i 
 
 \ 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 ass o 
 
 
 
 

. Albert lllooMuu-u 
 
SIGN TALE.>S 
 
Uniform in Style with this 
 Volume. 
 
 FOR THE SOUL OF RAFAEL. 
 A ROMANCE OF OLD CALIFORNIA. 
 With 19 photographic illustrations, 
 and decorations in tint. Twenty- 
 fifth thousand. Large i2mo. $1.50. 
 
 A. C. McCLURG & CO., Publishers 
 CHICAGO 
 

 CARINA 
 
1IJSJSION TALEJS 
 
 IN THE 
 
 OF THE DONS 
 
 MRS. A. S. C. FORBES 
 
 Author of "California Missions and 
 Landmarks," Etc. 
 
 With Nine Full Page Illustrations and Decorative Drawings 
 BY 
 
 LANGDON SMITH 
 
 CHICAGO 
 
 A. C. McCLURG 
 
 1909 
 
 CO. 
 
COPYRIGHT 
 
 A. C. McCLURG & CO. 
 1909 
 
 Published March 6, 1909 
 
 Entered at Stationers Hall, London, England 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
 tUftr fLafwsstlu \Brtss 
 
 R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY 
 CHICAGO 
 
Co 
 
 v\ 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 "TpHE salient points of these Mission Tales are derived 
 from facts, stories, and reminiscences told to me by 
 California pioneers. 
 
 Among those to whom I am pleased to be indebted 
 are the late venerable and most revered Father Rubio, 
 Father Ubach, and Father Bott. 
 
 Father Rubio graciously and generously placed at my 
 command his splendid library, and my research was en 
 livened by his delightful reminiscences of his fifty years 
 in Mission work among the Indians and among the early 
 Spanish settlers. His field of work extended from San 
 Luis Obispo to San Fernando, and his declining days 
 were spent in Los Angeles. 
 
 To the Right Reverend Archbishop George Mont 
 gomery I am deeply indebted, as he graciously gave me 
 a personal letter that enabled me to inspect, at leisure, 
 the old archives of the Missions and the highly prized 
 vestments, ornaments, and relics belonging to the early 
 period of the Catholic Church in California. 
 
 Many others assisted me with details and olden cus 
 toms, especially Rev. Father Juan Caballeria, of Los 
 Angeles, Rev. James M. O Sullivan, S. J., of Santa 
 Clara College, and Mr. E. P. Plummer, of- Los Angeles. 
 
 Some of the historical incidents are noted in the 
 works of Bancroft and Hittell and in the letters of 
 General Vallejo. 
 
 THE AUTHOR 
 
 Los ANGELES, January 75, 1909. 
 

 
 CONTENTS 
 
 MISSION BELLS 
 
 II. 
 
 iWllllli 
 
 IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 III. 
 A STORY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 IV. 
 THE RIDE OF THE NEOPHYTES 
 
 V. 
 MATILIJA . . . 
 
 VI. 
 CONCEPCION AGUELLA .... 
 
 VII. 
 THE STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 VIII. 
 THE PENANCE BELL OF Los ANGELES . 
 
 IX. 
 WANA AND AHZI-PAPOOSE . 
 
 X. 
 PIRATE JOE 
 
 XL 
 Dos HERMANAS (THE Two SISTERS) 
 
 XII. 
 TERESA, THE POPELOUTECHOM NEOPHYTE 
 
 XIII. 
 EL MOLING VIEJO (THE OLD MILL) . 
 
RATIONS 
 
 CARINA 
 
 As His ROUND LITTLE MULE AMBLED ALONG, THE 
 FAITHFUL PADRE COGITATED UPON THE SINS OF 
 THE WORLD ....... 18 
 
 WILD INDIANS THEY, WHO RODE LIKE THE DEMON 78 
 
 FROM ONE TO ANOTHER THE LONELY GIRL PASSED, 
 
 UNTIL SHE CAME TO HER LOVER . . . 102 
 
 IN THE CHURCH SHE WAS KNOWN AS THE SWEET-FACED 
 
 SISTER CONCHA ....... 130 
 
 WANA STOOD LIKE A BRONZE STATUE 
 
 ON IT CAME, LIKE A GREAT BLACK HAWK 
 
 WHEN A SHINING WHITE CROSS HAD BEEN ERECTED, 
 AND A CHIME OF BELLS HUNG UPON A LIMB, THE 
 FRIARS BEGAN TO TURN SWIFTLY THE CRANK OF A 
 SMALL PIPE ORGAN 280 
 
 THE PACK-TRAIN STARTED FROM THE DOOR OF THE 
 CHAPEL, HOPING THE FAREWELL BLESSING OF THE 
 PADRE WOULD PROTECT THEM .... 322 
 
MLission Bells 
 
MISSION TALES IN THE 
 DAYS OF THE DONS 
 
 MISSION BELLS 
 
 EAR the chiming of the bells, 
 
 Mission bells, 
 What a world of blessedness 
 
 their melody foretells! 
 Hear them chiming, chiming, chiming, 
 In the early hour of light 
 When the sun is climbing, climbing, 
 O er the mountain tops, combining 
 Crystal dewdrops with the night. 
 Hear them ringing, ringing, ringing, 
 
 (J) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Calling men to holy vows, 
 See them swinging, swinging, swinging, 
 From the bended oaken boughs, 
 Where the chapel for the people, 
 Is the heaven s star-lit steeple 
 That s attuned with sounding cells 
 To the music of the bells, 
 
 Mission bells, 
 
 Throbbing bells! 
 Hear them swell in agitation, 
 Calling out regeneration 
 Or a destiny of Hell! 
 How they throb, and roll, and toll, 
 Sobbing of the melancholy goal 
 
 Of the tomb 
 
 And the doom. 
 
 Then they peal in merry notes 
 (#) 
 
 
MISSION BELLS 
 
 Fairly bursting throbbing throats 
 In a joyous, happy rhyme, 
 
 Keeping time, 
 
 % 
 Swinging time, 
 
 To the joy that scintillates 
 Round a soul that intimates 
 
 It has heard 
 
 Welcome word. 
 Hear the liquid, mellow tones of the bells, 
 
 Mission bells, 
 When the neophyte is kneeling at the well, 
 
 Fountain well, 
 
 Holy well! 
 
 Hear the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells! 
 Oh, the rhyming and the chiming Mission bells! 
 
In the Days of the Padres 
 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 HE dark-eyed Indian girls of 
 San Diego Mission were pic 
 tures of charming beauty as 
 they danced in gay fiesta 
 dresses, keeping perfect time 
 to the soft strains of the guitars and the snap 
 ping castanets. There were many Spanish girls 
 also attending the Mission school, and the 
 Indians natural grace was quickly benefited by 
 daily contact with these daughters of a more 
 favored people. 
 
 On this evening the valley hummed with 
 suppressed emotion, the gentle breeze carried 
 the seductive music out to meet the rhythmic 
 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 clapping of the spurs, as the gay riders, who 
 were eagerly expected, rocked to and fro in 
 their saddles, impatient to join the dancers and 
 steal from bewitching eyes the secret that they 
 longed to know. 
 
 Senorita Flora watched each arrival with a 
 shy, restless glance, and it was only the keen, 
 alert Padre de la Pena who detected the 
 reposeful change in the happy face, accompa 
 nied by a slight flush of rose in the deep color 
 ing when Don Pablo Sepulveda appeared. He, 
 the handsomest, the boldest, and the gayest of 
 all San Diego caballeros, leaped his horse with 
 in the very dancing ground, making it kneel 
 while he bent low before the enchanted Flora. 
 Many a young man sighed for a glance from 
 those dreamy, beautiful eyes, but the maid 
 
 (10} 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 thought only of Don Pablo. She was a tall, 
 handsome girl, with a slight strain of Indian 
 blood in her veins, which gave a quiet, thought 
 ful touch to her nature, enhancing by contrast 
 the Spanish gaiety that more frequently per 
 vaded her actions. 
 
