The Sierra citizen., 1854-09-30
Dovnievc Sierra County California Saturday September 80 1854

BILE, / began thanking him in bad Spanish
while Charley was eating in good Yankee
style.
1--WE ask no thanks, Senor," said the
chief; you are our prisoners we want
your money and your horses at dayligh,
you may 60 free with what We leave you.
And strange as it may seem, his delib
crate manner of telling us that we were to
be skinned and turned loose in strange
forest, seemed to please Charley tremend
ousy; for he burst into loud guffaw, anG
laid back in his chair with his mouth full
enough of chicken to choke horse bul
at severe look from me, he Strengthened
up, the large, white grinders closed heavily
on the dainty food, and for at least a min
ute he looked melancholy.
After supper we were stripped of oul
best clothes, and received in exchange all
the old garments we could desire. Our
money was taken from us tat least three
hundred dollars,) and we were then allow
ed to resume our places in the corner
Charley quietly stretched himself out, and
to my utter astonishment, was soon as
soundly asleep as if he were the sole pro-
prietor of " marble hail." or at least was
dreaming that he dwelt therein. Not even
the sweet strains of guitar, played by a
little girl Of uncommon beauty, whom the
chief called " Uletta," could rouse him,
although had he seen her, believe abso-
lutely he would have joined the troupe,
married into the family, and eventually
have generated race Of jolly thieves.
Fhe Guerillas seemed to care no more
for us, ..,fter they had pilfered all our
va,,an,e. than if we lad been 50 many
ours. We were apparently "eleome ~
go when and where we pleased; and arle,
the guitar ceased, they gradually dropped
down around the fire, and soon fell asleep.
Feeling no particular desire to have
much more to do with the fellows, it
occurred to me that we might as well
depart noiselessly, as to run the risk of
some change of programme in the morn
ing so shaking Charley, who was on his
feet in an instant, suggested the plan of
escape, to which he readily acceded-
Hastily stepping over two Or three sleep
ers, came to the rough table On which
the chief had unwarily left our pile of
of money. How quickly yet noisclessly
it was transferred to my pouch, is mat
ter left to the readers imagination. On
issuing from the hut, | found Charley
preparing the horses. and we were soon
in readiness fer immediate departure.
I've a deylish good mind to 60 back
and steal some of my own clothes.'' said
Charley: that was an overcoat Offs
best make
| protested, however, and he, good oasy
soul submitted.
We struck off boldly enough, but soon
lost our way; not for want OF path, but
on account of the abundance of paths.
Our guide we had left behind, feeling
rather doubtful of his honesty, and rather
inclining to think that he had purposely
escorted US into the guerilla camp. We
consequently roamed about, crossing and
re-crossing, determining and re-determin-
ing, until, like eminent politicians, we
"knew no north, no south, no east, no
west About daylight we came to an
opening that resembled one we had passed
over just before reaching the robbers
retreat the night before and here, for the
first time, / discovered that Charley had
another and decidedly better horse than
the one he bestrode previous to our cap.
ture. He remarked, in explanation, that
having had his choice in the corral, he
supposed "turn about was fair play and
accordingly took the best one he could
find and the creature actually spurred
his animal up, pranced him, and inquired
of me, in the most innocent manner inn
aginable what thought of his acquisition?
have called him horse thief ever since
While resting from our labors in the
aforesaid opening, l heard sort of dis
tressed groaning; and guiding my horse
to the spot, who should I find but the
little guitar-girl Of the preceding night,
lying in thicket, her face swollen with
insecticides, and crying, and her leg broken
just below the knee,joint. 1t appeared,
on investigation, that she had started from
the hut just before daylight, upon some
errand; that her horse became unmanage-
able, had thrown her, and broken her leg.
| She had crawled to the thicket to avoid