About one mile before we reached the Rancho Maj. Howard and myself, still in advance of the main party, passed a centinel "asleep, no doubt, on post". The noise made by the horses of the main party aroused him, when he leaped upon his horse, cut the rope, and ran for the main body of the pickets he belonged to. Hearing some of the men say it was a loose horse and others say it was not, I sent Maj. Howard back with orders for the crowd to halt and keep silent, while I could ride out to where the horse seemed to stop. About a hundred yards from the road, I saw some ten or fifteen animals but could not tell whether they were loose or not as they were perfectly quiet, so I continued to approach them in a circuitous manner, lying completely on the other side of my horse, so as to give them but little chance of hitting me, provided they did fire.

When in 8 or 10 yards I was asked in Spanish who I was. Like a "true Yankee" I answered by asking who they were. The Spanish I spoke not being the best Castilian gave them to understand at once that I was an Americano. They testified their great respect for my Nation by not firing, as one would suppose a salute, but by taking to their heels as usual. One seemed a little tardy in getting off. I made a dash at him but my horse leaping some tall chaparral that was between us, broke the strap by which my spy glass was slung, so in trying to save the glass I lost both it and the Mexican, he testifying his good feeling for me by firing at me as he went off.

I immediately returned to the Company, formed them in extended order with the center resting in the road and moved on at a brisk pace, knowing they would ambush us if time were given them to bring troops from the Rancho, the distance and situation of which we knew nothing, as none of us had ever been there. We soon came in sight of the lights of it, however. The men were ordered to keep dressed by the center. Some four hundred