place as
well as the open, sunny plains over by the city, and toward the Klamat lakes. But at last she caine to take possession. She planted her banners on places the sun made bare, and put up signs and land-marks not to be misunderstood.
The balm and alder burst in leaf, and catkins drooped and dropped from willows in the water, till you had thought a legion of woolly caterpillars were drifting to the sea. Still the place was not to be surrendered without a struggle. It was one of winter s struggles. He had been driven, day after day, in a march of many a thousand miles. He had retreated from Mexico to within sight of Mount Shasta, and here he turned on his pursuer. One night he came boldly down and laid hands on the muddy little stream, and stretched a border of ice all up and down its edges ; spread frost-work, white and beautiful, on pick, and torn, and sluice, and flume and cradle, and made the miners curse him to his beard. He cut down the banners of the spring that night, lamb-tongue, Indian turnip and catella, and took possession as completely as of old.
The sun came up at last and he let go his hold upon the stream, took off his stamp from pick and pan, and torn, and sluice and cradle, and crept in silence into the shade of trees and up the mountain side against the snow.
And now the spring came back with a double force and strength. She planted California lilies, fan* and bright as stars, tall as little flag-staffs, along the
