I was left alone after they started, and it was my idea to quit when I had worked a month, and if my mule staid with me, to start for the mines even if I went alone.  The majority of the male inhabitants of this town had gone to the mines, and this accounted for the unusual proportion of women.  We learned that they would return in November, and then the gambling houses would start up in full blast, for these native Californians seemed to have a great natural desire to indulge in games of chance, and while playing their favorite game of monte would lay down their last reale (12-1/2 cents) in the hope of winning the money in sight before them on the table.

As the boarding house business got dull I was taken over to a vineyard and set to work, in place of hauling water.  The entire patch was as green as a meadow with weeds, and I was expected to clean them out.  I inquired of Brier how he came to get hold of this nice property, and he said that during the war the soldiers had taken possession of this piece of ground, and had their camp here, so he considered it was government land, and therefore had squatted on it and was going to hold it, and pay for it as regular government land, and that he already considered it his own, for said he, “I am an American, and this is a part of the public domain.”  “All right,” said I, “I will kill weeds for you, if you wish, when I have time to spare, and you don’t want the oxen worked at any other work “.

I could see every day that I was improving in health and weight and would soon become myself again, able to take the road to the mines.  When about two weeks of my time had expired two oldish men came to the house to stop for a few days and reported themselves as from Sacramento, buying up some horses for that market.  Thus far they had purchased only six or eight, as they had found the price too high to buy and then drive so far to a market to sell again.  They had about decided to go back with what they had and undertake some other kind of business.  I thought this would be a pretty good chance for me to go, as I would have company, and so went to Brier and Granger and told them what I would like to do, and that with their permission I would quit and go on with them.  They readily consented, for their money was coming in rather slow, and they paid me twenty five dollars for half a month’s work.  This made me feel pretty rich and I thought this would give me food enough to reach the mines.

Having two or three days to get ready in, I began doing the best I could.  I found an old saddle tree which had been thrown away, and managed to fix it up so I could use it.  I also found an old gun some traveler had left, and with a little work I fitted the breech of that to my own gun which was broken, and had been roughly tied together with strips of raw-hide.  I now had a good sound gun if it was not very handsome.  I bought a Spanish blanket, not so wide as ours, but coarse and strong, and having