236 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



rulous gossips, to hie to for entertainment, we had a dull time 

 outside of working hours; and this kept up for three months 

 and a half! 



In justice to Signor X. I must say he was a good cook, and 

 lovingly bending over his stew-pan, he had quite a domestic 

 look, in strong contrast to his appearance when roaming his 

 daughter's broad acres. The family ate in an adjoining room, 

 and, for all I know, fared as we did. We were much edified by 

 the family conversation while at meals — there was but a thin 

 board partition between us — particularly as we could not under- 

 stand a word they said. They were continually talking; the 

 rough bass of the senior mingling with the soft voice of Inez 

 and the childish treble of baby Anita. Our meals eaten, we 

 would go to our allotted tasks ; my morning chore being to 

 hitch Tom to the sled matutinal, when barrel laden we sped 

 merrily to the fountain. After this I would play plow or a 

 tattoo on the redwood posts. Supper over, which was after 

 dusk, we went to our sleeping apartment, which was a room 

 partitioned off in the barn, within hearing of the crunching 

 horses. In our boudoir there were two bunks ; one for " Scottie " 

 and I, the other was Dick's Then, if not too tired, we would 

 light a candle and talk on such subjects as came uppermost; 

 Dick, perhaps, about his times before we came with our Pa- 

 tron, how rich he was and what a store he had in "Frisco;" 

 "Scottie," of his life amid the "banks and braes" of Scot- 

 land; I, about how much better I was fixed when in the 

 "States." This Dick would doubt, or else cover my narrative 

 over and tuck it in with a more favorable account of his ante- 

 Californian life, so I would wish I had said nothing. Dick 

 was a good-hearted, gabby fellow, head-over-heels, but enter- 

 taining withal. During the fifteen weeks we were there we 

 were away but one evening, which we spent with a neighbor- 

 ing farmer, who in a rude shanty kept bachelor's hall, as did 

 most of his class around there. We were always too tired at 



