As soon as he had gone, Ned crawled over to my side, and said, “Do you really believe that it was an angel Jerry saw?”

I endeavored to explain to the boy, that Jerry had been the victim of one of those strange illusions defined in Sanskrit, as “The thirst of the gazelle,” which is frequently experienced by travellers in the desert, causing them to imagine they see those objects in which their souls most delight, but which exist only, in their imaginations.  Nor is it possible, ever after to convince the beholder, that the vision was not real.

The following day’s journey carried us out of the arid, desert country, through magnificent groves of oak, over beautiful green prairies, and by ranches, whose cattle were, in truth, “feeding on a thousand hills.”  The contrast was as surprising, as it was graceful and pleasing; and, when at last we reached the summit of the high land that overlooked the beautiful blue waters of the Pacific, and saw, cozily nestled on the plain below us, facing the sea, the quaint old town of San Diego, with its magnificent date-palms, and rare old architecture, we all fairly shouted for joy.

The dangers and perils we had passed through, the privations we had suffered, the petty jealousies that had arisen, the unkind words spoken, —­all were alike forgiven and forgotton in the rapture caused by the sight of that “shining shore” we had travelled so many weary miles to see.

Our arrival at San Diego was most opportune, for there was a great scarcity of goods in the market, which enabled us to dispose of ours, at such prices that we realized a handsome profit, after paying the expenses of our entire trip.

Indeed, we found ourselves in the possession of so much money, that we deemed it advisable to hold a consultation, as to the best manner of investing it.

Hal declared, that he would speculate with it; and thereby take the chance of doubling the capital in a few weeks, perhaps days.

Ned was for purchasing a stock of goods in San Francisco, and going into general merchandise.

Jerry declared for a stock-ranche, and I—­why, I decided with Jerry, of course.

“And what do you say, Patsey,” called out Ned.

“Well, I’d take the money, an’ buy me a new buckskin suit, and sthart back for the ould country, shure.  Divil a day would yez kitch me stoppin’ in a counthry like this, iny longer thin it would take to git out of it.”

After properly canvassing the matter, we decided to purchase a ranche, stock it well with cattle, and place it in charge of old Jerry, with Hal and Ned as assistants, and Patsey as “general utility boy.”

The ranche, under old Jerry’s management, has become a valuable piece of property, branding over a thousand calves the last spring.

Hal, who, since his arrival here, has corresponded regularly with Juanita, is now on a visit to Chihuahua, and the last letter I received from him spoke of his marriage as a settled thing in the coming fall.  After that interesting event is over, he proposes to bring his wife home with him.