Soledad
a small town on the Salinas River
the Salinas River
a river that flows through Southern California and into the Pacific Ocean
Gabilan Mountains
a range of mountains around Soledad
‘coons
racoons, small furry animals a bit like badgers
bindle
roll of blankets bound with string
jungle-up
making camp
a stilted heron
a water bird with long legs (like stilts)
Murray and Ready’s
a work agency. During the depression in America in the 1930′ s there were many unemployed men tramping about the country looking for work. Agencies were set up by the government to direct men to where workers were needed. The men were given work cards to identify them to their new employer.
Weed
a small town in California
bucking
hoisting, throwing – like a person being thrown off a horse
thrashin’ machines
threshing machines which separate the grains of wheat from the stalks
bucks
dollars
cat-house
brothel
pool
a game similar to snooker
hot water
trouble
coyote
a type of wild dog
blow their stake
waste their money
poundin’ their tail
working hard
blowin’ in our jack
wasting our money
brush
bushes