Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/344



of the  animal. A loaded  train  will  travel  about twenty-five miles  a  day. The favorite  camping- ground is  a  grassy  spot  near  a  stream  of  clear  water ; there at  night  the  Mexicans  dismount  and  unpack. Bringing up  one  mule  after  another,  a  blind  is  thrown over the  animal's  eyes  to  make  it  stand  quietly,  then with one  man  on  each  side  the  hide  ropes  are  rapidly untied, and  the  cargoes,  consisting  of  sacks  of  flour, sugar, barley,  and  bacon,  boxes  of  tobacco,  dried  fruit, and miscellaneous  groceries,  and  kegs  of  liquors,  each kept separately,  are  ranged  in  a  row  with  the  aparejo or pack-saddle  in  a  parallel  row,  each  saddle  directly opposite its  load,  with  the  girth  and  saddle-cloth  be- longing to it  folded  and  laid  upon  the  top. The mule's back  is  then  examined,  and  if  galled,  remedies are applied  to  the  spot,  and  the  tired  animal  is  turned loose to  graze. In the  morning  the  mules  are  driven up and  packed  in  like  manner,  and  on  they  go.

On the  whole  the  cunning  little  animal  bears  a good  character. Though sometimes  stubborn,  it  is as  one  possessed  of  the  devil  or  overtaken  by  a  fault rather than  willfully  wicked,  for  in  his  ordinary  mood he is  very  patient  and  faithful. Though in  some  re- spects his sensibilities  may  be  somewhat  blunted,  he nevertheless  has  a  keen  moral  sense. He guards  the load entrusted  him  with  intelligence  and  faithfulness, beinof careful  not  to  knock  it  ao'ainst  the  trunks  of trees,  stooping  low  to  let  it  pass  under  an  overhang- ing limb, planting  his  feet  firndy  in  dangerous  places, eyeing the  rocks  that  jut  out  over  the  trail  round  the mountain side,  lest  in  an  evil  moment  his  pack  striking one, he  be  thrown  from  the  narrow  ]3ath,  and  hurled trembhng intb  the  abyss  below. The moment  the pack is  loose  or  anything  drops  from  it  he  stops,  and no matter  how  hungry  or  weary  he  may  be  he  is  al- lowed little time  to  eat  until  his  work  is  finished.

Even in  those  days  dreams  were  dreamed  and  proph- ecies  prophesied   of  the    time   when    San   Francisco