Beckwith had sold all my horses during the
summer at what I thought a good figure, having got fifty dollars
per head all around.
The command came on two days later, pitched their tents and stayed
two days, having a red hot time. The men had plenty of money, and
Jim Beckwith, who was now running a saloon in connection with his
hotel, had plenty of bad whiskey. The Colonel put very little
restriction on his men while they remained there, allowing them to
have a general spree, for they had been where there was no chance
to spend their money, and the little they had was burning their
pockets.
Jim Beckwith made a handsome little clean-up during the two days
they were camped there.
When the Colonel was ready to pull out for San Francisco he came
to me and invited me to come to the Fort and spend a few months
during the winter. I told him I did not know where I would winter,
but preferred to seek quarters where I could hunt for a
livelihood. I told him I did not wish to put in another winter
lounging around as I did the last one. The Colonel made me a
proposition to come to the Fort after I had visited my friend, Jim
Beckwith, saying that he would organize a hunting party among the
officers and take a trip north of San Francisco on the Russian
river.
The country to which we wished to go is now Sonoma County, Cal.,
of which Santa Rosa is the county seat.
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