The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-20
"a whole week." sighed Anna.

ana such hole!"
I'VE might go fishing and things with |
the kidlets," Anna Yentured with her
head on one side, ready for a sharp an
swer- Anna knew my temper was some
what sawtoothed after o'clock.
Haven't we fshed and done all the
things there are to do, dozens ard dozens
of times, ali summer? I'm tired of the
children. I want TO get out of this hole;
to climb up and peep over the edge and
breathe. I'm smothered."
"E-ow," yawned Anna, the matter-of-
fact. go TO bed and dream we borrowed
Jules horses TO go on a tower" And the
blackness of the cabin door swallowed
her.
sat in the moonlight, gazing through
the veil Of discomfort at the "hole." 1t
really was a hole, a deep basin in the
Coast Range, place of rare beauty in all
seasons. l had seen it buried deep in
snow, lying in dignifed silence, and it
was beautiful. I had seen it budding in
spring time, every gorge a Numbering
waterfall, the oaks waving pInky tufts,
yellow vioets dotting the spongy hill
sides, the sickly sweet of the white lilac
in every breeze, anu it was beautiful.
/ saw it now, beautiful in the cool night
following not day the forests on the hem
ming hills a dusky, meIodious mass, as
the wind-spirits PLAYED on the pines, the
white tops Of the highest peaks sparkling
In answer TO the stars, the river scolding in
its black depths at the powders in It's bed
and lar of a ribbon of silver as the moon
shone on the stream from the giant where
the night shift were at work tearing down
the hillside for lew golden grams.
was the teacher. Anna was the super
H.. -.
of strength 10 me during the last three
months and her presence made bearable
the thought of the three to come. But
this midterm vacation of a week, what
were we 10 do with it? Nine .ong, hot
days, with the glorious Fourth in the
middle.
julie was an Indian woman who had
married white man. The man was dead,
but julie was very much alive, as were
her seven mixed children, four of whom
were my pupils. l was afraid of julie.
She had a temper which broke easily into
curses and butcher-knives. She had also
several horses and saddles. which for so
much money she would hire TO the horse
and-ssddleless.
Annals words of the nirht before
haunted me the next day, and finally l
broke out with, "Why can't We go on
riding tour among the camps in these
mountains?"
ION stick horses2'' laughed Anna; 1--WE
can't afford any other kind"
"Jule?' I insinuated.
Anna turned to face me with four hair
pins in her mouth.
Of you'd ask" I faltered, "she likes
you-maybe she lend Us two, and"
Anna iabbed the last pin and crushed
me at the same instant. ASK a police
man! You'll wait awhile before venture
ms de that Indian den. ASK her yourself
if you are so brave"
After awhile, will you go with me,
Anna2"
go where2 Oh, yes, to Jules. Ye-es,
I'll go, but you won't dare"
l did dare. 1 marched down that trail,
found Jule bareiooted, wedding her beans,
and, disregerdiLg all Annals advice about
praislng her garden and her children, L
plunged head first into business and asked
julie 10 LEND US horses and saddles.
And julie said yes without curse, and
offered to send them up, ready saddled,
by O'Clock Monday morning. Maybe |
crowed a little on the way home. Anna
took it bumb!y enough, evidently i'm
pressed by my diplomacy, though she
called it cheek.
Now we must decide where to go. and
together we planned a journey OF 100
miles in an irregular ellipse, taking in
three mountain towns. Most of the trail
would be new TO as, but we had no idea of
getting frightened or lost. The men were
shocked and astonished, and in our scorn
and independence we would not ask about
landmarks or forks in the trail, meaning
to trust to woman's wit and the Proyi-
81 hat for f,af D.
chance we found from passing miner
that the first davis ride would be in sight
of the river until we came to Black Bear
Greek. Or course We couldn't lose the way
Basely deserving the old man, who longed
TO tell us all about his latest patent medi-
cine, we ran TO the cabin to pack orr Sara
togas. Mine was little yellow grip, limp
and travel-stained, and Annals was q
foursack. We put in them just what we
had to have and an extra calico dress.
We went 10 bed before DARK and stayed
awake ali night after the manner of those
who wish 10 start early. 1t made me
think Of Josiah Aliens Wife and their
Pleasure ExerIion. 1 viii not say whether
we rose at 8 or al 4, but at We were
ready, and so was Jules boy with the
horses. The saddles were not side-saddies.
We had divided our riding skirts knowing
that the msnly way was, in this case, the
common-sense way.
We tied our baggage behind, hung q
bag of lunch from The horn OF my saddle
mounted, looked at each other and
laughed. 1t was a regular squaw outfit
Annals brunette face and the wreath of
red poppies on her cartwheel hat fitted
right into the iciure, but my blonde hair
was incongyuous and altogether Dntchy.
Ny horse was Billy, and Anna 70
Bessie. Both were common Indian ponies.
shaggy, stubborn, lazy, droopheaded
beasts without morals, and understanding
nothing but a stout whip. Bessie shieh
sometimes, and Billy was sffi .cied with
absence of mind. He would stop sud
denly and begin 10 browse on tie bushes