230 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



ing, no napkins that might be carried off in lieu of " wipes," 

 no embarrassing finger bowls in danger of doing duty as 

 goblet or wash basin. Everything w^as plain and unpreten- 

 tious, free and easy; the latter particularly applying to the 

 conversation. Still I should not criticize or satirize. I was 

 used well, and my life on the Salvador Ranch, following as 

 it did so many hardships, is a pleasant episode in my life. 



To make a long story short I left the ranch on the 4th of 

 January, in company with my good friend " Scottie," in a 

 wagon driven by Signer Augustina, and bound for Signer 

 X., who lived in the Valley of Petaluma. The morning was 

 cold and a foggy darkness surrounded us, as drawn by a span 

 of half-broken, half-bred horses we swiftly moved over the 

 flat which extended to a neighboring ridge, beyond which 

 was the Valley of Sonoma. Lightly clad as we were, " Scottie" 

 and I shivered with the cold, and crouching down in the 

 wagon we covered ourselves with our blankets. No talk 

 ensued between us and our conductor for the good reason 

 that it was impossible, from neither knowing the other's 

 language. The ride w^as unpleasant until the sun rose to 

 partially dispel the mists and warm the air. Like reptiles 

 thawed to activity by the warmth of spring we shook off our 

 blankets and enjoyed ourselves looking around us as we 

 passed the varying scenery. Now we were driving rapidly 

 over a long level stretch, now crossing a rolling divide, 

 through tortuous canons, along a serpentine road so sideling 

 in places that I was afraid of an upset, and then crossing a 

 break-neck gulch or wading some sticky bog. We passed 

 by scattered ranches and at rare intervals a hotel. At 11 

 o'clock w^e came to the old Spanish town of Sonoma, twelve 

 miles from Napa. This is a quaint looking place, with a 

 'plaza in the centre and built of adobes. Leaving the plains 

 of Sonoma by a crooked caiion winding through a ridge of 

 green hills we came to the valley of Petaluma, and at noon 

 arrived at our destination. 



