Jim Beckwith had lots of money, and it looked to me as
though he wanted to get rid of it--as soon as possible. He would
get just so full every day, and when he was full of whiskey his
tongue appeared to be loose at both ends. It now being the first
of December, I saddled my horse and rode out to the Fort, and on
arriving there I found all anxious for the hunt. Col. Elliott had
been talking the matter up among them. It took about three days to
prepare for the trip, and I kept hurrying them up, all that was in
my power, for I did not want to fool around there until the good
ladies took it in their heads to have another dance, as it was not
a dance that I was hunting. I had had enough of that on my other
visit to satisfy me for some time to come.
CHAPTER XV.
A HUNT ON PETALUMA CREEK.--ELK FEVER BREAKS OUT.--THE EXPEDITION
TO KLAMATH LAKE.--A LIVELY BRUSH WITH MODOC INDIANS.
The hunting party made up at the Fort was ready early in December,
and we pulled out, promising to be home by New Year's day, at the
latest.
At this time there were no steamers running across the bay in the
direction we wished to go, so we hired a tug to take us over to
the mouth of Petaluma creek, near which we proposed to pitch our
hunting camp. Here was live-oak timber, with now and then a
redwood, and in places the chapparal was thick, and there was no
end to deer sign.
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