mountain side, and up against the winter s barricade
of snow, and proclaimed possession absolute through
her messengers, the birds, and we were very glad.
Paquita gathered blossoms in the sun, threw her long hair back, and bounded like a fawn along the hills. Klamat took his club and knife, drew his robe only the closer about him in the sun, and went out gloomy and sombre in the mountains. Sometimes he would be gone all night.
At last the baffled winter abandoned even the wall that lay between us and the outer world, and drew off all his forces to Mount Shasta. He retreated above the timber line, but he retreated not an inch beyond. There he sat down with all his strength. He planted his white and snowy tent upon this ever lasting fortress, and laughed at the world below him. Sometimes he would send a foray down, and even in mid-summer, to this day, he plucks an ear of corn, a peach, or apricot, for a hundred miles around his battlement, whenever he may choose.
Now that the way was clear, immigrants and new arrivals of all kinds began to pour into the camp. The most noticeable was that of the new Alcalde.
This Alcalde was appointed by the new commis sioners of the new county, and as might have been expected, since the place brought neither profit nor honour, was only a broad- cloth sort of a man. A new arrival from the States, looking about for a place where he could sit down and eat his bread
