Soon after, a small party of
Californians exhibited themselves on an elevation just beyond the
mission. The battalion was immediately called to arms, and marched out
to meet them. But, after the discharge of the two field-pieces, they
scampered away like a flock of antelopes, and the battalion returned to
camp, with none killed or wounded on either side. Under the belief that
there was a larger force of Californians encamped at a distance of some
five or six miles, and that during the night they might attempt a
surprise, or plant cannon on the summit of a hill about a mile from
camp, so as to annoy us, a party, of which I was one, was detached,
after dark, to occupy the hill secretly. We marched around the mission
as privately as possible, and took our position on the hill, where we
remained all night without the least disturbance, except by the
tempestuous wind, which blew a blast so cold and piercing as almost to
congeal the blood. When the sun rose in the morning, I could see, far
out in the ocean, three vessels scudding before the gale like phantom
ships. One of these was the little schooner that had been waiting upon
us while marching along the "Rincon.
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