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Show ] 7 4 PERSONAL ADVENTURES wept, until I actually dozed, though my mind was, all the time, wandering upon my unfortunate position. All at once I sprang to my feet, growing desperate, I suppose, and set off runninO' as fast as I could, and, as nearly as b I could guess, in the direction from which I had come ; until, I imagine, I must have traversed some five miles of ground. I then began to abuse myself for my folly in not endeavouring to seek signs of the passage of living things, as the Indians do when they lose the trail, and forthwith commenced my search, every sense acquiring extraordinary keenness. Still I found no syn1ptom of a track, and in despair cast myself on my face upon the sand, giving myself up for lost. Suddenly, as I lay there, I heard a thumping noise on the ground, which I instantly recognised to .be the tramp of hoofs; and listening now wit~ increased vigilance, soon ascertained the di· rection of the sound, and scan1pered off to· wards it. Unbounded "'as my joy, on reaching a turn in the course I \vas following, to come , IN CAIAIFORNIA. 175 upon an Indian hut, in front of \vhich were two natives with their mules saddled and bridled, they having, apparently, just arrived. There was yet sufficient light to enable me to distinguish them to be Californians, not Y akees; but I did not feel so sure of them as to be at rny ease, however great the relief I experienced at being rescued from the lingering death I had anticipated. Nevertheless, I went up and strove to make them cmnprehend that I hatl lost my vvay, and was entirely at their mercy : their only reply was, " No, no !" After a long and fruitles~ attempt to brighten up their understandings by a co1nplicated series of telegra-phic siO'ns and perceivino- that they ·were t) ' 0 about to re1nount, I intimated my 'vish to get up behind one of them -selecting the lesser man of the two, out of pity to his beast-and adding," Soldado A.mericano." They both replied by reiterating the last syllable of the second word, '' No, no !" though, as I subsequently understood, they meant that they were neither of them American soldiers. |