whether dead or alive I know not; and then, with greater speed than

seemed possible in my terror and fatigue, I made my way into the

mountains, without any other thought or purpose save that of hiding

myself among them, and escaping my father and those despatched in

search of me by his orders. It is now I know not how many months since

with this object I came here, where I met a herdsman who engaged me as

his servant at a place in the heart of this Sierra, and all this

time I have been serving him as herd, striving to keep always afield