 Her love was plighted to Sepulveda, and 
 she was happy. Senorita Flora danced with the 
 inimitable grace of a Spanish beauty who knew 
 her powers; and her handsome lover swayed 
 with serpentine poise to the muse of golden 
 melody, as he led her through the mazes of 
 the tuna, watching with half-closed eyes the 
 tempting richness of her beauty. Together they 
 led the general dance of Los Camo(es y the 
 purely Californian dance, the only one the 
 sainted Padres looked upon with unalloyed favor. 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 When the little Mission settlement was 
 struggling for very existence, many years ago, one 
 of the good Padres, to relieve the long even 
 ings of monotony, and to drive away the haunt 
 ing shadow of dull care, composed a song and 
 dance that, being clothed with much pious 
 sentiment, might justly be danced and sung 
 within the Mission patio. This was Los 
 Camotes the sweet potatoes, or perhaps more 
 correctly, the sweet herbs. To-night the young 
 folks sang again the story told by the Fran 
 ciscan father in the words of his song, of the 
 financial distress of the new colony. To relieve 
 the situation in that long ago, the earnest 
 Padres planted a goodly crop of sweet herbs; 
 but when the harvest time came there were not 
 sufficient funds in the treasury to market the 
 

 
 THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 crop, nor even to tend it properly; therefore 
 the priests hypothecated or pawned the ca 
 thedral in order to save the crop. 
 
 The chorus tells that, had they planted a 
 more general crop, it would have been better 
 for the Mission. 
 
 "Camstes y mas Camotes 
 Calabacitas, chilucayotes, 
 Limon portido. 
 Dame un abrazo 
 Par Dios te lo pido." 
 
 "Camotes and more Camotes 
 Little pumpkins and gourds, 
 Lemon sliced. 
 Embrace me, 
 For the love of God." 
 
M / S S I O N 
 
 TALES 
 
 The original words of the song expressed 
 adoration for the Holy Mother; but as years 
 passed they became sadly perverted, and when 
 the kneeling singer directed his upturned eyes 
 to the smiling face above him, the adoration 
 paused in its triumphant flight, and too fre 
 quently the embrace was intended for the part 
 ner as it is to-day. The song had many 
 verses, and each upon a theme of its own. 
 The old custom of allowing the Indian girls 
 to choose their husbands was set forth; and 
 as sometimes occurs, the good Friar in this 
 instance objected to the young man upon 
 whom one of his neophytes insisted upon lav 
 ishing her affections. The more seriously the 
 Father objected, the more determined and 
 persistent became the girl; until in despera 
 te) 
 __. 
 
 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 tion the Padre banished the youth from the 
 Mission. 
 
 In defence the young man sings: 
 
 "Porque, Padre, me destierras 
 Y me mandas padecer 
 Del mundo crueles penas 
 Si el amor es la mujer" 
 
 "Why, Father, should you banish me, 
 And command me to suffer 
 The sorrow of the world, 
 Since the love comes from the woman ? " 
 
 Gayly they danced and sang these merry 
 songs, interspersed with single or double quick 
 steps or jigs, and the night had small hours 
 when the neophytes sought the seclusion of 
 the quadrangle. Many of the maidens were 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 
 to exchange, upon the following day, the. tute 
 lage of the Mission Padres for the influence of 
 their homes on the ranchos. 
 
 The ever-watchful De la Pena was glad 
 when the young folks had retired, for he had 
 reason to be thoughtful. Late in the evening 
 he had overheard Don Pablo Sepulveda and 
 Don Jose del Valle, swear to make a tour from 
 San Diego to the Mission of Solano de Sonoma 
 and dance with all the beauties of the Missions. 
 Had it ended there, no harm would have been 
 done; but they boldly made a wager before a 
 half-dozen friends, that each would return with 
 the sacred marriage-promise of a dozen of these 
 seftoritas. The caballeros arranged to go by 
 El Camino Real, at sunrise, upon the following 
 day but one. 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 The honest Padre studied well what he 
 should do. These godless youths, these thought 
 less men, why could they not appreciate a 
 woman s heart? Should he tell the girl, sweet, 
 confiding Flora? No, that would never do. 
 After a short time he came to a satisfactory 
 conclusion, and it was but a very few moments 
 until he rode forth into the moonlight. On 
 his good-natured face there fluttered a confi 
 dent smile, and now and again he wagged his 
 head and murmured, "We shall see, young 
 men, we shall see ! " 
 
 As his well-fed, round little mule ambled 
 along the good road that stretched in those 
 days between the Missions of California, the 
 faithful Padre cogitated upon the sins of the 
 world, and especially upon the sins of men. 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 This good man grieved that the sons of 
 Adam did not love the beauties of the heart, 
 but won the soul-boat only to wreck it in a 
 flood current of gray sadness. He saw these 
 men revelling in butterfly fancy, sipping the 
 rose-hued vintage from each pretty lip, only 
 to steal the spring s warmth and pass on to 
 the summer night s cool, stirring breeze. His 
 heart rose and rebelled at their impious rav 
 ages on women s hearts and at their unconscion 
 able vanity. He called them flatterers, triflers, 
 deceivers, seducers. He spoke aloud, and ad 
 vised the absent mothers to teach purity to 
 their sons as well as to their daughters. He 
 shamed the absent father for the neglect of his 
 son. He called the son "personified vanity 
 distributing heart-ache." Should two young 
 
 (/*) 
 
 
r 
 I 
 
 o f 
 
 2 w 
 
 W W 
 01 W 
 
 s 
 
 ^ - 
 
 M H 
 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 women make raid upon the hearts of all ca- 
 balleros dwelling between San Diego and San 
 Francisco Missions, what would be the comment, 
 the criticism, the verdict rendered in their case? 
 Shame, disgrace, contempt. Yet here were two 
 well-connected, popular, handsome young men 
 openly, flauntingly, avowing their intention of 
 committing such a folly. How they would be 
 received when their mission was known, was 
 the one thought uppermost in the mind of 
 the Padre. Would women permit such dese 
 cration of their souls, the wanton trifling with 
 their affection, their honor, their home life? 
 He would test the Indian girl; for he knew 
 that many of the most beautiful girls were 
 Indians, and these young men would undoubt 
 edly select the prettiest faces. He believed 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 the Indian would prove superior to those pale- 
 faced maidens and mothers who carefully and 
 constantly frown darkly upon all women who 
 trifle away their own honor, yet permit the 
 male participant in that sin to come into the 
 very hearthstone circle of the home. 
 
 He fairly shouted : " Mothers, why teach 
 honor to your daughters and let your sons 
 run wild? Man came first, and should be 
 the example/ 
 
 The sweet call of the Angelus bell rang 
 out on the evening air as the weary Padre 
 rode up to the hospitable door of San Juan 
 Capistrano Mission upon the following day. 
 The evening meal was enlivened by the re 
 cital of the extraordinary cause of the Padre s 
 visit to the Missions. No little amusement, 
 
 (90) 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 as well as vexation, was felt by the pious work 
 ers. When it had been well discussed. Padre 
 de la Pena asked the Fathers of San Juan to 
 carry the message to San Luis Rey, and per 
 haps even to Pala; he told them to tell all 
 the maidens of the wager, and thus defeat the 
 men. Late the following day he took a short 
 route to Mission San Gabriel Archangel, and 
 rested at night at a rancher s home where there 
 were many pretty girls, and boldly but jestingly 
 told them also of the wager. 
 
 Perhaps the good Father enjoyed the part 
 he was taking in the little drama, for occa 
 sionally his clear voice rang out on the air 
 singing snatches of gay rhymes, strains from 
 the caballeros* songs, interspersed with sacred 
 chanting, as he rode along the way. 
 
 (*/) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Don Pablo Sepulveda and Don Jose del 
 Valle were familiar figures along the Royal 
 Road. They rode two splendid, velvet-footed, 
 prancing horses that were always gayly decked 
 with silver trappings, and they themselves were 
 handsome in their rich riding caps and jackets, 
 exquisitely embroidered scarfs or sashes, and 
 wide-brimmed, silver-decked sombreros, as they 
 went to pay their welcome, frequent visits to 
 the Missions and the ranches that lay scattered 
 along the coast of California or not far inland. 
 They were well known to the Mission Fathers, 
 and hitherto had seemed great favorites. 
 
 It was with a certain surprise that they found 
 only the male neophytes of the Mission ready 
 to entertain them when they arrived at San Juan 
 Capistrano the day after De la Pena s visit. 
 
