, 1886-10-07
A MOUNTAIN ROMANCE. Concluded.

ALWAYS with the same result, till he
finally gave up in despair. and aeame
near to believing that he had never been
lost in the redwoods, but had fallen
asleep on an enchanted hill side las
Grimm's people do and dreamed the
whole thing.
1t was late in September of the follow
ing year before John Westwood felt able
TO take his annual vacation from bust
ness cares. But the days grew so warm
that he determined to break away from
the hot pavements and ceaseless noise of
the city, for "A week in the mountains.
But where? There were mountains
north of him. mountains east of him,
mountains south of him. He had only
to choose. The mountains to the north
were the Marin county branch of the
Coast range, OF which Tamalpais is the
most prominent feature. But Tamalpais
is visible from the city, SO they wouldn't
do. The same fault attached to the
mountains to the east. that rise from the
arid San Joaquin plains. Mount Diablo
was their great feature. and his Internal
majesty was plainly visible from the city.
To the south were the Santa Cruz noun
tains. in whose depths his short~lived
romance of a year ago was enacted. Its
not strange that ignoring the charms of
Mendocino redwoods, which necessitated
a day or two of steamboat travel, and
steeling his heart against Bonner lake
and the snowy Sierras (Which were
rather far of into the bargain). he de
cided TO seek the bracing mountain air
in the Santa Cruz range. F was
only a few hours distant from the city,
and yet the place was a wild, untrodden
wilderness-a wilderness possessing the
great advantage Of accessibility. One
had only To strike out from the station
at F. in any direction to lose himself
as he had once proved-in a virgin
and primeval forest.
lie had no hope of meeting his quon-
dam acquaintance again. If they had
been down Mt all, he felt sure they had
flown before that. lie assured himself
that he would not have wished to meet
them. for they had treated him shah
billy. 1t was a most contradictory i'm
pulse, then. that drew him the very first
day of his arrival past the redwood
cabin. If he had hoped for any sign of
his will-'o-t the wisp friends. however, he
was disappointed. No sign of life was
about the place, and he avoided it in his
future rambles.
The large streams that flowed through
tho forest were famous for trout, and to
trout fishing he devoted himself. as
offering fewer opportunities for getting
lost than hunting the wary deer. So
with rod and line, a plentiful supply of
light literature, and a sportsman's lunch
basket well filled. he would start out for
the day.
He was impartial in his choice of
streams, and often angled in the one
that flowed @ Hepsidam. He choose
that one to-day, and made his way up
the stream for a long distance by leaping
from stone to stone, or by walking the
mighty length Of the redwood trees that
lay, as they had fallen, in and across the
stream in every direction. and by wad-
ing with his water-defying boots in the
beautiful smooth stretches of water.
At last he reached n place he judged
favorable alike for angling and for read
ing. 1t was n redwood trunk, soft with
NOISY growths, hid among mighty
bonlders; and from this shelter his
line could play on a smooth peb-
bly, pool that promised lots of trout.
Here he cnsconsed himself comfortably.
baited his hook, flung his line out into
the stream, propped the pole up neal
at hand (Which may be n scientific way
laz, ,anna - ~y a
eli - ~ !"
mnst convarsationaI noyoI lie nootat
horo aud ,.as goon Jaon il, H.
Rsbind him ,osa an ahsoln
dicular ciT many foa, IN h;nL, fdattad
from ton to ho,tom u,;,h 80 asra
tnaer- fo,pa Thar u,aro % s,a5 L.
ani I,rge oro,ctb tho, no nor+;a, 80 a.
ROCKY vii was vis;hIa and -
throuoh the tons of rho rad,yoods hun
dreds Of foe, .horo ond oyar ,ha Iii
green curtoin tho SIM sent his e;ctar'
inc ravs. Tho front xvera ,yary and
cave lin rlon,r ~ I'm" -.
ested in his hook which ha;r6 Ill,
summer novel caused him soon 70 for.
get the sbvness If the deni1ons ~ tho
stream 81 in ,,r,a - -
ouite like n shock 70 he ner9ors systana
when he saw h;s noIa hord ond sna'
denly show svmntars Of faIIinn hoad
lono into tho stroom ~ -. I.
with the mental ejaculation aIt must
be n bio one 10 mil lilo ,bat,s md
straiehtw his hook was forcottep uo
lifted the ,oIe and carefuIIv began 70
| draw in the line nj tbe samc tine cd.
vancinp to the edpe Of his nook 10 500
his game
An exclamation of main greeted b;s
effort to tauten his line. and there On a
rock in the brook he heheId bis catch
He razed in CONSERVATION a, tho s;aht ~
o"NN