losing, beheld
before us, not half a mile distant, an American fortress, though in a Mexican country, and garrisoned by Indians.
In fifteen minutes more we had passed the dusky sentinel at the gate, and entered an asylum of rest from our long pilgrimage. We were received by Captain Sutter himself, who, gathering only a brief outline of our adventures and sufferings, expressed surprise to see us here alive, shook our hands with all the warm-heartedness of an American friend, and gave us a most cordial invitation to make his citadel our home, so long as we might feel disposed to remain in the country.
CHAPTER XXV.
OUR APPEARANCE SUTTER AND FORT
LEAVE IN THE SPRING REFLECTIONS A
TEAR PASSED OVER ON OUR RETURN
THE ANTELOPE CHASE LOSS OF MY
FRIEND TERRIBLE \ FEARS DESPAIR
FEARFUL RESULTS, ETC.
WORN-OUT and starved-out our garments all in tatters our frames emaciated our faces long, thin and sallow with sunken eyes and a beard of some two months' growth we presented anything but an attractive appearance on our first arrival at Sutler's. But with the aid of soap and water a keen razor new raiment, and a couple of weeks'- rest we began once more to resemble civilized beings, and feel like ourselves.
Captain Sutter we found to possess all the refined qualities of a hospitable American gentleman. He had emigrated to this country, from the western part of Missouri, a year or two previous to our arrival, and had already succeeded in establishing a fort, on a large grant of land obtained from the Mexican government.
He had succeeded, too, in subduing and making good citizens the surrounding Indians, many of whom were already in his employ some as soldiers, to guard his fortress some as husbandmen to till his soil and some as vaqueros, or cow- herds, to tend upon his kine and cattle; so that everything around gave indications of an industrious, wealthy, and prosperous settler.
The fort itself was a large, quadrangular adobe structure, capable of being garrisoned by a thousand men though at the time of which I speak, the "whole force consisted of some thirty or forty Indians, (in uniform) and some twenty-five American, French, and German employes. It mounted some ten or twelve pieces of ordnance, and was well supplied with other munitions of war, most of which, together with a large number of stock, agricultural and other stores, Sutter had purchased from a neighboring Russian establishment, prior to its being withdrawn from the country. Its internal appearance its arrangement of carpenter and blacksmith shops, store-rooms, offices, &c. so closely resembled Fort Laramie, as to make further description unnecessary.
Here we remained through the winter, amusing ourselves in various ways sometimes in hunting among the mountains, exploring the country, and fishing in the streams and at others, in making ourselves masters of the Spanish tongue, which was spoken by many of the Indians and all of the natives. This last, however, was more for our benefit than amusement as we had determined on a visit to the seaport places in the lower latitudes of Mexico, so soon as the annual spring rains, being over, should leave the ground in a good condition for traveling.
It was some time between the first and middle of May, that, mounted upon a couple of fiery horses which, decked out with all the showy trappings of two complete Spanish saddle equipments, had been pressed upon us as a present by our generous host we bade adieu to the noble-hearted Captain Sutter and family, and set out upon our southern journey.
As we rode along, it was with feelings of pleasant sadness we looked back over the eventful past, and remembered that about this time a year ago, two gay youths, fresh from college, were leaving friends and home for the first time, to venture they scarce knew whither. And what of those friends now? Were they alive, and well, and ) in prosperity? Had their thoughts been much on the wanderers? Had they looked for our return? Had they wept in secret for our absence, and prayed daily for our preservat
