Young Carson, who never allowed any opportunity of extending his knowledge to escape him, dressed himself carefully in his best apparel, mounted a fine horse, well caparisoned, and set out to pay the Spaniard a visit.
He reached the _ranche_, as the farm was called, dismounted at a wicket gate, and having fastened his horse, walked up several rods, over a gravelled-walk, and beneath an avenue of trees, with occasional clumps of shrubs and flowers, until he reached the residence.

It consisted of a spacious one story edifice, built of sun-baked bricks, called _adobe_.

The dwelling was a hundred feet long, and the roof was rendered impenetrable to rain, being covered with a thick coating of asphaltum, mingled with sand.

There was a spring of this valuable pitchy substance near the village; and the roofs of all the houses in Los Angelos were similarly covered.
A huge brass knocker was attached to the door.

In response to its summons, an Indian girl made her appearance, and ushered him into an elegantly furnished parlor.