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Show 226 PERSONAL ADVENTURES be a scout belonging to some of the desperate bands that, as \Ve had been given to understand, infested the neighbourhood of Monterey. This impression was somewhat confirmed by the fact of the second horse which he led being without a rider. The stranger bade us good evening, as he alighted from his beast, a compliment which we of course returned. He at once discovered us to be Americans, by our accent, and informed us he could not speak English. I in turn ascertained-as he addressed us in a mixture of Spanish and French-that he was a Frenchman ; and he confirmed my suspicions, proceeding to inform me how he came to be in our company. He had been employed by a Mr. R , at the mission of San Miguel, to take care of his cattle and horses during his absence at the mines. His employer had promised to be back in two months, or three at the most, and to pay him handsomely for his services; but he having absented himself beyond the stipulated period, and the Frenchman being IN CALIFORNIA. 227 sadly in want of money, he had taken two horses, and set out in search of him, selecting for his companion a sailor of whom he knew little or nothing, and fron1 whom he was ultimately obliged to separate, as he ate up the provisions and rode the horses nearly to death, teazing them sadly by rolling about on their back, as though he were lying out on one of the yards of his ship. l-Ie got rid of him at Monterey, and resurned his journey alone. Our fire had attracted him, and he could not resist the temptation of joining compnny with us. Having imparted this piece of information, without waiting for any invitation to join our party around the fire, he led away his horses to some little distance from us, where, removing their bridles and saddles, he fastened them by a hackamore to the tough branches of a tree, and, leaving them to feed off what they could pick up, returned to us, bringing back his saddles and a canvass bag, which he opened before us. It contained a quantity of penoche, which is, I believe, made of ground |