Angling in the Siskiyous 237 



distinct ranges to climb, long stretches of level 

 land, great descents into the canon, and heavy 

 grades, made slowly, and half-way over in the 

 valley was Spencer's ranch for lunch. It was 

 difficult to realize that all the merchandise for 

 a town of four thousand or more people, and 

 a big outlying country near the Modoc Hills, 

 was carried over this road the upper grades of 

 which were deep in snow in the winter. But 

 " Bill " kept it open, and did not mind it. 



From Spencer's we started with fresh horses, 

 climbed another grade slowly, then five thou- 

 sand feet above the sea came into the firs and 

 pines, and now near the river, Bill gave the 

 tenderfoot something to dream about as he 

 swung out onto a mere shelf. I did not ask 

 what the drop was, but if the kingbolt had 

 broken at some turns, which the horses appar- 

 ently took on the run, the drop would have been 

 worth seeing, that is, by some one else. It 

 looked half a mile, and the ride gave one the 

 kind of pleasure I fancy the flying-machine man 

 has, when he depresses the bow, " lets her out," 

 and comes swooping down like a bird, as I once 

 saw one in Los Angeles County, rising as grace- 

 fully, as he stepped astern. But I believe all 

 the passengers on that coach were not happy; 

 there are people so matter of fact and prosaic 

 that they do not like to take impossible moun- 

 tain roads on the run. The ride was sensational 