 (22) 
 
 m 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 They soon proceeded to San Luis Rey 
 and the neighboring asistencia chapel of Pala, 
 where were some of the most beautiful Indian 
 girls. Here their chagrin was almost shown 
 when they were told that one fair senorita 
 after another was absent upon a visit, or en 
 gaged in some pursuits that demanded strict 
 attention, or, worse still, was seen to be deeply 
 entertained by other senores. 
 
 Inclined to be haughty as well as bold, 
 for they had been much petted at home and 
 cajoled abroad, they timed a short stay and 
 rode on to San Gabriel, designing, however, 
 to lay siege again to the hearts of San Juan 
 Capistrano and Pala when returning with their 
 northern conquests. 
 
 "What! is Senorita Josefa also absent on 
 (*?) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 a visit, and charming Weenah betrothed to 
 Don Tono Abila? And Senoritas Mariana 
 and Tula and the gay Loreta, where are 
 they ? " asked the somewhat perturbed Sepul- 
 veda of the merry-faced major domo of Don 
 Juan s rancho. 
 
 "Is not Don Juan to give us our usual 
 welcome and a dance?" joined in Del Valle. 
 
 " Certainly, certainly, senores, Don Juan will 
 come this evening and will entertain you; for 
 the senoritas are away, all but Senorita Ween 
 ah, and she is now betrothed to Don Tono, 
 as you say," drawled the major domo with a 
 smile almost provoking. 
 
 The following morning found the young 
 men riding, not so gayly, away toward the little 
 pueblo of Los Angeles, where surely they 
 
 
V 
 
 IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 would find a hospitable welcome from the several 
 Spanish families clustered there. The few seno- 
 ritas that were at home received the young 
 men courteously; but, on the other hand, they 
 sang so gayly with a visiting captain of the 
 guards, and seemed so certainly to prefer the 
 attentions of a young merchant of Los Angeles, 
 who dropped in with a great box of bonbons 
 and a huge cluster of Castilian roses, that Sepul- 
 veda and Del Valle early withdrew without any 
 apparent regret on the part of the charming 
 hostesses. 
 
 They could not fathom the quiet reserve 
 with which they were treated, yet it was such 
 that they could not make any open objection. 
 After talking it over they decided that they 
 were " out of tune, " as it were, and that a 
 
 \ \ 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 quick gallop over Cahuenga Pass and out 
 along El Camino Real to San Fernando Mis 
 sion would attune them to their quest and 
 restore their usual spirits. They were sure to 
 enjoy a day at the old olive Mission with the 
 glorious red wines and fresh fruits; and be 
 sides, each already had a real sweetheart there. 
 Of course Senorita Flora knew nothing of the 
 dark-eyed brown maiden of the olives, but then 
 there was no use telling Flora every little thing. 
 Arriving at San Fernando just as the early 
 evening glow covered the distant hills in a 
 rose and purple-hued robe, the young men 
 felt that it had been all their own fault, that here 
 tofore they had not been attuned and had 
 been impatient; but here even the valley sent 
 a mirrored glowing welcome. 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 With his quiet, alluring grace, Don Pablo 
 eagerly asked the Padre of the Mission for the 
 "little brown thrush," as he called the pretty 
 Indian girl that had so charmed him, and 
 whom also the good Padre loved as his own 
 child. 
 
 "The child is not at the Mission; she was 
 endangered from an attack of a serpent, and I 
 sent her away that she might not be strangled, 
 the little brown thrush/ answered the 
 Padre. Had Don Pablo been more keen, he 
 would have felt the thrust, but as it was, 
 he asked with deep interest, 
 
 "Was she bitten, Father? Is she in danger, 
 my c little brown thrush ?" The piercing eye 
 of the searcher of men saw that the man was, 
 in his shallow way, concerned about the poor 
 
 m 
 
 e 
 
 
 \i 
 
 StoJW 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 little bird, and he was more glad than ever that 
 the girl s confiding soul was indeed out of 
 danger. 
 
 "No, she was not bitten, only attacked," 
 said the Father, and led the young men into 
 the dining-hall to have refreshments with the 
 Padres. 
 
 Never were flirtatious youths more surely 
 checked. San Fernando was in no way differ 
 ent from the other Missions or ranchos; a 
 cordial hospitality was extended, but no seno- 
 ritas were there to entertain them. 
 
 At Santa Barbara they learned that Padre 
 de la Pena was but two days ahead of them, 
 and they took notice, for the first time, that 
 the quiet Padre was taking a journey to San 
 Francisco as well as they. 
 
 (**) 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 Through previous arrangement, they were 
 joined at Santa Barbara by the other comrades 
 from San Diego, who knew of the wager and 
 were all anxious to hear of the conquests. 
 Sepulveda and Del Valle covered their defeat 
 as best they could with wild stories and grace 
 less lies; but soon the friends tantalized them 
 into the confession that, for the most part, the 
 senoritas were away from home as the young 
 men following well knew. 
 
 At least gay Monterey still lay before 
 them, and the most beautiful and charming 
 senoritas on the coast were there awaiting the 
 attack. Padre de la Pena was there also before 
 them. But here the maidens arranged quite a 
 different reception for the daring caballeros. 
 They prepared a gay and gorgeous festival. 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 They took counsel with the Padres and with 
 their parents, with their betrothed and with the 
 other gallant senores. 
 
 There was one, the fascinating Senorita 
 Rubia, known to have charms that had all 
 but captivated young Sepulveda upon his 
 last visit. She was now the betrothed bride 
 of Don Antonio Florenza. She should lead 
 the dance with Sepulveda. 
 
 The young men from San Diego came 
 and were all received with unrestrained wel 
 come. The night was silent, placid, dreamy, 
 beautiful ; the full moon smiled triumphantly, 
 and the glittering stars twinkled their approv 
 al; but the soft zephyr sighed in pity for the 
 men. The pillars of the broad veranda were 
 twined with vines and flowers intermingled with 
 

 IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 gay streamers and banners of Spanish colors, 
 and the soft candle-glow paled before the full 
 flood of moonlight that shed its glory over the 
 patio and beneath the wide-spreading arches, 
 casting mellow rays over the soft adobe walls. 
 The quiet murmur of the trickling water, as it 
 played over the ivy-grown fountain, added allure 
 ment to the enticing scene, gay with bright 
 blossoms and ferns, rare roses and strange vines. 
 The handsome senoritas gathered in clusters 
 here and there, each vying with the others in 
 contrasting charms. Don Pablo and Don Jose 
 appeared early, made reckless by their former 
 defeats and the knowledge that this was the 
 only grand fiesta and dance they could ex 
 pect. They plunged into the merriment and 
 drank to its depth. 
 
 (JO 
 
 
 
 
 
 *WUi _>< 
 
 tilt! 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Dancing, singing, flirting, love-making, 
 reckless flattery, song and wine, made the 
 evening gay; and the opportunity made the 
 two men wild. So frequently did they swear 
 the same love away that they all but forgot 
 the name of the first sweetheart. But the 
 girls they did not give a promise, they merely 
 laughed. 
 
 Pretty Rubia, with most bewitching grace, 
 hung attentively upon each word of the faith 
 less Sepulveda. He was captivated, charmed, 
 in truth enamored, and wholly forgot the bet 
 and Flora. He led the beautiful girl to the 
 shadowed arches of the vine-draped quadrangle 
 and made her listen to his burning love. She 
 was silent; never before had she heard such 
 ardent pleadings, such promises of enduring, 
 
 (J*) 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 undying love. He swore his faith, his love, 
 his very life, and begged her to believe him. 
 Surely this man could not be acting. 
 
 Bending over her he cried, "Rubia ;/#, mia 
 carisima, listen: I love you, I love you with 
 all the fervent ardor of my soul. I will 
 break all the bonds that bind me, and live for 
 you alone! Ah, soul of mine, how I love you, 
 love you! I did not know my heart until 
 this night; but now radiant happiness shines 
 forth, and all my sighs, my every breath, shall 
 be a plea that you will give me one ray of 
 hope. Speak to me, love s heavenly jewel, 
 and say you love me! Say there is one ray 
 of sunshine for my adoring heart. Rubia, Rubia, 
 my beloved, my adored, I swear my love, 
 my troth to you! Darling one, I vow to 
 
 (33) 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 heaven here on my knee that my love is yours 
 alone! Believe me/* he pleaded. 
 
