tion; for, when the party
reached the rancheria, they found it deserted--not even a solitary
squaw left among the huddled-up collection of huts. Determined not to
be foiled, the party set to work to demolish the village. The
construction of the Indian houses rendered this an easy task, but, to
complete it, fire was requisite. No sooner had the smoke risen from the
kindling wood, than their ears were saluted with a dismal yell from a
little densely-wooded island a couple of hundred yards up the stream.
Starting out in all directions from the high grass and underwood,
appeared a crowd of squaws with their children, who gave whoop after
whoop, and, brandishing boughs of trees, imprecated curses upon the
destroyers of their rancheria.

Captain Sutter and his party of trappers were somewhat startled at this
proceeding, and the question immediately occurred to them as to where
the men could be. The party pushed their way homewards as fast, as
possible; leaving the rancheria burning and the squaws and children
still yelling and whooping on the island. It was as they expected. On
coming within two miles of the Fort, they heard the crack upon crack of
distant rifles. Putting their horses to the gallop, they arrived just
in time to see the Indians totally routed, and scampering away as fast
as their horses would carry them into the woods.

After this double defeat, the tribes seem to have given up all idea of
prosecuting a war against their new neighbours, and, gradually
relinquishing their thievish habits, settled in the neighbourhood of
the Fort--sometimes hunting and trapping for the pale faces, and at
others labouring away at ditching and brick-making, being paid chiefly
in articles of clothing and small allowances of pisco. The trapper told
us that Captain Sutter has now a tin coin in circulation, stamped with
his name, and good for a certain amount of merchandize at the Fort.

After listening to a few more wonderful adventures of this sort,
Bradley turned the conversation upon the country about Bear River. The
trapper said he knew it well, and had heard that there was plenty of
gold there. He asked him if he would undertake to guide us thither,
and, after some bargaining, he consented. The sum he was to have was
sixty-five dollars and his food. Considering the high rates of all
things here, this was a low figure enough, but the old trapper candidly
told us that he was sick and tired of paddling about in the water
washing