Getting up, I discovered that he had converted a tule-bolsa into a sail boat, and was sailing for the gold-mines.

He was astride this bolsa, with a small parcel of bread and meat done up in a piece of cloth; another piece of cloth, such as we used for making our signal-stations, he had fixed into a sail; and with a paddle he was directing his precarious craft right out into the broad bay, to follow the general direction of the schooners and boats that he knew were ascending the Sacramento River.

He was about a hundred yards from the shore.

I jerked up my gun, and hailed him to come back.

After a moment's hesitation, he let go his sheet and began to paddle back.