Year: 1879

AS the gentleman who prepared
the list handed it to me he said lie
was forcibly reminded of the re-
marks made by Prince Henry when
examining the items of ono of Sir
John Falstaff's hotel bills; but, as
L did not remember the remarks
referred to, the joke (if one was in
tended) fell fat.


The drive from Los Angeles to
San Bernardino was delightful. I
spent one night at the famous Gu.
camonga vineyard, where the pro.
prietor presented me with some
bottles of very fine old California
brandy-a most acceptable gift, as
L had neglected to provide myself
with any local vintage. On the
morning of the third day after
left you l steamed ont-no, 1 mean
drove out Of San Bernardino fol-
lowed by the regrets of the entire
community with whom | had come
in contact. A San Rernardino
friend had suggested that my load
was too heavy for a trip across the
desert. l therefore lightened it by
leaving-empty-the second case
of provisions marked Oh my list.
For three days l drove on through
cactus and dust, stopping at night
at some little wayside inn where
the bill of fare consisted Invariably
of Arizona strawberries and bacon.
On the fourth day the monotony of
the journey was becoming painful
ly oppressive. Nothing but desert
on every side. The rays of the sun
blistered me. The dust got into my
eyes, ears and lungs, insinuated
itself th- h-ough the texture of my
clothing and dried up my skin
until l felt like the mummy of the
builder of the first Pyramid. AS
night drew nigh and l was nearing
the next stopping place I was
longing for the sight OF some living
thing to break the dreadful same.
ness of the journey. L thought if 1
could but see quail, or even a
rattlesnake, it would be q relief;
when suddenly my wish was graft
fled in a way L neither cared for
nor expected. was just passing
through a grove of very large cac-
tus shrubs, when my horses, with
out any warning, made O sudden
bolt to the right that nearly cap
sized my wagon, and into the road
almost at my very side dashed an
animal that, at first view, seemed
to me to be larger than Dryden's
new barn. The herses plunged of
at furious pace, and as the road
was pretty good, being just then
quite hard and covered with about
two inches of very fine dust, we
made some capital time. AS we
on the road became somewhat
heavier, there being more sand.
The dust we raised was something
terrific. When l had got my team
well in hand ! looked back, and
there, within twenty feet of me,
came rolling through the dust this
enormous brute. He had dwindled
down by this time to the size of a
locomotive, which he strongly re-.
sembled with his glaring eyes and
ljets of dust coming from his nos.
trils. AS we got fairly under way
our pace was so fast that the action
OF the air behind us soon filled the
wagon with the dust which fell in
the shape of fine tlescy sand. Again
l looked back. / could hear the
brute sneezing and choking with
the dust, but l could no longer see
him, although he was so close that
either felt, or imagined felt, his
hot breath In my face.


| 1t has been said that in moments
of peril and impending death the
acts of whole lifetime will pass
through mans mind with light.
ning-like rapidity. I can vouch
for the correctness of this state.
ment. Once, when quite child, /
had hacked favorite cherry tree
of my fathers; and now, as 1 flew
along not knowing but thnt my end
was very near, this, the only sin oi
a lifetime now verging upon three
score years, rose up before me to
/ H.H Ha H.l4F tk || III a