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Coast Trails

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Once again the meticulous chronicler, in two paragraphs, captures

his goings on, not missing a beat and capturing the atmosphere

in splendid form. His ironic comment, ' hearty blessings ' re-

grading the old gentleman, after getting lost; his capturing the

mood of his tired mount Anton in all its mischievousness;

and his roguish description of the harvester crew circulating

through the saloon is amusing, and spot on. Please, take it

all in!

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" The inland heat was rather trying, and I determined to make for Moss Landing, on the coast, a few miles away. Following the directions of an old man whose confident manner imposed on me, I left Castroville on the right, and turned into a road that seemed to lead directly there. After following it for a couple of miles, Anton pretty tired and eying every barn and gateway with anxiety, the road came to an end, and a wide slough, quite impassable, barred the way.

 With hearty blessings on that old gentleman we returned to Castroville, and took the main road, arriving at the village of Moss Landing long after dark. It took my utmost arguments to persuade the hotel-keeper to get me supper of bread, beef, and tepid coffee. The place had just been thrown into excitement by the arrival of a harvester crew of eighteen or twenty men, who kept up a sort of stage procession as they circulated through the saloon. Fraternal squads passed in hurriedly, to emerge in two or three minutes with impressive wiping of lips. A few moments sufficed to change the composition of the groups, and they lurched in again with a fresh access of thirst. "

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