Year: 1875

full morning in the picturesque town of
Mokelumne Hill, in old Toulumne county,
California. 1t was a beautiful June morn
ing California's matchless sun was shin
ing in amber skies, the birds were twitter-
ing from the tree that shaded Jep's Win
dow, and the perfume of a garden of rare
flowers stole in through the open window
like incense.


But Jep was not exceedingly happy on
this soft morning. He was stranger in
Mokelumne Hill. lie had reached there
on the evening previous, coming in from
Jackson on foot He was not in very good
health. He had decent clothes and a car
pet-sack, with an extra collar, but he was
a total stranger, and his exchequer showed
exactly the sum of 50. OF this amount
he knew the bill tor supper, lodging, and
breakfast would consume Just one-half.
These reflections passed through his mind
covered himself to be whistling "John
Anderson. My 10" and he says he learned
by experience that when man awakens
from a thinking fit he generally finds HIM
self whistling. He descended with reason
able dignity the stairs to the bar room,
answered the hosts nod and good morn
ing, refused quietly Il protf'ered cocktail,
passed into the dining-room and ate his
breakfast mechanically, for he was still
thinking. Breakfast over, he paid his bill
and. adding an extra quarter to it, said
"A cigar, il you please" The cigar was
furnished and an extra one urged by the
landlord and accepted by .Jep. The odor
of that cigar is still fragrant in Jeps
memory, for it was a courtesy to him
where. though he wore quiet face, his
heart was exceedingly heavy Jep lit his
cigar, and, taking seat on the bench out
side the door, waited for the Columbia
stage to start.


Jep was going to Columbia himself, but
he was going on foot, and somehow he
did not wish to hurt the drivers feelings
by making him drive by him without ask
ing him to ride While waiting, and
watching, and thinking, he was not aware
that he noticed anything. but later in the
day he remembered that the near leader
was a stylish gray, but pigeon-toed; his
mate was a brown with a star in the fore
head and quarter crack in the off fore
hooi. The whcelers were bays; the off
one had a splint under the right knee, and
the near one kept working his head up and
down as though he had sore neck under
the collar The near inside rein on the
leaders was twisted, and the binders on
the oif-wheeler We're too light over his
eyes. The stage rolled away and after a
little lurther delay Jep picked up his car
pet sack and took his way in the direction
pointed out by the red dirt which the
wheels OF the coach threw up in dust.


1t was hot June morning. The sun
was a volcano in heaven; the earth be-
meath seemed like a vast plain of lava as
yet not half cooled 1t was 7 80 when he
started at 10 a man by the wayside told
him it was eight miles to Mokelumne Hill
At | O'Clock he sat down moment to hold
one foot, which was chatting with the
heat, in u stream which babbled across the
road; and here passer by informed him
it was eight miles to Mokelumne. and
"'bout twenty -one to Columbia" Passing
a grocery, he stopped and asked for a
quarters worth Of crackers, and when
they were weighed he took four OF them
Che always remembered the number), and,
putting down the quarter, walked on In
the morning he had hummed softly songs
to himself us he walked, but the songs had
long been hushed and now he tugged
grimy on in silence. About 3 p NJ. he
stopped at house and asked for drink
OF water There was a solitary man in
the open door and a solitary dog on a
chain outside. The dog was a Newfound-
land, and though he barked furiously and
surged fiercely upon his chain, his looks
belied him, for his long face spoke in
every lineament that ne was dying for a
romp SO ,lep walked up to him and
stroked his shaggy head and expressed to
him the belief that his apparent bad
humor was all a blutl that he really would
not hurt Il kitten, and the dog put his paws
on Jeps shoulders and licked his face
The owner apologized for the dog; said he
hoped he would be worth something
some time, though he feared he was too
good hearted to ever be of any account
He rendered the water, but taking sec
ond look at .Iep, asked him if he would
not prefer a drink of cool milk and with
out waiting for an answer, turned and
went to his milk house hard by and
brought pint of the beverage. He was
half gardener and half dairyman and
lived all alone with his dog They were
probably much alike. Both tried to look
grum and sullen at strangers, but they
were both too good-hearted to make any
attempt at being savage a success. Jep
swallowed the milk without taking his
lips from the cup, and thanking the man
and shaking the paw of the dog, again
trudged on.


About O'Clock he stopped once more
to inquire the way. The man OF whom he
asked told HIM it was eleven miles by the
road to Columbia, but by taking the trail,
which Uoc ,1oin bo ooull couo tn,oo NJ
a half miles. This was consideration,
and in answer to further inquiries he was
told the trail led over hill in sight, then
over another beyond, and there at the foot
Of the second hill he would strike the
main road again where it crossed the
Stanislaus He took the trail, but has
never taken one since where road could
be followed. The first hill was an Alps to
his tired limbs-the second was Hima.
laya lie says to this day the chapparral
and manzanita on that last hill will be the
last things he will remember on earth, so
horribly hot and dreary did they seem to
him.


But the river was reached at last, and
| ior a quarter the 1erryman landed him on
the further bank. BY this time he was
tired indeed, and sharp pains began to
pierce his limbs like needles. Up that
endless hill from the river he climbed, and
so weary had he grown that he was Obliged
to stop and rest every fifty OF sixty Yards
Near the summit he came to a little cot.
tage. nalf hid in clump of trees beside
the road. Seeing woman on the piazza,
he entered the gate and approached her tc
ask for a cup of water. He was lame, be-
| orimed with sweat and dust, and haggard
with fatigue. The woman was young and
pretty, and was probably some miners pei
Just imported from the East, for she wa;
evidently frightened at the strangers ap
proach-which California girl would MOI
have been-and little nameless trick;
about her dress made len believe she lal