The Washington herald., 1910-12-04

Intake Tor the
pipe that wstered the vegetable garden Here beside
the stream alders and laurel trees and he walked
through fernbrakes higher than his head. Velvety
moss was everywhere, out of which grew maidenhalr
and goldback ferns.
Save for the dam It was virgin wild No axe
had invaded and the trees died only Of old age and
stress OF winter storm. The huge trunks of those
that had fallen lay moss covered slowly resolving
back into the soil from which they sprang Some
had lain so long that they were quite gone. though
their faint outlines. level with the mould could still
be Others bridged the stream. and from be-
meath the bulk of one monster half dozen younger
trees overthrown and crushed by the fall growing
out along the ground still lived and prospered their
bathed by the stream their upshOotng branches
catching the sunlight through the gap that had been
made In the forest roof
Back at The farmhouse Daylight mounted and
rode on away from the ranch and into the wilder
canons and sleeper sleeps beyond. Nothing could
satisfy his holiday spirit now but the ascent OF
Sonoma Mountain. And here the crest three
hours afterward he emerged tired and sweaty
garments torn and face and hands scratched but
with sparkling eyes and unwonted usefulness Of
expression He felt the Illicit pleasure of a school
boy playing truant. The big gambling table of San
Francisco seemed very far away. But there was
more than Illicit pleasure in his mood 1t was as
If he were going through a sort OF cleansing
bath. No room here for all the sordidness meanness
and vici0usness that filed the dirty pool OF city
existence Without bordering in detail upon the
matter at all, his sensations were Of publication
and upft. Had he been asked TO state how he felt
he would merely have said that he was having q
good time, for he was unaware in his seIf-conscOuS
ness OF the potent charm of that was percO-
atng through his city roted body and brain-potent
in that he came Of an abysmal past Of wilderness
jewellers, while be himself coated with but the
thinnest rind Of crowded civilization
There houses on the summit of SOnOma
Mountain, and ali alone under the azure California
sky ne refined in on the southern edge of the peak.
he saw open pasture country intersected with wooded
ca1ons. descending TO the south and west from his
feet crease crease and roll roll from lower level
10 lower level 10 the floor Of Pealuma Valley fat as
a billiard table, Il cardboard affair all patches and
squares Of ge0merical regularity where the fat free
holds were farmed. Beyond 10 the west range
on range Of mountains. cuddling purple msts of
mosphere in their valleys, and still beyond over the
last range Of all he the silver sheen OF the Pacific
Swinging his horse he surveyed the west and north
from Santa Rosa TO Mount ST. Helena, and on to the
east across Sonoma Valley TO the chaparral covered
range that shut OF the view of Napa Valley. Here
part way up the eastern wall of Sonoma Valley In
range of line intersecting the little village OF Glen
Ellen he made ont scar upon hillside. His first
thought that 1t the dump of a mine tunnel.
but remembering that be not In gold bearing
country he dismissed the from mis- mind and
nued the circle Of his survey 10 the southeast where
the of san Pablo Bay he could sharp
and distant the twin peaks Of Mount Dablo. To the
south Mount Tamalpais and-yeS. he was right
fifty miles away, where the draughty winds OF the
Pacific blew In the Golden Gate the smoke OF San
Francisco made low lying haze against the sky
Il amt seen so much country all AT once in many
a day" he thought aloud.
He, lOdth To depart, and u not Tor an
hour that be able 10 tear himself away and take
the descent of the mountain Working out a
just for the fun OF IT, late afternoon upon
him when he arrived back at the wooded knobs.
Here the top of Of them, his keen eyes caught
a glimpse of shade of green sharply differentiated
from any he had seen all day. Studying ii for
minute, he concluded that il composed OF three
cypress trees, and he knew that nothing else than
the hand OF could have planted them there.
Impaled by curiosity purely boyish he made up his
mind TO investigate. So deasey wooded the
knoll and steep that be had to diSmount and go
up on foot, at times even on hands and knees.
struggling hard to force a way through the thicker
underbrush he came out abruptly upon the
expresses They were enclosed in small square OF
ancient fence; the pekets he could plainly had
been hewn and sharpened by hand Inside were the
mounds of two children's graves Two wooden head
boards, likewise hand hewn. told the stOry:-"Litte
David. born 1885, died 1882" and Little Lily. born
1873 died 1860"
The poor little kids" Daylight muttered
The graves showed signs of recent care. Withered
bouquets Of wild flowers She mounds and
the lettering on the headboards freshly painted.
Guided by these cews, Daylight cast about for
trail and found leading down the side opposite
to his ascent Circng the base of the knoll he picked
up with his horse and rode on to the farmhouse.
Smoke rising from the chimney and he
quickly in conversation with nervous, slender young
man, who. he learned, only tenant the ranch
How large was it? matter Of one hundred and
eighty acres. though 1t seemed much larger. This
was because il so irreguary shaped. Yes 1t in
cluded the clay pit and all the knobs and its boundary
that ran along the big canyon a mile long
'You see,' the young man said, eft was so rough
and broken that when they began to farm this
try the farmers bought in the good land to the edge
of it. That's why its boundaries are all gouged aud
jagged"
Oh yes. he and his wife managed to scratch
living without working too hard They didn't have
to pay much rent Hillard the owner depended
the Income from the clay pit. Hllard well of
and had big ranches and vineyards down the fat
OF the valley The brickyard paid ten cents cubic
yard for the clay As for the rest of the ranch the
was good In patches, where it cleared, Ike
tke vegetable garden and the vineyard but the rest
of il was too much up and down.
YOU'RE not farmer" Daylight said
The young laughed and shook his head
NO. I'm telegraph operator But the wife and
| decided 10 take two years vacation, and-here
But the times about up I'm going back
into the Office this fall after get the grapes of "
Yes, there were about eleven acres in the vine
yard-wine grapes The price was usually good
He grew most OF what they ate. II he owned the
place he'd clear patch Of land on the side hill above
the vineyard and plant small home orchard. The
soil was good There plenty Of pasturage all
over the ranch and there were several cleared
patches amounting TO about fifteen acres in all
where he grew fine mountain hay as could be
found. 1t sold for three to five dollars more ton
than the rank stalked valley hay.
AS Daylight listened there came to him sudden
envy Of this young fellow living right in the midst