THE MORAL. 183 
to the Pacific, had just scrambled over the same obstruction 
without stumbling. It was nothing less than.a miracle that 
nobody was hurt. These Indians are poor shots, which, with 
the scarcity of guns among them, must account for our 
escape. They are afraid also of our “‘heap-firmg guns” as 
they call the Spencers. 
A little experience of this sort, occasionally, is not without 
use. It enables you to determine a number of nice problems 
which otherwise might never have been solved, to say 
nothing of the new phases in which it exhibits the character 
of your comrades; the test of their true-heartedness, their 
pluck, perseverance, and generosity. There are also some 
important minor questions to which it supplies accurate 
solutions. For instance, how would a man ever know 
whether a smooth boulder of lava or a flat sandstone slab 
would make the best pillow, until such occasions had induced 
him to test the matter practically at frequent intervals during 
the same night? And how could he ever ascertain the 
durability of a pair of Santa Fé boots under active service, 
until a trial of this kind had placed it forcibly before his 
observation? And while he might hitherto have had a 
theoretical appreciation of the value and excellence of a slice 
of fat pork with “hard tack” for dessert, it is doubtful 
hether he would ever comprehend the essential sweetness 
and delicacy of these dishes until, after twenty-four hours’ 
sting, he had watched with a field-glass across a cafion 
ntil they should start out towards him from a camp two 
ules distant. 
We have given the question of evading the side of San 
ancisco Mountain with our railroad line a pretty thorough 
stigation, and are at last compelled to give it up. First, 
tried to head the Sycamore and other northern branches of 
