The journey led for a great portion of the way through a country over which they had travelled, and which therefore was familiar to them.

After halting a brief while at the Mission of San Fernando, they arrived at Los Angeles, which like the rest of the country as the reader knows, belonged to Mexico.

As it was apparent that the horsemen were hunters and trappers, the authorities demanded their written license to pursue their calling in Mexican territory.

Such was the law and the officials were warranted in making the demand, but it need not be said that the party were compelled to admit they had nothing of the kind in their possession.
The authorities thereupon determined to arrest the hunters, but knowing their desperate nature, hesitated as to the safe means of doing so.

They finally hit upon a rather ingenious, though unfair means of disarming the white men: they began giving them "fire water" to drink, refusing to accept pay therefor.