Cunning and shrewd as we were, however, suspicion at last fell upon us, and we were obliged to leave the country. While we were waiting on the coast for an opportunity, the U. S. store-ship Southampton came into port; we shipped on board of her and went to Monterey, Santa Cruz Bay.
Having accomplished my object in escaping from the scene of my late depredations, and having arrived at a place where neither my past life was known nor my present purposes suspected, I resolved to leave the Southampton at the earliest possible moment; and finding on consultation with my partner, the boat-steerer, that he was of the same mind, we began to keep an eye to windward for chances.
One night, when I thought circumstances favored our project, I let my hat drop from a gun-port, as if by accident. The marine on duty was walking the poop deck, but it being a foggy night, he did not see us as I hauled the boat from the swinging-boom alongside under the bow, and myself and partner got in and pulled for the shore.
The noise of the oars attracted the attention of the sentry, and he and the captain both fired at us, without effect, and the store-ship Lexington, which was lying close by, fired a gun loaded with grape, which struck the boat just as we landed, knocking it all to pieces, but doing us no injury. As soon as we landed, we made for the woods, being obliged to pass a fort filled with American soldiers, who fired upon us without effect, so that we were enabled to reach the shelter of the wood unharmed.
We remained in this wood for a few days, and then travelling on, we reached the city at night, where we stole horses and made for the mines.
We had not ridden far before we met two travellers, who were returning from the diggings. As they approached us, we stopped; and when they were about passing us, we drew our pistols, and bade them stand and deliver. They made no resistance, but quickly transferred such dust, nuggets, and other valuables as they had about them to our keeping, when we bade them good day, and allowed them to proceed upon their journey.
Arriving at the Salina plains, we stopped at a house over night, where we committed a robbery, and continued our journey the next day to the gold mines.
On our arrival there, we went about from claim to claim, and from diggings to diggings, adding to our store of dust by robbery and murder; and though we were perfectly reckless of consequences, and carried on our operations in the boldest manner, we escaped detection, though we did not avoid suspicion, and were more than once in danger of expiating our crimes by sentence of Judge Lynch.
I have no doubt that during this period, many of the crimes attributed to the notorious Joaquin, and other robbers, were committed by us; but the devil, whose work we were so industriously doing, seemed to protect us, and for more than a year we pursued our career of blood and crime with impunity.
Having by this time accumulated sufficient dust to satisfy our desire, besides that which we had squandered in gambling in the various mining towns and districts, we made our way to San Francisco.