The herald., 1896-08-23
Z &&&&&S&&SS&ese : 3 3 5 . .
a BURRO RIDE (
At CATALINA
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

Those who know Santa Catalina only
for It's aquatic attractions have missed
large part of its charms, for IL IS
considerable mountain range as wen as
an island, and many are the deiightfui
trips that one can take in exploring
its peaks and valleys. We started one
morning a party of nine. TO ascend Ut
ixoba also and better called Razor i5ach'
the highest peak on the island. lnefo
was the Doctor q lady whom we shaii
cnII the sweet singer, possibly because
she can sing; another lady we shall
name Miss Tlmidity, for reasons herein
after apparent; a gentleman Whom we
shall call Frisco a boy, young couple
in the throes of courtship, the gnide.
genial liar regarding trails ana dis
tances, and the scribe.
We were a motley makeup as 70
mounts and costumes, some of the steeds
having suspiciously long ears ana oald
tails, and some of the ladies riding as
tride without being dressed for 1t; put
we knew we were going on trip wnere
an ounce of convenience was worth
pound of style. Our lunches and barley
for the animals were slung behlnu the
saddles, and the doctor and Frisco
looked formidable with repeating rifles
and belts Of cartridges. The scribe trled
his best to look digniiied as we paradeu
through town, but the attempt was q
failure; one of the party remarking IL
was case of long thin man on snort
thick mule, and this without intending
irsidious COMPARISONS to Don Quixote.
However, we were soon strung out, m
dian file, on the trail, which begins to
climb before it Is fairly out or toWh'
winding In and out among the clumps
of cactus, rocks and chapparal, over the
ridges and curving around the ehds
All ttatn trin o.
self travelling to all points OF the com
pass at once, which indeed is not far
from the truth. But there Is one direc-
ton the trail follows perslstently, ana
that is upwards. a. half hours steady
climb brings us to the apparent summit
of the ridge, which we find on attaining
II is a fraud, for beyond, full mile
away, is another and higher ridge which
we must reach. Just as we reach this
first elevation occurs an amusing Incl
dent. A lady pedestrian is suddenly en-
countered and the sweet singers mule
takes 1t upon himself to stop and eVlnce
the greatest surprise, as II such an un-
heard of event had never occurred to
him before The sweet singer becomes
alarmed and exclaimst "Oh, he is fright
ened at that womant with red dress
on!" beginning the sentence in the ordi-
nary tone, her voice rising allegro cres-
cendo as the alarm increases. and end
ing in wall in high c. Everybody
laughs, for we know the mule Is only
trying it on with his rider, as all mules
do He has now taken her measure and
thenceforth the day is his.
Another half hours pull, and we have
reached the second ridge, from Whlch
we look down upon bewitching view
Avalon's white tents are peeking
through the foliage far below us; and
beyond the blue ocean glimmers in the
10 pf hQatS look
like gulls. reposing peacefully on the
still water of the little harbor. and fai
out to sea we make out some blacf
dots on the shining surface. which we
opine to be boats engaged in deep sea
fishing for "groupers" and sand DADS
We give the animals a breathing spell
while we tighten cinches and adjus
loads: then onward we so, sometime:
galloping along the ridges, sometimes
vindi lg slowly around a precipitou'
hill side over which Miss Timidity does
not look.
Soon we come to the edge Of a can
Won in which the Whittier reform schoo
BOYS are encamped, and where we cai
see the boys going through their daii
drill on the parade ground two yl milfs nilf
its snap 'up to de limit" but soon ou
spirits receive temporary damper. w,
are following the guide around a hill
side where the footing is uncertain
Wnen FrlScoS morse, which is second il
the line, stumbles and falls. Frisc,
takes header luckily on the uphill
side, the horse rolls over into a bed OF
cactus, rises snorting with fright anc
starts back on the trail, passing the
Scribe and nearly pushing the Boys
horse off the trail but the Doctor has
quickly dismounted and catches the
frightened animal by the bride. The
Boy yells, the ladies scream and there is
q general mix-up in which all engage
but the Young Couple who seemingly
have been given the slowest animals