 Thus he told her over and over again 
 that he loved her and her alone ; but she sat 
 silent, with a world of wonder in her exquisite 
 face. How could a man be so deceitful? She 
 knew of his wager, and did not believe a word 
 of his protestations. She did not know that 
 the man had lost his own happiness in his 
 attempt to destroy hers. His heart cried out 
 for her, for he saw that she did not believe 
 him. 
 
 She quickly recovered her poise (for the 
 ardent outburst had for the moment discon 
 certed her), and smilingly said : 
 
 " Give me as a love token, Senor Sepul- 
 veda, the beautiful scarf and band of perfect 
 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 embroidery that you wear, and then will I 
 believe you," knowing that beyond all doubt 
 they were Flora s handiwork. 
 
 Unhesitatingly the false Sepulveda un 
 wound the scarf and band, the last gifts of 
 the deserted Flora, and with perfect grace laid 
 them at her feet. As she bent forward to 
 receive them her soft perfumed presence was 
 as wine to the kneeling man. He sprang to 
 his feet and clasped her in his arms, and for 
 one perfect, precious moment, he held her; he 
 fairly crushed her in a fierce embrace against his 
 fast-beating heart, as he pressed back her head 
 and kissed her lips again and again. 
 
 She would have screamed aloud but for 
 shame that she had allowed herself to be en 
 trapped and outwitted. She struggled to free 
 
 05) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 herself, and with overwhelming, beauteous con 
 fusion she faltered, 
 
 "You take advantage of me! To-morrow 
 to-morrow I shall wear the beautiful scarf to the 
 wedding at the church." Pausing, she added, 
 "You will follow me there, Senor Sepulveda, 
 will you not?" 
 
 Not really comprehending what she said, 
 the love-intoxicated man replied, 
 
 "I will follow you anywhere, over mountains 
 or seas, Rubia mia, my love, my own! My 
 life is complete. With thee, indeed, I will go 
 to the church." 
 
 "No, no, you must follow," quickly an 
 swered the girl; for she was now wholly alive 
 to the situation, and knew she must keep it 
 in hand from now on. 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 Mention of the wedding gave her a slight 
 mental shock; for, as she spoke, a comparison 
 arose between Don Pablo and her own chosen 
 Don Antonio, and brought quivering doubts 
 to her mind. Could Antonio be thus untrue ? 
 Could Antonio thus trifle with a girl s love ? 
 The thought reflected sadness in her face. 
 Sepulveda saw it, and with satisfaction believed 
 that the shadow came because he might not 
 accompany her to the wedding. His wager 
 was entirely forgotten, and he now believed 
 the girl s heart was indeed his very own. 
 
 The evening quickly closed, and it was 
 not until he met Del Valle that Sepulveda 
 realized what he had done, and knew that a 
 very trying explanation would have to be 
 made. Love s malady began to mend, and 
 
 (37) 
 
 ?M 
 
 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 Pablo at once cast about him for reasons 
 and lies whereby to shield himself and satisfy 
 his friend for having devoted himself almost 
 entirely to the charming Rubia. But withal 
 he was very happy. 
 
 He would not have been, could he have 
 heard the handsome girl s rippling laugh as 
 she gayly rehearsed the scene, under the shad 
 owed arch, to the merry crowd of young 
 folks, of whom Don Antonio Florenza was 
 the most exulting. 
 
 The diamond dewdrops of the morning yet 
 glistened on the blossoms that were gathered 
 to decorate the grand Mission chapel of Mon 
 terey. A great wedding was to take place, 
 and all the senores and senoritas for miles 
 around were invited to be present. Both Sepul- 
 

 IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 veda and Del Valle had been so engrossed 
 with their own happiness over their evening s 
 conquest that they had neglected to inquire 
 who were to be married, and intentionally 
 they had not been told. 
 
 Being guests at Monterey, as a matter of 
 course they attended the wedding. The bells 
 chimed gayly as the hundreds of guests gath 
 ered at the beautiful old Mission Carmel to 
 witness the ceremony. List! They are com 
 ing, the wedding party is arriving! Many 
 are the exclamations and expressions of ad 
 miration for the bride. "She is the handsom 
 est girl in Monterey! Nay, the handsomest 
 in all California!" "How glorious! How 
 beautiful!" These and many other like re 
 marks were made on every side. 
 
 (39} 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 Don Pablo heard and quickly said, "Why, 
 no; Senorita Rubia is the flower of Monterey, 
 the acknowledged jewel of the land ! " And 
 all who heard him smilingly answered, "Why, 
 
 yes, 
 
 so she is ! " 
 
 They were coming down the aisle, this 
 glorious beauty, this radiantly lovely bride 
 and her attendants. Don Pablo turned slight 
 ly to look upon the wondrous beauty. He 
 reeled, and steadied himself against Del Valle, 
 his face an ashy gray. Within the sanctu 
 ary walls a curse escaped his lips as he saw 
 the lovely, the handsome Rubia wound in his 
 embroidered scarf, her graceful head carried 
 high, crowned by a towering comb and an 
 exquisite mantilla of lace, which partly hid her 
 flaming cheeks and sparkling eyes, and inter- 
 
 
i^* 
 
 : AM i NO ztZ 
 
 9 
 
 THE ZX47S OF THE PADRES 
 
 cepted the defiant look that sought Sepulveda s 
 bewildered gaze. In the expression of her 
 face he read it all: the girl had known of 
 the wager. 
 
 He did not hear the service, but he saw 
 his own scarf wound about the necks of 
 Rubia and Antonio as a yoke for the eternal 
 wedding vows. He was the first to leave the 
 chapel; and when his friends sought him to joke 
 him about the wedding scarf, he was gone, 
 and so also was Del Valle. They made their 
 way to San Francisco to try to replace the scarf 
 and band a fruitless errand, as Sepulveda 
 might have known had he remembered that 
 Flora had made them herself. 
 
 With the indomitable self-assurance of a 
 vain, pampered youth, Sepulveda prepared in 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 his mind a tale to tell the faithful, confiding 
 Flora; but he might have saved himself the 
 trouble, for in San Diego the daring, perfidious 
 wager was now well known, and Father de la 
 Pena had shielded the loving Flora by instruct 
 ing her how to meet the trying situation. 
 
 On the first Sunday morning after the 
 young men had returned and all the people 
 were gathered in the chapel for services, the 
 good Padre, openly, earnestly, and with direct 
 ness, admonished all people to deal fairly and 
 justly one with another, and seriously remon 
 strated with young men for their disregard of 
 plighted love. 
 
 Don Pablo Sepulveda shrugged his shoul 
 ders and said, 
 
 " I like not San Diego, and shall go away." 
 
 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THE PADRES 
 
 To Monterey?" softly whispered a voice 
 behind him. 
 
 He turned quickly, but the speaker was gone. 
 The voice was that of Senorita Flora. 
 
A Story of San Juan 
 Cafiistrano 
 
A STORY OF SAN JUAN 
 CAPISTRANO 
 
 HE ruins of the once grand 
 Mission of San Juan Capis- 
 trano were to be restored to 
 the Padres. 
 
 As a parish church Capis- 
 trano had been a failure; the broad lands, the 
 extensive herds, the thousands of Indian prose 
 lytes, and the wealth of the Mission had 
 been scattered had been divided and had 
 passed into other hands. There was nothing 
 left of the grandeur and power but a heap of 
 magnificent ruins and a handful of saddened 
 yet enthusiastic believers. These men and 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 women rejoiced that even the tumbled-down 
 walls of grand old San Juan Capistrano were 
 to be returned to their rightful owners. 
 
 It was in the year 1865 that the Bishop of 
 California regained possession of the ruined 
 Mission and sent out a call to the Indians to 
 gather once again within the sacred grounds 
 and join in giving thanks to the Holy One 
 for His goodness. Many proved their love 
 and devotion to the men who had guided 
 them in the past, by joyfully responding to 
 the call; and thus hundreds of dark men and 
 women were again in the quadrangle of San 
 Juan Capistrano to join in the religious festival 
 that was to rededicate the glorious old Mis 
 sion. To these people it was a whisper from 
 the past, and with fast-beating hearts many 
 
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 of them had prepared for the journey to 
 Capistrano. 
 
