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Show 290 PERSONAL ADVENTURES " Well, I r«yther guess we have." " What luck had you?" " Darned little ; \Ve made jist enough to pay our way along the road." " What chance do you think we'll have?" " vV ell, I guess you'll have chances enough, but darned few sartainties. Unless you keep your eyes skinned, and sleep without winking, they'll steal the very nose off your face." " How are they off for provender for the horses?" " There ain't a blade of grass in the whole darned countrv. If it warn't that this here "' tarn al critter of n1ine managed to live upon acorns and rotten stone, I guess as how he'd a been a gonner some weeks ago. But don't let this scar ye, strangers, for there's moun· tains of goo]d if you can only get at it. Good night, my trumps; I wish you luck." With these agreeable assurances, which seemed to produce their due effect upon Hal· liday, the spokesman rode off and rejoined his . co1npan1on. Travelling rapidly next day, '~re arrived to- IN CALIFORNIA. 291 wards evening at a good encampment, where there 'vas plenty of wood and water; and, on the following day, we found ourselves in the San J oachin valley. We had proceeded a considerable distance on the plain, when we perceived several waggons in advance. They appeared to belong to a numerous party, and were accompanied by a large cavallarrd. They were going at an easy, steady pace, and we entertained hopes of being able soon to overtake them. My companions' eyes beamed with joy at this agreeable sight, for he only desired an opportunity of putting his talents and effrontery to account, in order to render our mode of travelling n1ore easy and comfortable. Pushing on before n1e, he came up with the party; and, when I overtook them near a small lake surrounded with bulrushes, I found him paying con1pli1nents to a drylooking little Spaniard, who held a couple of dead geese, that he bad just killed, slung on the barrel of a fow-ling-piece which he bad on his shoulder. The place being favourable for an encampment, we were glad enough to halt 0 2 |