Crawford avalanche., 1896-02-27
TRIAL BY. FIRE.


The Major was one Of the many we'll
born Englishmen who came to CalifOr-
mia with younger sons portion and a
small monthly allowance, and hope to
make a fortune on asvineyard or n
wheat ranch. The plan always looks
feasible in England, and the agent as
sures his victim that the fl 900 will buy
ten-acre plot, plant vines, build de-
until the vines shall bear and bring
him harvest of good American gold.
The Major was going the way Of
many of his English friends. The
f1,000 legacy was gone, and the month
ly allowance of f20 (Which, viewed
from q distance seemed large) always
grew painfully small as ii neared Cali
fOrnia and the debts it was supposed
to cover The Majors little mountain
vineyard had been destroyed by phyl-
loxera. and he was living on the uncer-
tain promise of n number Of green
shoots, called, respectfully, "the olive
orchard But the Major was not un-
happy. When he was not tilling the
soil. he sat on his little veranda, with
his briarwood pipe between his teeth,
and studied the long. barrow, pictur-
esque Napa Valley far below.
1t may be said that the Majors fail
ure to succeed in the grape business
was not the fault of the country, but
that his genial, unpracticed nature was
the true obstacle to success. The Ma
jOr was, in fact, the most helpless En-
glishman who ever came to California
TO take care Of himself The poor fell
low became so convinced of this after
short trial that he engaged a man TO
act as valet to himself and incidentally
to cook the meals for both. The Major
was solitary bachelor then. The gods
alone know in what unpropitious mo-
ment he picked up Pete to hang about
his neck Il milestone of inefficiency.
Pete's poverty must have been his rec
Ommendation and the Majors poverty
the excuse for keping him. Pete had
about as much knowledge of laying out
and caring for n mans wardrobe as
the Major had of running a ranch. The
consequence was that the Major often
presented himself at his friends
houses in the most surprising garb.
combination of white duck trousers.
black srock coat and russet hunting
boots being one of Pete's masterpieces.
In his capacity as cook Pete was not
one whit more efficient and often suf-
eered mental agony over the ponderous
directions of the Majors French cook
book which were like the hieroglyphcs
of the ancients to his clouded intellect
Considering the diet of sour bread and
timed meats which Pete provided it is
only less than marvellous that his ben
efactOr was still alive.
When the Major married Ellie Smith
pretty San Francisco girl, Pete was
promoted to be manager Of the ranch.
and expended his grooming talents on
the pet mule. The Majors wife was
artistic" She had studied sketching.
and did some really clever bits. Her
admiring husband was sure that she
possessed the divine affiatus. and con-
seQuently much time was devoted to
art and little time to ranching
But this was not without protest from
one individual. Not that he was dis
turbed by lack of work, but poor Pete
was oftener than not the unwilling
model for Ellie's clever studies. One
day Pete posed for "The Man With the
Hoe" His temper was particularly
tried on that occasion, for he had taken
up his tool with the honest intention
Of wedding the primitive vegeta BILE gar
den. Though he had scudded through
the back yard and climbed the rear
fence, he had not counted on meeting
his young mistress in the barnyard. He
began to wrestle with the weeds and
pretended not to see her. His educa-
tion, however, had not included a sight
OF Millet's picture, he would have fed
the mountain side in utter despair.
stop, stop, Pete. right there. Don't
move an inch," called the sweet voice
that drove him to madness. Kenneth -
Ellie called her husband, look. Isn't
1t wonderful? The lights, the pose, the
very landscape like
1.-The Man With the Hoe" shouted
the Major gleefully. "I'll get your
paints, Ellie. Hold on, Pete" And be.
fore that honest son of toll had time to
collect his scattered senses he found
himself posing In very uncomfortable
attitude, with the Napa Valley lying al
his feet and the Majors familiar
phrases ringing in his ears-"Fine pose
Jolly good subject-delicious color
Ing"
After Pete posed for hundred OF
more Indifferent works of art without
names, he began to think of desertins
his master and leaving him to a JUS
and awful fate. But this stupendou.
blow was averted by. the arrival OF
Brompton Edwards, another English
map, who had come to learn practica
ranching under the direction of hi,
fathers old friend, the Major.
After week had been given up Il
driving his protege about the vale,
and introducing him to the English col
onv the Major returned IN HIS dail,