Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/258

246 low rises; and the squares of grove or grain, the gleaming white of houses, the lazy smokes of the city lay in the mellow sunshine. The clear liquid notes of meadowlarks made themselves heard in spite of the band. Back of all rose the Coast Range over whose nearer foothills could be discerned the wild lilac or mountain laurel, the wild pea and gooseberry among the chaparral. Stimulated and upheld by the familiar band and the prospects of the free lunch, the tourists looked about them and felt something of the spell of the country's beauty. For it is a singular fact that the average tourist never sees anything unless measures are taken. He is a good deal like a dog that way. If we are to believe what dogs tell us, there are few things they enjoy more than a good walk with plenty of smells to investigate. As such is the case, one would think dogs would go on many walks; but they rarely do, unless their master takes them. Tourists are good conscientious beasts, also. They will take infinite trouble to go anywhere any guidebook or railway folder tells them they ought to go; and they will spend any amount of money and personal discomfort to see any waterfall, or busted adobe, or view, or prehistoric ash barrel that any half-way competent authority will tell them about; and they will pay prices per hour to be driven any approved drives whereon they exclaim over whatever the driver points out, or will remain timidly silent if he does not point out anything. But they very rarely go out and find things for themselves, and they rarely see country. Between stations on the trains they read books or play cards—unless of course the railway folders tell them to observe. When the train stops they come to, and hang out the windows, and stare fascinated at the newsstand, or the station building (which needs painting), or the buildings across the street. They would never have thought of going out to Banksia Heights, or anything similar, unless lured thereto by the band and the free lunch; but once having arrived there they could not help but be influenced, each according to his receptivity, by the charm and peace and mellowness of the day.

The taller of the two men in silk hats looked on this assemblage with a satisfaction that at first was not shared by his colleague.