 Many remembered the grandeur of the 
 building before the disastrous earthquake of 
 1812, that shook the newly completed chapel 
 to its foundation and sent the wide-spreading 
 dome crashing down upon the kneeling congre 
 gation. Sad memories crowded their hearts, as 
 one after another remembered his parents or 
 elder brothers or sisters who lay dead under 
 neath the crumbled church walls, and heard the 
 terrified cries of those who yet lived and were 
 imprisoned beneath the shattered timbers. 
 
 The miraculous escape of the holy men 
 within the altar railing had ever enshrouded 
 the Mission Padres with a veil of special protec 
 tion, and the believers blindly and gladly fol- 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 lowed their leading. So the crowding memories 
 brought old and young alike, and the occasion 
 was one of great rejoicing. 
 
 To Carina, a beautiful half Indian, half 
 Spanish girl, it seemed the event of her life. 
 She had been raised by a kind-hearted couple 
 who thought or cared for little else than the 
 Church and a few tortillas. Her guardian, the 
 good duenna, sat nodding in the doorway of 
 the most picturesque little adobe hut, serenely 
 content with the thought of once again going 
 to the Mission and this time taking the dearly 
 loved child Carina; while she, pretty maiden, 
 slyly stole out through the waving and low- 
 spreading pepper branches, looking for some 
 one who waited for her. 
 
 When far enough away from the hut to be 
 
 Tf. 
 
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 sure that her footsteps would not arouse the 
 duenna, the girl ran. She hoped to reach the 
 turning in the short lane before her absence 
 was discovered, or before Benito, her gay, hand 
 some lover, should reach the corner, if he was 
 on the way. The turn in the road, and the 
 swaying branches, hid her from view as she was 
 caught in the open arms of Benito, who had 
 watched her coming. A low cry almost be 
 trayed her to the duenna; but the sound was 
 smothered in kisses, and the lovers turned 
 down the lane and made good their escape. 
 " Oh, Benito, I have such news ! " 
 "What, mia Carina, mia carisima? Tell me 
 quickly! Will you go now?" 
 
 "No, no, no! Must I repeat so often? But 
 listen. There is to be a grand fiesta at San 
 
 (JO 
 
 
I S S I O N TALES 
 
 Juan Capistrano Mission, and the duenna and 
 Pedro are going. Then shall I go. You, who 
 scorn the Church and are ungodly, will not be 
 expected to go; and then Do you see?" 
 
 "Ah, yes, sweet one, I see! I will be there, 
 and then we shall find some one who will 
 marry us." 
 
 "Ah no, ah no, Benito! Though I love 
 you well, though I love you dearly and even 
 steal these meetings with you, no real mar 
 riage can be between unbelievers and the true 
 ones of the Holy Church. I have been 
 sworn, and am sworn, into the Holy Mother 
 Church, and you must come to the Church 
 to get me." 
 
 " I will come to the Church, I will come 
 to San Juan," he said. 
 
 Iff) 
 
 
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 Could Carina have seen the look upon his 
 handsome face and in his artful eyes, she would 
 have lost all faith in him. 
 
 The journey to Capistrano was hot and 
 dusty, for the picturesque old Mission lies on a 
 rolling crest in the centre of a basin, and be 
 yond are other rolling barren hills. These hills 
 were once covered with golden grain and vine 
 yards and orchards, while the entire landscape 
 was flecked with thousands of cattle and horses ; 
 everywhere were reflected thrift and industry. 
 
 Now, alas, there was nothing but naked 
 tracts of ruggedness. The earthquake had trans 
 formed the proudest of the California Spanish 
 Mission buildings into a pile of desolation. 
 San Juan was never reconstructed; and the secu 
 larization completed the awful devastation by 
 

 MISSION TALES 
 
 scattering the Indians, the herds, and the grain. 
 The half-civilized Indians were in no condition 
 to be handed over to the new parish priests, 
 who were without homes and lands to provide 
 for them; they needed greater care and deeper 
 teaching than these simple vicars were willing 
 or able to give. 
 
 The Padres, who had journeyed all the 
 way from Spain to teach the love and life 
 of Christ to these aboriginal men, that they 
 might be brought to redemption, grieved their 
 disappointed hearts out to find that after all 
 their years of arduous labor, when every acre 
 reflected toil and success, their cherished herds 
 of cattle, acres of land, and thousands of neo 
 phytes were separated and divided into small 
 bands without leaders, and thus allowed to 
 
 (54) 
 
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 Ten 
 
 had 
 
 return to their original stat 
 effected the complete disorganization and retro 
 gression of the once prosperous Mission. The 
 spiritual state was reflected in the chaotic pile 
 that occupied the site of the once noble edifice. 
 
 The original structure, with its graceful 
 arches and lofty dome, was begun February 2, 
 1797, and on the seventh of September, 1806, 
 Padre Presidente Tapis, in the presence of curi 
 ous Indians and a few co-workers, dedicated 
 with solemn high mass the splendid temple of 
 stone and mortar. In less than twoscore years 
 the faithful workers had gathered together and 
 baptized more than four thousand persons; 
 garnered 243,000 measures of grain; and at 
 one time had 31,270 head of animals. 
 
 On this day the eloquent ruins bore silent 
 (JJ) 
 
 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 evidence of past glory ; and the handful of 
 still faithful neophytes attested the eternal suc 
 cess of the Padres labors. The construction 
 of the buildings and the work at the Mission 
 were done by the Indians, with but one or 
 two Spanish overseers as instructors. It was a 
 splendid tribute to the ability of the Indian 
 race; they had learned all from the Padres. 
 Grand teachers and receptive pupils ! 
 
 Across the naked hills where the scanty 
 vegetation could not hide the gullied, water- 
 worn ridges, there now and then arose clouds 
 of dust that gave a softening touch to the 
 glare of the reflection from those barren hills 
 in the noonday sun. Each dust cloud an 
 nounced another party of the faithful approach 
 ing; and to the artistic eyes of the Padres, 
 
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 each cloud mercifully cast a veil that robbed 
 Mother Earth of her severity; and through 
 half-closed eyes the good men saw a fitting 
 background for the tumbled adobe walls, and 
 the beauty of the picture was a solace for their 
 aching hearts. 
 
 Before the earthquake the cloisters had en 
 trance through a massive gateway; now the 
 quadrangle was an open heap of ruins, wherein 
 a brindle calf was staked. As the beast fretted 
 at the end of its rope, a Padre, by way of pre 
 paring for the coming of the people, led the 
 little stranger away to other pastures. 
 
 Already many had arrived, and as the 
 shades of night approached, preparations for 
 camping were in active process, and the usually 
 desolate quadrangle became a scene of pictur- 
 
 G7) 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 esque activity. A great camp-fire lighted up 
 and beautified the ruined walls. Grave Indians 
 and gay Mexicanos met in sympathetic har 
 mony on mutual grounds. The quaint little 
 adjoining village swarmed with life, and the 
 dark-eyed senoritas and barefooted, chubby 
 little children added beauty and interest to the 
 long rows of low adobe buildings. 
 
 Benito had come early and was now search 
 ing for his friends Juan and Tomas, for he 
 had need of them. Late in the waning twi 
 light he spied, coming over the soft gray hill, 
 old Pedro, the duenna, and the charming 
 Carina. 
 
 Never had the girl appeared so radiant, so 
 beautiful. Her dark olive skin was flushed 
 with sun-kisses, which were deepened by the 
 
^gagSS^sZe 3 * 
 
 M 
 
 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 rich red of the scarf that was lightly wound 
 about her head and shoulders, revealing her 
 throat and disclosing the rise and fall, as she 
 fearlessly sang aloud the sacred hymns taught 
 her by the casual visiting Padres. The camp 
 ers were silenced by the sound of the music. 
 She knew not that her voice reached out on 
 the evening air and that all were listening. 
 
 The intensely blue sky, the solemn-faced 
 sun sinking low in the west, and the soft, 
 salted breeze floating in from the ocean, sent 
 a deep quiet hush to close the day s tumult, 
 and bring back again to the quaint little ham 
 let its usual air of rest and repose. 
 
 Nearer and nearer the rich voice came, 
 until the words fell plainly upon the ears of 
 the waiting people, when, as with one accord, 
 
 (50) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 they rose and joined in the evening hymn. 
 Lost in her own happiness and in the delight 
 of the beautiful evening, Carina heeded not 
 the singing throng, but advanced with her 
 guardians, thinking that she had arrived just 
 in time for vespers. From the village Benito 
 had watched the girl s approach with guarded 
 care, and her coming impressed him more than 
 he would have admitted. 
 
