The people round about are persuaded that I am , to put it as kindly as possible , exceedingly eccentric , for the news has travelledtravelthat I spend the day out of doors with a book , and that no mortal eye has ever yet seen me sew or cook .
He traveledtravelsouthwest , never straying far from the dry stream bed ; and in a desultory way , without eagerness , he huntedhuntfor signs of gold .