“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 them.”

“Yes, the biggest liars, too,” agreed Baker.  “A man’s got to lie big out here to keep in practice so he can tell the plain truth without straining himself.”

Before they changed cars to the Valley line, Baker had a suggestion to make.

“Look here,” said he, “why don’t you come and look at the tall buildings?  You can’t do anything in the mountains yet, and when you get going you’ll be too busy to see California.  Come, make a pasear.  Glad to show you the sights.  Get reckless.  Take a chance.  Peruse carefully your copy of Rules for Rubes and try it on.”

“Go ahead,” said Welton, unexpectedly.

III

Bob went on to Los Angeles with the sprightly Baker.  At first glance the city seemed to him like any other.  Then, as he wandered its streets, the marvel and vigour and humour of the place seized on him.

“Don’t you suppose I see the joke?” complained Baker at the end of one of their long trolley rides.  “Just get onto that house; it looks like a mission-style switch engine.  And the one next to it, built to shed snow.  Funny! sure it’s funny.  But you ain’t talking to me!  It’s alive!  Those fellows wanted something different from anybody else—­so does everybody.  After they’d used up the regular styles, they had to make ’em up out of the fresh air.  But anyway, they weren’t satisfied just to copy Si Golosh’s idea of a Noah’s Ark chicken coop.”

They stopped opposite very elaborate and impressive iron gates opening across a graded street.  These gates were supported by a pair of stone towers crowned with tiles.  A smaller pair of towers and gates guarded the concrete sidewalk.  As a matter of fact, all these barriers enclosed nothing, for even in the remote possibility that the inquiring visitor should find them shut, an insignificant detour would circumvent their fenceless flanks.

“Maudsley Court,” Bob read sculptured on one of the towers.

“That makes this particular subdivision mighty exclusive,” grinned Baker.  “Now if you were a homeseeker wouldn’t you love to bring your dinner pail back to the cawstle every night?”

Bob peered down the single street.  It was graded, guttered and sidewalked.  A small sentry box labelled “office,” and inscribed with glowing eulogiums, occupied a strategic position near the gates.  From this house Bob immediately became aware of close scrutiny by a man half concealed by the indoor dimness.