238 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



Dick kicked up a quarrel and the latter went, so there were no 

 hired men left on the ranch, but " Scottie " and myself. The 

 duty of milking two or three unruly cows, hitherto Dick's, 

 now devolved on me, as well as that of playing Aquarius. 



In March we commenced setting out a vineyard nursery, the 

 ground for which we had previously prepared. There were 

 three acres of it. We made holes in the furrows fifteen inches 

 deep and two feet apart, and in these we stuck the cuttings, 

 pressing the earth close around them and leaving one bud 

 exposed. We set out about three thousand vines. This was 

 done in March, which was the coldest month I experienced in 

 California. The northwest winds prevailed and seemed to 

 penetrate our clothing like needles, but we had but little rain 

 in comparison with the past months. I must say, however, 

 that although I spent the rainy season in California, I lost but 

 few days on account of rain, which mainly came at night, or 

 so light in daytime as not to prevent our working. Setting 

 out this vineyard would hardly be called " temperance work " 

 now, but at that time it was no more than planting out an apple 

 orchard, as far as consequential damages were concerned. 

 Anyhow the wine produced there was probably used for sacra- 

 mental and mechanical purposes. 



We now had little to do. The farm work there came mainly 

 in the winter and summer months, so that in the spring 

 there was much leisure. Our Patron now seemed sore beset 

 to find excuses to get shut of us, as milking, hauling Avater 

 and chopping wood were all we had to do. 



One day, soon after Dick's departure, we had a little variety 

 in the shape of killing a vagabond cow for beef. She was 

 ranging the prairie, when, our meat running low, her fate 

 was sealed; so the X.'s, senior and junior, with "Scottie," my- 

 self and the dog Rita, went a hunting. Pedro was mounted 

 on his riding horse, Jim, and with his high saddle, swinging 

 lasso, broad sombrero, leather leggings and jingling spurs was 



