ain rushed downward. From the great
drifts they ran to the soft, melting snow, then to the mud and freshness
of early spring. Small boys crowded early wild-flowers on them whenever
they stopped at the small towns built on the red clay. The air became
indescribably soft and balmy, full of a gentle caress. At the next
station the children brought oranges. A little farther the foothill
ranches began to show the brightness of flowers. The most dilapidated
hovel was glorified by splendid sprays of red roses big as cabbages.
Dooryards of the tiniest shacks blazed with red and yellow. Trees and
plants new to Bob's experience and strangely and delightfully exotic in
suggestion began to usurp the landscape. To the far Northerner, brought
up in only a common-school knowledge of olive trees, palms, eucalyptus,
oranges, banana trees, pomegranates and the ordinary semi-tropical
fruits, there is something delightful and wonderful in the first sight
of them living and flourishing in the open. When closer investigation
reveals a whole series of which he probably does not remember ever to
have heard, he feels indeed an explorer in a new and wonderful land.
After a few months these things become old stories. They take their
places in his cosmos as accustomed things. He is then at some pains to
understand his visitor's extravagant interest and delight over loquats,
chiramoyas, alligator pears, tamarinds, guavas, the blooming of century
plants, the fruits of chollas and the like. Baker pointed out some of
these things to Bob.

"Winter to summer in two jumps and a hop," said he. "The come-on stuff
rings the bell in this respect, anyway. Smell the air: it's real air.
'Listen to the mocking bird.'"

"Seriously or figuratively?" asked Bob. "I mean, is that a real mocking
bird?"

"Surest thing you know," replied Baker as the train moved on, leaving
the songster to his ecstasies. "They sing all night out here. Sounds
fine when you haven't a grouch. Then you want to collect a brick and
drive the darn fowl off the reservation."

"I never saw one before outside a cage," said Bob.

"There's lots of things you haven't seen that you're going to see, now
you've got out to the Real Thing," said Baker. "Why, right in your own
line: you don't know what big pine is. Wait till you see the woods out
here. We've got the biggest trees, and the biggest mountains, and the
biggest crops and the biggest--."

"Liars," broke in Bob, laughing. "Don't forget th