ON THE TRAMP. 229 



thousand nine hundred acres. It was worked by one hundred 

 hands, half of whom were Mexicans. Everything was con- 

 ducted with military precision. At 5 o'clock in the morn- 

 ing the bell on the ranch house was vigorously rung, and at 

 its summons every man was expected to get up, and if he 

 was a driver get his team ready for work. At 6 the bell 

 rang for breakfast. This over, the hands went to their allotted 

 tasks, and under the supervision of a major-domo, or over- 

 seer, who on horseback was continually visiting different parts 

 of the ranch, worked on until half-past eleven, when the bell 

 called them to the house in readiness for dinner at 12. At 1 

 they were signalled to work and at sunset to quit. Every- 

 thing worked smoothly. The men and animals were hard 

 worked, but all had plenty to eat. 



There were fifty plows at work, the motive power being 

 oxen and horses. Most of the former were native cattle and 

 were driven by Mexicans. They pulled by their horns, the 

 yoke being lashed to them. It was an odd sight to see the 

 Mexicans plowing, with sharpened sticks instead of whips, 

 with Spanish oaths instead of English, and with different 

 commands from ours. You could hear the wild cries of the 

 drivers a long distance. 



We enjoyed ourselves in a fashion the several days we 

 w^ere on the Salvador Ranch. The reader can hardly appre- 

 ciate the change from our tramp life to this. We had an easy 

 time, doing what odd jobs we liked, had plenty to eat and a 

 straw-mow to sleep in. The table manners were somewhat 

 primitive, I admit. Hats were worn when desirable. If a 

 piece of bread was wanted no waiter passed it along, neither 

 did the wisher ill-manneredly reach for it. He simply said 

 to the one nearest the edible, " Hello ! pard, heave us a chunk 

 of bread." In a trice it would come, like a quoit. The 

 coffee-pot was passed along that whoso wanted might 

 pour. There was no table-cloth for one to be afraid of soil- 



