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Show 308 PERSONAL ADVENTURES for an encamprnent abound, and we were often cornpelled to lie out under the cover of a small bush. Every now and then we came up with trees, around whose huge trunks heaps of acorns lay stre,ved, which the Indians of our party roasted in the ashes and ate. I did not find the flavour of then1 at all disagreeable, and made up my n1ind not to die of starvation as long as I could find any. One night we suddenly fell in with a large party of Americans and Spaniards, encamped for the night, and who were on their way from the mines. Amongst them ·was Doctor Ord, brother to Lieutenant Ord, of the regular army. He had rendered hirnself notorious at the "diggins,'' by his exorbitant charges for medicine and n1edical advice, by which he had succeeded in realizing an in1mense sum of money. The circumstance was freely spoken of, but the doctor's gold rendered him opinion-proof. In the course of the evening, one of the Ameri?ans of the party came to where Halliday and I had built up our fire, and, bidding us a good evening, seated himself on a log of wood IN CALIFORNIA. 309 opposite to us. He was a weather-beaten man ' with hard features, harder hands, and of a most serious cast of countenance. Ilis dress denoted exposure to severe service and rude conflict with the elements, as well as with the bushes and brambles of the route. His coat was made of leather, but torn, and hanging in shreds, whilst his feet were encased in an enormous pair of boot~, which seemed to have been made expressly for 'vading through swan1ps, for which they were far better adapted than for the high and dry and difficult lands of this region. "I presume,'' said I, after we han exchanged sundry civilities, " that you have made your fortune at the mines, and are returning home to enjoy it." "Well, now, I guess I can enlighten you a little about them diggins, if you aire going there, young man, as I reckon you aire," replied the stranger; " but I suppose you won't mind doing me a small favour first." " Not at all," I answered; "anything we have you are \velcome to. What is it?" |