 The evening was spent in religious ceremo 
 nies, chanting, and songs. All was quiet; the 
 blue sky and purple hills of the day were 
 turned into black, and all the rich hues were 
 blotted out in the darkness. Carina sat watch 
 ing and waiting for some sign that her lover 
 was near. In her heart were no misgivings, 
 but she had the reposeful feeling of confidence 
 
 *>) 
 
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 and certainty that Benito would arrange all 
 matters properly, and that their marriage was 
 at hand. An oriole sang near her tent; 
 sometimes softly, sometimes almost a scream. 
 Finally she smilingly noticed it and arose 
 and passed out. 
 
 The good duenna felt so relieved and se 
 cure now that the ungodly Benito was not 
 near, that she was already sleeping quietly, 
 overcome also by the fatigue of the journey. 
 
 Carina had made but a turn outside 
 the old ruins, when the handsome Benito 
 threw his scrape about her and gathered her 
 closely within his arms; then her joy was 
 complete. 
 
 "What is it, Benito? What have you 
 done?" 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 "Ah, sweetheart, I could not find Juan or 
 Tomas, and I have done naught save come to 
 kiss you and again say that I love you. I will 
 find some one to marry us, my darling; or 
 say but the word, and we will go away with 
 out it." 
 
 Her heart fairly stood still! Had she 
 heard aright? Had he said it? Had he 
 asked her to go without marriage? After all, 
 was the good duenna right? Was the dear one 
 not only ungodly, but mean and base? Carina 
 felt no more pleasure or joy that evening 
 with Benito, and was content to seek her pallet 
 soon. She was quite weary, she said, in truth 
 but half knowing that the cause was heart 
 heaviness. 
 
 Though the day had been trying and the 
 (62} 
 
I 
 
 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 journey fatiguing, the girl could not sleep. 
 All night she watched the voiceless songs of 
 the stars or framed fancied spectres from the 
 shadows cast on the arches, hoping some fairy- 
 god would roll the vault of grim doubt from 
 her mind and place her love back on its 
 throne. Her heart fluttered and ached. Could 
 it be that Benito would do her a wrong? 
 Over and over again came the question, with 
 no golden thought of assurance to silence the 
 doubt. She must be true to herself. The du 
 enna was right. Only once more would she 
 meet him in secret, and then she would tell 
 him her doubts and decision. Having come 
 to this conclusion, she slept. 
 
 As the sun rose, it was her voice that led 
 the morning song, as it filled and echoed through 
 
 (4r) 
 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 the fallen arches and swelled like a heavenly 
 choir the happiness of sweetened souls. 
 
 All day the Indians rejoiced that glorious 
 San Juan Capistrano was to be rebuilt, rehabil 
 itated, reconsecrated. Mass, baptisms, and mar 
 riages were performed throughout the day. The 
 bells were gayly rung, and the old chapel 
 resounded with sweet music. 
 
 The picturesque cloisters were a scene to 
 be remembered, as the Indians knelt with 
 upturned faces to receive the blessings of the 
 faithful Padres and teachers. Evening service 
 attracted all the villagers, for it had become 
 known that the popular Benito s sweetheart 
 was the singer who led the assembled choir. 
 
 Benito found his friends, and arranged with 
 them that two swift ponies should be waiting 
 
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO 
 
 just outside the ruined walls of the old Mis 
 sion. Grown bolder with the many praises of 
 Carina s beauty and her lovely voice, Benito 
 dared to join the party of happy young peo 
 ple gathered within the inner garden of the 
 Mission for vespers ; when the songs began he 
 stood in the shadow of the arch very close to 
 Carina, and as she sang he blended his voice 
 with hers in such perfect harmony that even 
 the Padres were struck with the heavenly mu 
 sic that the lovers made. 
 
 As the last notes died away and the soft 
 breezes swept over Carina s cheek, she looked 
 into Benito s eyes and whispered, 
 
 "Why, Benito, you sang the words!" 
 "Yes, mia carisima, and to-morrow we will 
 publish the banns," he said. 
 
 IP 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Juan and Tomas waited long for Benito 
 and Carina, for they knew the heart of the 
 man who led them. They did not learn that 
 Carina had won, until the banns were an 
 nounced upon the following morning. 
 
 The marriage of the sweet \ singers was the 
 crowning event of the fiesta. 
 
 The bells rang, the dusty old ruins were made 
 glad with wild blossoms, and blessings were 
 freely offered for the happiness of Carina, and 
 for the future glory and resurrection of San 
 Juan Capistrano Mission. 
 
 "Speak again, O Voice! Come again, O Light! 
 And wash away the silence of the Night." 
 
 
 
 
 
The Ride of the 
 
THE RIDE OF THE 
 NEOPHYTES 
 
 IE! hie there! awake, ye sons of 
 
 the Mission! 
 He is gone! He is gone! Our 
 
 Padre is gone! 
 
 Rise, men, and ride as you never have ridden! 
 We will capture the thieves and take back our 
 
 own. 
 The night is far spent, but our horse-flesh is 
 
 steel! 
 Mount, then, and away!" 
 
 ^ Thus shouted a stalwart, lithe Indian boy 
 
 When he learned the Republic s decree was 
 enacted, 
 

 MISSION TALES 
 
 That good Father Peyri of San Luis Rey 
 Had been torn from his slumbers and hastened 
 to Spain. 
 
 With concerted arrangements and craft beyond 
 
 credit, 
 
 Echeandia ordered a messenger sent 
 To each of the twenty-one Missions, 
 Each band to arrive at the same hour of night, 
 Without warning to quietly snuff out the Light 
 Of Redemption, 
 And claim the broad lands, the great herds, and 
 
 vast wealth 
 
 Through preemption 
 
 The priests to be taken and sent back to Spain, 
 Their flocks cast adrift and disbanded, 
 Each neophyte given a wee bit of land 
 

 RIDE OF THE NEOPHYTES 
 
 To work and to eke out existence; 
 
 The grand Mission walls to be carelessly left 
 
 For ages to seam into beauty, 
 
 With picturesque chisel the sun, wind, and rain 
 
 Make glorious ruins to Echeandia s shame. 
 
 Heaven s festoon of stars watched o er the 
 
 Mission 
 Where trusting, confiding, and peaceful there 
 
 slept 
 
 A thousand bold hearts 
 Who unwittingly let their Padre be stolen, 
 Because in their slumbers they knew not the 
 Father was taken. 
 One watchful neophyte heard faint muffled 
 
 sounds 
 As of some one approaching in secret; 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 Then silence a while. 
 
 When the well-beloved voice of his Master arose 
 
 On the midnight air in a tear-laden prayer 
 
 And a pure benediction. 
 
 Stunned into inaction, the ignorant boy lay 
 
 With wide-op.en eyes in the darkness. 
 
 Could it be that the Padre was leaving for aye? 
 
 Were the fast-flying feet of the horses a 
 
 Mournful reveille that echoed farewell? 
 
 Not daring to rise till the first rays of dawn, 
 
 He then tremblingly rose and looked for the 
 
 Padre : 
 
 He was gone, and all his belongings. 
 The true loving heart had aright read the mystery, 
 The whispered instructions, "Take back the 
 
 Padre." 
 The boy ran as one wild through the village; 
 
 
 ri*/ 
 
n\ 
 
 RIDE OF THE NEOPHYTES 
 
 He shouted, he called, " To the rescue ! 
 
 He is gone, our loved one! Our Father s 
 
 vili 
 
 been taken! 
 Mount and away ! " 
 
 In far less time than it takes here to tell it, 
 One hundred excited men were in action, 
 One hundred dark faces, set and defiant, 
 Guided one hundred stout hands in tightening 
 
 cinches, 
 While one hundred brave hearts were vowing 
 
 to bring 
 Back the Padre. 
 
 The clinking of bits and the creaking of leather 
 Were sounds that denoted the speed of the rider. 
 The neophytes pressed themselves close to the 
 
 saddles, 
 
 (73) 
 
 
 P^^3flPJ$2?-*^V. 
 
