CHAPTER XV 



A DESERT RIDE: WARNER'S SPRINGS TO AGUA 



CALIENTE 



Don Juan Warner — The March of Progress — Desertwards again 



— The cowboy at home — "A durn boulevard" — Warner's Pass 

 and General Kearny — A pioneer storekeeper — San Felipe In- 

 dians: a funeral — Voices of the Night — The deserted village — 

 The Ranchita Mine — Potency of a fiesta — Kaweah disgruntled 



— La Puerta de San Felipe — The Mormon Battalion — Sanguine 

 settlers — Elysium of Indians — The Vallecito — An old stage- 

 station: its memories — A lucky encounter — Carrizo Creek Canon 



— Forest fires — Camp at Agua Caliente Springs — Grewsome 

 yarns — Travellers who "stayed" — Sunrise and the Sun — An 

 easy day, and sunset. 



THERE is not much of attraction at Warner's 

 Springs. A pathetic interest, however, hangs 

 about the row of adobe cottages, now used to house 

 visitors who come in summer for the medicinal baths. 

 I felt inclined to refuse payment for baths to the 

 present owners and hand over my "two bits" per 

 tub to the first Indian I might meet. Such of the 

 old houses as have not been put to use are far on 

 the road to the quick obliteration that awaits any 

 neglected building of adobe. The church was still 

 intact as regards walls, but cracks were starting, and 

 the roof was fast going to pieces. Inside, paltry tour- 

 ists have scratched their names, and stray prospect- 

 ors, like my poet, camp in comers and fry sacri- 

 legious flapjacks at the padre's fireplace in the tiny 

 vestry adjoining.^ 



1 Recently, a year or so after the time of my visit, I received from 

 the Reverend Father Doyle, priest of the Mission of San Antonio at 



