Vernon: or, Mulberry Leaves [pp. 184-190]

86EREO,V; OR, MULBERRY LEA VES.
trast to the deep purple of the rocky approach. The house had two rooms,
faces below them, which so vividly re- between which was a wide passage-way,
minds one of the heather-clad hills of where sat the proprietor, in a deformed
bonnie Scotland. Before us, distinctly rocking-chair, spelling out a newspaper
seen, though so far away, rose San Ber- through a pair of brass-bowed spectacles.
nardino Mountain, standing like a grim As he rose to meet us, we saw we had
sentinel, adorned with a havelock of found a character-of medium stature,
snow, fashioned by the skill of some with a shambling walk, a head of fine
deft handmaiden of Nature. To the proportions, thatched with wisps of strag right the rolling hills formed a barrier, gling hair, a tangled beard, in a suit of
sunburnt, and speckled here and there homespun, and a shirt that had shed its
withsheep,whose whitybacks made a sort buttons. This land -brother of a dilap of dim, living mosaic on the dun earth. idated Merlin gave us greeting:
At the base of hills and mountains the "Good-day, gentlemen; won't you tie
dark, thicketed oak groves and clumps up and come in?"
of feathery willows beckoned us to shad- "Thanks; no. We merely came to
ow and rest. The middle plain sloped inquire about this land lying below you.
gently to the river; and at its head the Who owns it?"
old mission church, with its stately sides "You had better come in, then," said
and pretentious chimes, stood guardian our host, with a side-glance at us over
of the upper vale, in the centre of a little one oval of his glasses; and, throwing
cluster of low houses, almost hidden by our bridles over a branch, we took seats
the leafy hedges. The bells were chant- with him.
ing their orisons as we looked and lis- "Strangers in this part of the coun tened, and their faint, floating notes alone try?"
broke the delicious quiet. "Yes, sir."
"I think we need go no farther, Judge." "Think of coming here to live?"
"This is the most beautiful spot we "We had some idea of it."
have seen yet," was my assenting reply. "Then you'd jest better squat."
"Let us ride to the village, and find The Colonel and I exchanged glances,
the lord of this domain; some dusky and gave them both to the speaker. NVeranchero, probably, who would sooner gari non potest, but that "squat" is an
let his lands run through the sieve of inelegant word, both in conception and
m.onte than sell to a settler." realization. But we had come to this
Down through the hamlet we rode, country to "rough it," and this might be
and by the church, near whose door a only an idiosyncrasy of the region.
few lazy Mexicans were lying in dolce "Yes, you'd better squat!" continued
far niente, directing our course between our adviser. " The hull of this yere land
the rough cactus fences toward a low belongs to Guv'ment. I say it, and I
adobe, above which tall, rustling syca- know it. I've been in this country since
mores spread their giant arms, as if in'4I, and am posted, you bet! Some of
mute benediction. these land-grabbers swear they have got
"Not much thrift here, Colonel," said a title to it, but I know better, and I
I, as we drew near the house, and could squatted here and have fought'em for
see the ragged, live fence, skeletons of ten years, and I'll beat'em, you bet!"
old carts and long - divorced wheels., He looked as though he had not only
among which skulked two sorry curs, "squatted," but had taken root, all save
who had lost both tails and manners, his arms, which Don Quixote might have
and who set up a Cerberean howl at our imagined to be belligerent windmills.
VoL. III -3.
i 869.]
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