natural that the respective attorneys should take advantage of my youth
and inexperience, for they had known me in my verdant boyhood and
seemed to rejoice in my discomfiture. I had hard work to keep them in
order. They threatened one another with ink-bottles and treated me with
contempt. They would lure me on when I rejected evidence as
inadmissible, offering slightly changed forms, until I was forced to
reverse myself. When I was uncertain I would adjourn court and think it
over. These were trying experiences, but I felt sure that the claimants'
rights would be protected on appeal to the Commissioner of the General
Land Office and finally to the Secretary of the Interior. I was glad
that in the biggest case I guessed right.

One occurrence made a strong impression on me. It was war-time, and
loyalty was an issue. A rancher from Mendocino County came to Eureka to
prove up on his land and get a patent. He seemed to me a fine man, but
when he was asked to take the oath of allegiance he balked. I tried my
best to persuade him that it was harmless and reasonable, but he simply
wouldn't take it, and went back home without his patent.

My experiences while chief clerk in the office of the Superintendent of
Indian Affairs are too valuable to be overlooked. I traveled quite
freely and saw unfamiliar life. I had a very interesting trip in 1865,
to inspect the Round Valley Indian Reservation and to distribute
clothing to the Indians. It was before the days of railroads in that
part of California. Two of us drove a light wagon from Petaluma to
Ukiah, and then put saddles on our horses and started over the mountains
to the valley. We took a cold lunch, planning to stay overnight at a
stockman's ranch. When we reached the place we found a notice that he
had gone to a rodeo. We broke into his barn to feed our horses, but we
spared his house. Failing to catch fish in the stream near by, we made
our dinner of its good water, and after a troubled night had the same
fare for breakfast. For once in my life I knew hunger. To the nearest
ranch was half a day's journey, and we lost no time in heading for it.
On the way I had an encounter with a vicious rattlesnake. The outcome
was more satisfactory than it might have been. At noon, when we found a
cattleman whose Indian mate served venison and hot bread of good quality
and abundant quantity, we were appreciative and happy. The remainder of
the trip was uneventful.

The equal division of