 
 ^ v ir 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Lay prone on their ponies and patted their necks 
 
 With caressing and loving affection, 
 
 They impelled them to fly, to speed to the 
 
 rescue, 
 
 " On, on ! Our Father, our Padre s in danger." 
 With nostrils wide spreading the lithe ponies 
 
 weighed 
 
 Toward the ground in mighty exertion. 
 Ten miles were passed, and the thick cloud of 
 
 dust 
 
 Had no time to repose on the neophytes 
 Shoulders, as they sped in their flight to the 
 
 shore 
 To recapture, to take back, the core of the 
 
 Mission. 
 Ten more were passed and the faintest took 
 
 courage. 
 
 (7*0 
 
RIDE OF THE NEOPHYTES 
 
 The bright morning sun now stood high in 
 
 the east, 
 
 * 
 The Indians sped on in silent distress. 
 
 Could they make it? 
 
 Could the Padre be rescued and all flee to the 
 
 mountains ? 
 
 Fierce thoughts arose : 
 
 They would carry the Padre far back to the 
 Gay hunting-ground, 
 Where no one could find them, the Father in 
 
 safety. 
 
 Fierce affection cried out, and from time to time 
 Found expression, 
 "They robbed us; he is ours. The heartless 
 
 deceivers ! 
 
 They gave him and then have retaken." 
 A fierce yell as of yore, "Ha, hie to the shore! 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Rescue our Padre and take back our own." 
 Then snorting and blowing and fast-flying feet 
 Told the grand effort that horse-flesh was 
 making. 
 
 Embarcadero Diego d Alcala 
 
 Lay far to the southwest of San Luis Rey, 
 
 And to that port had Spam s highway marauder 
 
 Taken good Father Antonio Peyri. 
 
 The Pocahontas lay out in the bay; 
 
 Already her anchor was weighing. 
 
 On deck stood the Padre in anguish of heart, 
 
 In tears unrestrained and unnoticed, 
 
 His thoughts with his Mission, his heart with 
 
 his God, 
 
 He silently prayed for forgiveness and strength 
 To be reconciled now to departure. 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 RIDE OF THE NEOPHYTES 
 
 Without murmur or plaint, in silent farewell, 
 With sorrow and saintly submission 
 The good Father meekly bowed his gray head 
 In concession to man. 
 
 The full rays of sun lined the hills in the 
 
 east, 
 And revealed to the Padre a thick cloud of 
 
 dust 
 
 On El Camino Real of the Mission. 
 He watched it, but saw not; his heart lay 
 
 beyond it. 
 
 The clank of the anchor chain fell on the air; 
 The good Padre shuddered and leaned toward 
 
 the rail 
 As the huge vessel kissed the waves of the 
 
 ocean. 
 
 (77) 
 
 i 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 Now his eyes saw again the dust on the 
 
 road, 
 
 And he heard a faint cry as if children were 
 Wafting an angel s good-bye in the morning. 
 The sound grew in volume; the dust formed 
 
 to riders; 
 A shout rent the air that made the crew 
 
 tremble. 
 
 Wild Indians they, who rode like the demon, 
 They bent to the saddles, lay flat on their 
 
 ponies, 
 They shrieked and they cursed like the wildest 
 
 of heathen, 
 
 Unmindful of all, save the unanchored vessel. 
 Down to the waters leaped uncontrolled horses : 
 But the riders wild fury was spent in the 
 Vision before them. 
 
 
WILD INDIANS THEY, WHO RODE LIKE THE DEMON 
 
RIDE OF THE NEOPHYTES 
 
 Padre Antonio Peyri stood on the deck 
 
 Of the slow-moving vessel. His face shone 
 
 With resplendence, 
 
 Heaven s glory reflected direct through the 
 
 Rays of the sun. 
 
 With hands extended in mute benediction 
 
 He calmed the turbulent souls of the men. 
 
 Dismounting, they knelt on the shore of the 
 
 ocean, 
 The dark bending forms told well to the 
 
 Padre, 
 "Thy work is complete." 
 
 Two boldest young hearts sprang free from 
 
 their horses, 
 And plunged through the surf to go to the 
 
 Father ; 
 
 (79} 
 
 ||&3^^ ^ S3, 
 
 "" 
 
 <iM^A*m 
 
 
 mm 
 
 f :-.W 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 The waves tossed them back upon sharp, 
 
 cruel rocks. 
 Where the bodies were bruised. And with 
 
 hearts fairly broken 
 They were rescued and cared for by fondest 
 
 of brothers 
 Whose warm breath and quick knead, coaxed 
 
 them back into life. 
 
 These two Indian boys, Agapito and Pablo, 
 Followed the Father back unto Rome, 
 Where they studied and gained erudition. 
 Years slowly rolled by. 
 
 Those neophytes came yet again to the Mission, 
 And now preach the gospel in San Luis Rey, 
 In the place of the true revered, most beloved 
 Of all Fathers, 
 
 The sanctified Padre Antonio Peyri. 
 
 (*>) 
 
 
 
MATILIJA 
 
 N the upper canyon of the Ojai 
 Valley, "the Indians nest," 
 Chief Matilija had long ago 
 built his lodge, and there he 
 and his people of many tribes 
 and sub-tribes dwelt in freedom, harmony, and 
 happiness. 
 
 The Matilija canyon was grown dense with 
 sycamore, cottonwood, oak, elder, and willow 
 trees ; and the steep walls stood upright a 
 thousand feet above a sloping, broken wall 
 of crumbling quartz that supported straggling 
 patches of brush and white sage. The fissured 
 walls sent forth numerous springs of sparkling, 
 
 Cfr) 
 
m 
 
 MISSION TALES 
 
 delicious water, and down the bed of the can 
 yon raced the white foam-steeds of the moun 
 tain storms on their course to the great Pacific, 
 fifteen miles away. By the side of warm heal 
 ing springs of sulphur and other minerals, lived 
 the Matilijas ever since their forefathers had 
 travelled from the far east that they might live 
 where the great red sun sank into the sea; and 
 that time was so long ago it was not known 
 to any seer of the tribe. 
 
 From the surrounding hills and mountains 
 the Indians gathered abundant stores of herbs 
 and nuts to keep their caches always full 
 to bursting; over the hills roamed great herds 
 of deer and antelope; and plenty of small 
 game, such as squirrels, gophers, coyotes, rac 
 coons, and skunks, as well as birds and fishes, 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 were there for their use. From the plains 
 beyond they brought the large locusts and 
 grasshoppers, which they snared in their nets 
 and baskets to be later impaled on the ends 
 of sharp sticks and toasted by the great camp- 
 fire, while they told the stories of the chase 
 and the gathering. Among their choicest deli 
 cacies were buttercup seeds beaten into flour, or 
 young tender shoots of the yucca and stalks 
 of the wild rhubarb; they had wild cherries 
 and elder-berries and the small gray chia seed 
 of the thistle plant. 
 
 In their freedom and plenty they were 
 happy and comfortable. They did even justice 
 one to another, for their standard of honesty 
 and charity was high. They worshipped the 
 Sun as a Great Spirit that watched carefully 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 over them; they revered their elders and cap 
 tains, and the children obeyed their parents. 
 They mourned for their dead, and buried rarely 
 beautiful baskets with them as tokens of re 
 gard and as material assistance to the departed 
 in the unknown land whither they travelled. 
 
 To-day the tribe of Matilija sat waiting in 
 unquiet rest. Many of their people had been 
 enticed away to the Mission below at San 
 Buenaventura, and many more had been las 
 soed and hauled thither, while they struggled 
 and pleaded for their freedom. 
 
 Their watch at the Mission had sent word 
 that another raid was about to be made, and 
 that he would send further particulars; and he 
 advised that the chief should station swiftest 
 
 runners to carry the message, that the tribe 
 
 (86) 
 
 i 
 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 might not this time be taken wholly unawares, 
 for the soldiers would come on fast horses. 
 
 Quietly and unceasingly they watched the 
 mouth of the canyon to catch the first glimpse 
 of any who entered. On the top of the hill 
 above them the outwatch sprang to his feet 
 shouting: "He comes! he comes! he is run 
 ning the swiftest ! The message comes swift ! " 
 
 " Clear every cache, bury every acorn, every 
 chia, all spat lum, all meat, leave not one 
 thing for the pale-faced thieves and robbers 
 to destroy ! " cried the chief. 
 
