fteen miles distant from the river.

CHAPTER VIII

AN INLAND EXCURSION

Jensen was a small village with two stores and a post-office. A few
scattered houses completed the village proper, but prosperous-looking
ranches spread out on the lowland for two or three miles in all
directions on the west side of the river. Avenues of poplar trees,
fruit trees, and fields of alfalfa gave these ranches a different
appearance from any others we had passed.

We found some mail awaiting us at the post-office, and were soon
busily engaged in reading the news from home. We conversed awhile with
the few people at the hotel, then retired, but first made arrangements
for saddle horses for the ride to Vernal.

Next morning we found two spirited animals, saddled and waiting for
us. We had some misgivings concerning these horses, but were assured
that they were "all right." A group of grinning cowboys and ranch
hands craning their necks from a barn, a hundred yards distant, rather
inclined us to think that perhaps our informant might be mistaken.
Nothing is more amusing to these men of the range than to see a man
thrown from his horse, and a horse that is "all right" for one of them
might be anything else to persons such as we who never rode anything
except gentle horses, and rode those indifferently. We mounted quickly
though, trying to appear unconcerned. The horses, much to our relief,
behaved quite well, Emery's mount rearing back on his hind legs but
not bucking. After that, all went smoothly.

Leaving the irrigated ranches on the bottom lands, we ascended a low,
rolling mesa, composed of gravel and clay, unwatered and unfertile,
from which we caught occasional glimpses of the mountains and the
gorge from which we had emerged, their brilliant colours softened and
beautified by that swimming blue haze which belongs to this plateau
region. Then we rode down into the beautiful Ashley Valley, watered by
Ashley Creek, a good-sized stream even after it was used to irrigate
all the country for miles above. The valley was several miles wide.
The stream emptied into the river about a mile below Jensen. All parts
of the valley were under cultivation. It is famous for its splendid
deciduous fruits, apples, pears, peaches; splendid both in appearance
and flavour. It excelled not only in fruits, however, but in all
products of the field as well. "Vernal honey," which is marketed far
and near, has a reputation for fine flavour wherev