The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-30

waisl-high On either side the wagon.
load. and he shifted the warm AROMA
oI It With delighled nnstfils Al the
base 81 HE knobs he encountered :
tpntbledoMn staiss sna-fldeF fenee
III Ile tethefed the horse aud wan
dered on dot among ii : knobs: Their
tops were crowned with centafy Old
spruce trees, and their sides clothed
with oaks and madronos and native
holly But TO the perfect redwoods be.
longed the small but deep canyon that
threaded its way among The knobs.
Here he found no passage out for
his horse, and leading the animal, he
forced his way up the hillside. on
the crest he came through an amazing
thieket Of yelyet.trunked young ma.
dronos, and emerged on an open hill.
side that led down into a tiny valley.
The sunshine was. at first dazzling in
its brightness, and he paused and
rested, for he was painting from the
exertion. Not Of old had he known
shortness OF breath such as this. and
muscles that SO easily tired at stiff
climb. A tiny stream ran down the
tiny valley through a tiny meadow
that was carpeted knee-high with
grass and blue and white nemophila.
Crossing the stream. Daylight fol-
lowed faint cattle trail over low,
rocky hill and through wine,woodcd
forest Of manzanita, and emerged
upon another tiny valley, down which
filtered another springfield, meadow
bordered streamlet.
1T sure heats country places and
bungalows at Menlo Park" he COM
muned aloud; "and If ever / get the
hankerIng for country life, It's me for
this every time"
An old wood-road led him to a clear
ing, where dozen acres OF grapes
grew on wine.red soil A cow.path, more
trees and thickets. and he dropped
down hillside to the southeast ex-
posure. Here, poised above big for
ested canyon, and looking out upon
sonona Valley, was small farm
house. With its barn and outhouses
It Struggled into a nook in the hin
side. which protected 1t from the west
and north. 1t was the erosion from
this hillside, he judged, that had
formed the little level stretch Of vege-
table garden. The soil vas fat and
black. and there was water In plenty
for he saw several faucets running
wide open Forgotten was the brick
yard. Nobody was at home, but Day.
light dismounted and ranged the vege-
table garden. eating Strawberries and
green peas, inspecting the old adobe
barn and rusty pillow and harrow, and
rolling and smoking cigarettes while
he watched the antics Of several
broods Of young chicks and the moth
err hens.
Nothing could satisfy his holiday spir-
1t now hut the ascent of Sonoma Noun
tain. And here on the crest, three
hours alterward, he emerged. tired and
sweaty, garments torn and face and
hands scratched, but with sparkling
eyes and an unwonted usefulness of
expression. He felt the illicit pleas
IRE OF a schooIboy playing trusnta The
big gaming table Of San Francisco
seemed very far away. But there was
more than Illicit pleasure in his mood.
1t WAS as though he were going
through a sort OF cleansing bath. No
room here for all the sordidness,
meanness and vlciousness that filled
the dirty pool of city existence. He
was loath to depart, and it was not
for an hour that he was able to tear
himself away and take the descent OF
the mountain. Working out u new
route just for the fun of il. late after
noon was upon him when lie arrived
back at the wooded knobs.
Daylight cast about for trail, and
found one leading down the side
opposite to his ascent. Circling the
base OF the knoll, he picked UP Win
his horse and rode on to the farm
house. Smoke was rising from the
chimney, and he was quickly in con-
versation with a nervous, slender
young man, who, he learned was only
tenant on the ranch. How large
was it? A matter OF one hundred and
eighty acres, though It seemed much
larger. This was because il was SO
irregularly shaped. Yes, 1t included
the clay.pit and all the knobs, and its
boundary that ran along the big can
yon was over a mile long. Oh, yes,
he and his wife managed to scratch
4 WI 4