Having At Length Gone Through Our Turns And Acquitted Ourselves
Of All Obligations, We Slipped Out, And Went About Among The
Houses, Endeavoring To Get Horses For The Day, So That We Might
Ride Round And See The Country.
At first we had but little success,
all that we could get out of the lazy fellows, in reply to our
questions, being the eternal drawling "Quien sabe?" ("who knows?")
which is an answer to all questions.
After several efforts,
we at length fell in with a little Sandwich Island boy, who belonged
to Captain Wilson of the Ayacucho, and was well acquainted in
the place; and he, knowing where to go, soon procured us two
horses, ready saddled and bridled, each with a lasso coiled over
the pommel. These we were to have all day, with the privilege of
riding them down to the beach at night, for a dollar, which we had
to pay in advance. Horses are the cheapest thing in California;
the very best not being worth more than ten dollars apiece, and very
good ones being often sold for three, and four. In taking a day's
ride, you pay for the use of the saddle, and for the labor and
trouble of catching the horses. If you bring the saddle back safe,
they care but little what becomes of the horse. Mounted on our
horses, which were spirited beasts, and which, by the way, in this
country, are always steered by pressing the contrary rein against
the neck, and not by pulling on the bit, - we started off on a fine
run over the country.
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