The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-24
copyriqht, 1918, by Doubleday, Page 6 Go.

short, swarthy man with curly hair and gold rings in his ears. He han dled his boat well, but spoke not at all. After a dozen attempts to get something more than monosylIables out of him we gave it up and settled ourselves to the solid enjoyment of a new adventure.
 The breeze was strong and drove even our rather clumsy craft at con siderable speed. The blue waters of the bay flashed in the sun and rifded under the squalls. Spray dashed away from our bows. A chill racer in from the open Pacific, di1uting the sunlight.
 After a journey of several days we came into a wide bottom land country with oaks. The distant blue hills had grown and had become slate gray. At noon we discerned ahead of us a low bluff, and a fork in the river, and among the oak trees the gleam of tents, and before them a tracery of masts where the boats and small ships lay moored to the trees. This was the embarcadero of Sutter's Fort beyond, or the new city of Sacramento, which ever you pleased. Here our boat jour ney ended, and we set out to cover the three or four miles to Sutter's Fort.
 Suffers Fort was situated at the edge of the live oak park. We found it to resemble a real fort, with high walls, bastions and a single gate at each end through which one entered to a large inc1osed square, perhaps a hundred and fifty yards long by fifty wide. The walls were not pierced for guns, and the defense seemed to de 4S-.--I The walls were double and about twenty-five feet apart. Thus by roof ing over this space and dividing it with partitions Sutter had made up his barracks, blacksmith. shop, bakery, and the like. Later in our investiga- tions we even ran across woo1en fac tory, a distillery, a billiard room and a bowling alley! At the southern end of this long space stood a two story house. Directly opposite the two story house and at the other end of the in closure was an adobe corral.
 The place was crowded with people. A hundred or so miners rushed here and there on apparently very impor- tant business or 1oafed contented1y against the posts or the sun warmth Of adobe walls. In this latter occupation they were aided and abetted by a number of the native Californians. Perhaps a hundred Indians were lead ing horses, carrying burdens or en- gagged in some other heavy toll. They were the first we had seen, and we ex- amined them with considerable curl osity. A good many of them were nearly naked, but some had on DOT tions of battered civilized apparel. Very few could make up a full suit of clothes, but contented themselves with either coat, or a shirt, or a pair of pantaloons, or even with only a hat, as the case might be. They were very Rwarthy, squat, villainous looking say ages, with big heads, low foreheads, coarse hair and beady little eyes.
 We stopped for some time near the sentry box at the entrance, accustom- ing ourselves to the whirI and move ment. Then we set out to find Mo Clellan. He was almost immediately pointed out to us, a short, square, busi- nesslike man, with a hard gray face, dealing competently with the pressure. A score of men surrounded him, each eager for his attention. While we hoy cred, awaiting our chance, two men walked in through the gate. They were accorded the compliment of a1- most complete silence on the part of those who caught sight of them.
 The first was a Californian about thirty five or forty years of age, man of lofty, stern, bearing, swarthy skin, glossy side whiskers and bright super cilious eyes. He wore a light blue short jacket trimmed with scarlet and with silver buttons, striped silk sash, brooches of crimson velvet, met below by long embroidered deerskin boots. A black kerchief was bound crosswise on his head, entirely concealing the hair, and a flat crowned, wide, gray hat heavily ornamented with silver completed this gorgeous costume. He moved with the assured air of the aris- tocrat. The splendor of his apparel, the beauty of his face and figure and the grace of his movements attracted the first glance from all eyes. Then immediately he was passed over in fla vor of his companion.
 The latter was shorter, heavier man, of more mature years In fact, his side whiskers were beginning to turn gray His costume was plain, but exquisite1y neat, and a strange blend of the civil and the military. The jacket, for example, had been cut in the trim military fashion, but was worn open to exhibit the snowy cas- cade of the linen beneath. But mo- body paid much attention to the mans dress. The dignity and assured calm of his face and eye at once impressed one with conviction of unusual quality.
 Johnny stared for a moment, his brows knit; then, with an exclamation, he sprang forward.
 Captain Sutter!'' he cried.
 Sutter turned slowly to look Johnny square1y in the face, his attitude one of cold but courteous inquiry. John ny was approaching hat in hand. I confess he astonished me. We had known him intimately for some months