of the animal. A loaded train will travel about
twenty-five miles a day. The favorite camping-
ground is a grassy spot near a stream of clear water ;
there at night the Mexicans dismount and unpack.
Bringing up one mule after another, a blind is thrown
over the animal's eyes to make it stand quietly, then
with one man on each side the hide ropes are rapidly
untied, and the cargoes, consisting of sacks of flour,
sugar, barley, and bacon, boxes of tobacco, dried fruit,
and miscellaneous groceries, and kegs of liquors, each
kept separately, are ranged in a row with the aparejo
or pack-saddle in a parallel row, each saddle directly
opposite its load, with the girth and saddle-cloth be-
longing to it folded and laid upon the top. The
mule's back is then examined, and if galled, remedies
are applied to the spot, and the tired animal is turned
loose to graze. In the morning the mules are driven
up and packed in like manner, and on they go.
On the whole the cunning little animal bears a good character. Though sometimes stubborn, it is as one possessed of the devil or overtaken by a fault rather than willfully wicked, for in his ordinary mood he is very patient and faithful. Though in some re- spects his sensibilities may be somewhat blunted, he nevertheless has a keen moral sense. He guards the load entrusted him with intelligence and faithfulness, beinof careful not to knock it ao'ainst the trunks of trees, stooping low to let it pass under an overhang- ing limb, planting his feet firndy in dangerous places, eyeing the rocks that jut out over the trail round the mountain side, lest in an evil moment his pack striking one, he be thrown from the narrow ]3ath, and hurled trembhng intb the abyss below. The moment the pack is loose or anything drops from it he stops, and no matter how hungry or weary he may be he is al- lowed little time to eat until his work is finished.
Even in those days dreams were dreamed and proph- ecies prophesied of the time when San Francisco
