been fatal for
them to venture without a sure guide.

The Salinas Valley looked like a garden to them, and was indeed a
promised land. There was fruit in abundance, and every prospect of
meeting some of their own people. The Buenaventura, years ago, was a
fabled river, and the geographies made it a huge stream, taking every
course except the true one. They found it a river inferior in breadth
and length to the Hudson, but vastly more interesting from its primeval
character and the wild scenery along its banks.

On the eastern slope of the mountains they discerned a great variety of
trees, among them the _Palo Colorado_ or Lambertine fir, some of them a
dozen feet in diameter, although they did not attain any remarkable
height. These were not the colossal pines so famous the world over.
There were quite a number of beech, sycamore, oak, spruce, and maple,
and other trees whose particular names they were unable to tell.

There was a noticeable change in the climate also. The air had parted
with a great deal of its moisture, and although very warm, it had a
dryness about it that made it more grateful and pleasant than the
coolness along the coast.

When fairly in the Salinas Valley, and along the river, they found the
vegetation remarkably luxuriant. Oats grew wild in many places, and the
plants partook greatly of a tropical character. Grapes were very
abundant, although it was too early in the season to find them ripe; yet
they gathered a few berries that were very pleasant to the taste.

The first day among the hills was spent like the first one on
shore--without food, although they had so gormandized themselves on the
preceding evening that they were able to stand this privation much
better.

On the second morning among the hills, just as they had risen and
resumed their journey, Terror gave notice of something unusual in his
characteristic manner--by halting and uttering a low whine. At that
moment they were making their way around a huge mass of rocks, in a path
that seemed to have been worn by the feet of wild animals. Tim paused,
cocked his rifle and held it ready for instant use, while the boys
looked around for some covert into which to retreat, if danger
threatened.

While they stood in anxious suspense, an animal about the size of Terror
walked leisurely into view, and catching sight of the strangers raised
its head with a look of alarm, then uttered a shrill _baa-aa_ after the
manner of affrighted shee