Difficulties began to arise in our minds now we were in an apparent land of plenty, but in spite of all we went along as fast as my lame knee would permit me to do.  A house on higher ground soon appeared in sight.  It was low, of one story with a flat roof, gray in color, and of a different style of architecture from any we had ever seen before.  There was no fence around it, and no animals or wagons in sight, nor person to be seen.  As we walked up the hill toward it I told John our moccasins made of green hide would betray us as having recently killed an animal, and as these people might be the owners and detain us by having us arrested for the crime, and this would be especially bad for us just now.  We determined to face the people, and let the fact of our close necessities be a sufficient excuse for us, if we could make them understand our circumstances.

As we came near the house no person was seen, but a mule tied to a post told us there was some one about, and a man soon made an appearance, dressed about the same style as the one we had passed a short time before.  As we came near we saluted him, bidding him good morning, and he in turn touched his hat politely, saying something in reply which we were not able to understand.  I showed him that I was lame, and taking out some money pointed to the mule, but he only shook his head and said something I could not comprehend.  Rogers now began looking around the house, which was built of sun-dried bricks about one by two feet in size, and one end was used as a storehouse.  As he looked in, a man came to him and wanted a black, patent leather belt which Rogers wore, having a watch-pocket attached to it.  He offered a quart or more of coarse corn meal, and Rogers made the trade.

We tried to inquire where we were or where ought to go, but could get no satisfactory answer from the man, although when we spoke San Francisco he pointed to the north.  This was not very satisfactory to us and we seemed as badly lost as ever, and where or which way to go we did not seem very successful in finding out.  So we concluded to go on a little way at least, and I hobbled off in the direction he pointed, which was down the hill and past a small, poorly fenced field which was sometimes cultivated, and across the stream which followed down the valley.  Passing on a mile or two we stopped on a big patch of sand to rest.

I told Rogers I did not think this course would lead us to any place in a month, and just now a delay was ruinous to us and to those who were waiting for us, and it would not do for us to go off to the north to find a settlement.  While I was expressing my opinion on matters and things, Rogers had wet up a part of his meal with water and put it to bake on the cover of his camp kettle.  There was a fair sized cake for each of us, and it was the first bread of any kind we had eaten for months, being a very acceptable change from an exclusively meat diet.  Looking