were some sailing ves- 

 sels, and from which a daily steamer ran to San Francisco. 



The next thing to find out was where to pass the night. 

 The town, covered as it was with the gathering shades of 

 evening, looked inhospitable, which might not have been the 

 case in the broad glare of day. Wandering half aimlessly 

 about the streets and passing groups of merry people — for it 

 was New Year's Eve — who so contrasted with our sorry selves, 

 we again gravitated towards a livery stable. Seeing a light 

 within we entered, and looking around for a comfortable stall 

 humbly asked the proprietor if he could stable us. " No ; I will 

 not," said he ; "I never allow stragglers in my barn over night." 

 We were leaving when he called us back, and in a kindlier 

 tone told us we might sleep in a shed outside. This we found 

 to be an open place, covered with straw on poles, and here we 

 left our blankets and started out to hunt a fire, for the night 

 air chilled us. We soon found a hotel before whose hearth we 

 made ourselves comfortable. Being hungry we at length sallied 

 out, and striking a bakery invested our joint capital, twenty 

 cents, in two loaves of bread. We were now bankrupt. 



Upon coming out we heard music, and going to where it 

 came from we entered a hotel. Here we found an assemblage 

 of young men, who had come from the surrounding country 

 to take part in a New Year's ball ; for that day had ushered in 

 the year 1859. Money was flowing freely from these generous 

 young Californians for worse than useless things, while we 

 were suffering for necessities. Things to us seemed out of 

 joint. The dancing soon began, and to see it we went to 

 the hall adjoining the ball-room. Groups of pretty, well- 

 dressed girls came down the stairs and whisked by us, laugh- 

 ing and talking on their way to join the merry-makers. I 

 wondered what they thought of the two tramps looking on, 

 or whether they thought of them at all. The men might 

 have been common rowdies in cheap-store-clothes, and the 



