YUMA TO BLYTHE 331 



on the first night by the Mexicans, who are a strong 

 element in the town, and on the second by the 

 Americans. As I stood at dusk talking with the sad- 

 dler and watching the Mexicans trooping to the 

 haile In chattering family groups, all the femininity 

 in snowiest array, I noticed a few American youths 

 and girls passing in with them, and remarked that it 

 was good to see the two elements so friendly. "Huh ! " 

 said my companion, "those store-clerks would go 

 anywhere there's a show for a dance." "But," I 

 said, "don't the Mexicans invite them?" "Sure." 

 "And then of course the Mexicans are invited when 

 you get up a dance." "What! invite the greasers! 

 Well, I just reckon we don't." 



A map published in 191 5 by some California con- 

 cern for the benefit of autoists shows the towns of 

 Ehrenberg and La Paz, on the Arizona side of the 

 river almost opposite Blythe. They were noted 

 places in their time and should be worth a visit even 

 in decline. I took the road eastward, at first among 

 farms, then through the jungle of the bottom-land. 

 A few autumnal lavender asters had already ap- 

 peared, a hundred-fold delightful after the long ab- 

 sence of such charmers of the way. Wild hemp {Ses- 

 hania macrocarpa) was plentiful in places and still in 

 blossom, but its spindling growth and formal leaves 

 had made it tedious from first acquaintance. 



It would have been a pleasant woodland lane 

 through the willows but for mosquitoes, which here 

 were at their worst. Kaweah stopped once or twice 

 and looked round at me with a questioning eye, but 

 I was no better off than he except for my smaller 