 As he uttered the last word, the runner s 
 shout was heard as he called, " They come, 
 they come ! Fly, fly, fly ! Here come soldiers, 
 vaquero ! They come like she-devils ! Lose 
 no time!" 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 When he entered the camp he repeated care 
 fully the message given to him by the last 
 runner; it was the order given by the Padre 
 to the captain of the twenty dragoons: "Take 
 much, and if necessary stay long. This time 
 we will hunt them to death; they shall do no 
 more harm these rebellious heathen/ 
 
 In the name of Christ, how could such 
 things be? But they were even so. 
 
 When each hunted Indian had hastily gath 
 ered food, skins, and water gourd, they scat 
 tered like a flock of frightened quail with only 
 the mother cry, "Come, child, come!" to be 
 heard from among them. A few small caves 
 proved shelter for those who could reach them ; 
 the youths ran and sought out vantage places 
 to pick off with poisoned arrows such of the 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 riders as dared follow them. The camp-fire still 
 smouldered when the soldiers rode through the 
 upper canyon and halted at the last lodge of 
 the tribe. 
 
 "And so the red devils are gone again. 
 Well, each man to a bush, and let us beat out 
 their brains or lash them to our saddles. 
 That s your order!" Relentlessly and merci 
 lessly the squad of soldiers carried out that 
 order. For days they beat every bush and 
 battered each hollow tree or poked under every 
 projecting rock; here and there they tracked 
 women and children, who through helplessness 
 and fatigue gave up the struggle and were cor 
 ralled to be sent down to the Mission. One 
 by one the men were taken or killed; and after 
 a week s hunting and scouting the twenty sol- 
 
 (89} 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 diers had captured almost the entire remnant 
 of that proud and once numerous tribe, whose 
 only fault was to want their freedom. 
 
 In revenge for these oft-repeated raids, the 
 Indians had sometimes taken beef cattle and 
 aided other Indians to escape the Mission 
 thraldom. They had been accused of rebel 
 lion and assault on the Mission. Be that as 
 it may, no assault by the Matilijas could com 
 pare with this hunting and slaying of these 
 defenceless people. More than two-thirds of 
 the entire band were killed, and all women and 
 children that could be found were taken cap 
 tives to the Mission. Each soldier returned 
 with a squaw tied to his saddle and with chil 
 dren, too small to walk, lashed to the horses; 
 and in front were herded and driven the rest 
 
 (00} 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 of the subjugated and frightened creatures. One, 
 two, and even three trips and assaults were 
 made. 
 
 Each time when the soldiers left the can 
 yon to return to the Mission with their pitiful 
 freight, the few that had escaped capture or 
 death came back to the valley and buried the 
 dead. Carefully they searched for the bodies, 
 and when found they tenderly carried them far 
 up the mountain-side by way of stone steps 
 that had long been hewn in the solid rock and 
 then allowed to be overgrown with vines lest 
 some stranger should find the burying-place of 
 their dead. When the last body of their slain 
 had been raised to the secluded little spot, the 
 mourners prepared for the burial. Moaning and 
 wailing could be heard throughout the entire 
 
 
 
 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 night; the second and third nights the same; 
 and then the friends reverently folded the 
 hands over the breasts, wrapped the dead in 
 their windings, and bound them from head to 
 foot ready for rest. They dug for them 
 graves and tenderly laid them therein; then they 
 brought seeds and baskets from the hidden 
 storehouse below and placed them also within 
 the graves; finally they filled in the graves and 
 returned to their hiding-places. 
 
 Matilija s daughter escaped the first raid, 
 but was captured upon the second one. She 
 pleaded and begged for her freedom, and the 
 soldiers almost yielded to her cry; but the 
 captain heard, and saw, and ordered the proud 
 beauty to be lashed to a guard and immedi 
 ately despatched to the Mission. 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 Some say it was four years that the Indian 
 girl dwelt at San Buenaventura Mission. She 
 was studious, and learned much that was use 
 ful and well for her to know. She greatly 
 enjoyed the new fruits of the garden the ap 
 ples, pears, plums, and figs; and daily she 
 pleaded to be allowed to tend the young plants 
 and herbs, that she might breathe the free air 
 of the open and drink of the mist of the sea. 
 
 She could sing like a bird, but here at the 
 Mission no one ever heard her voice; like a 
 captive bird she was silent. Her one great 
 desire and longing was for freedom. 
 
 She heard no tidings of her father or of 
 her lover, and she gladly spent the long weary 
 time in these new occupations, that she might 
 forget, and also that the Padres might forget 
 
 (Of.) 
 
nil 
 
 
 MISSION TALES 
 
 that she was restless and longing for the hills. 
 For she intended to go. She did not even 
 know whether her father and lover lived ; she 
 only knew that they had not been brought to 
 the Mission. 
 
 Many husbands were offered her by the 
 Padres, but she contemptuously declined all. 
 She did her duty, and they could demand 
 nothing further. However, she found that the 
 only possible way of escape lay in becoming a 
 "trusty," and though the process was slow, the 
 time as it passed otherwise was slower. She 
 became more studious and even religious, and 
 lastly she entered the choir. There she sang 
 and led the singing; and when the Miserere was 
 chanted by the beautiful Indian girl, even the 
 Padres felt that the lament was too heartfelt 
 
 (<) 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 to be all religious, and would forthwith become 
 more watchful lest the bird should take flight. 
 
 One day a Matilija youth lingered near 
 the door of the chapel, and as his chiePs 
 daughter passed he whispered a word to her 
 that brought crimson blushes to her face and 
 then left it the color of ashes. 
 
 "They live, I have seen them," he said. 
 
 Her one look of gratitude repaid the boy 
 for his nights of swift running and for the 
 many lashes he had received for his wilful and 
 persistent absence from the Mission when sent 
 on errands; but his peculiarly earnest repent 
 ance had each time gained his reinstatement 
 as messenger. Also he was the swiftest of 
 runners, and the Padres could not well dispense 
 with his services. They never knew that it 
 
 Car) 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 was he who carried the fatal message to the 
 Matilijas. And now she, the daughter and 
 sweetheart, knew that her father and her lover 
 lived and awaited her coming. Many days 
 passed ere the boy had an opportunity to tell 
 her that they were still in the Ojai, "the nest," 
 not far from the spring. 
 
 The Indians never willingly leave their 
 buried dead and travel too far away for the 
 departed spirits to watch daily over their lives 
 and guide them in their trials and be with 
 them in their joys. For this reason the new 
 camp of the remaining few Matilijas was near 
 the spring and also near their burying-ground 
 the spring that had for centuries given their 
 forefathers life and health, and the burial plot 
 where the spirits of their dead kept watch. 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 Weeks followed before the girl found the 
 gate of the quadrangle ajar and the night dark 
 enough for her to pass without being detected. 
 The hour for all neophytes to be in bed was 
 far past, and the girl walked quietly out as if 
 sent on a mission. Her escape was not discov 
 ered until her voice was missed from the morn 
 ing music. 
 
 When the Mission Indians learned of the 
 girl s flight, there was a rebellion so fierce and 
 so serious that not one soldier might be spared 
 from the Mission to look for the fugitive. 
 The Indians could not help her otherwise, but 
 in this they gave her God-speed, and thus she 
 had the advantage of several days wherein to 
 make good her escape. 
 
 For two days she wandered over hills and 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 through thickets, avoiding the trails and yet 
 searching for some sign of Indian camps. She 
 subsisted upon seeds and herbs, but thirst kept 
 her near certain places; and not until the even 
 ing of the third day, when sitting against a 
 fallen tree on the top of a mountain, weary and 
 thirsty, she closed her eyes to rest and consider 
 the outcome of her flight. How long she sat, 
 she knew not, but when her eyes opened she 
 beheld in the canyon beneath her a small camp- 
 fire with white curling smoke as if just lighted. 
 Arising, she said: "I will go to the camp, 
 whether they be friend or foe." As she cau 
 tiously neared the fire, a face was outlined 
 against the glow, and she immediately recog 
 nized her father, and ran with outstretched 
 arms, crying, "I have come, I have come!" 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 Her lover was there, as a son to her father, 
 for her brothers were all dead. 
 
 She told of her life at the Mission, and 
 especially the persistence with which they en 
 treated her to take a husband, offering first, 
 her choice of the Indians, then of the soldiers; 
 even Mexican Dons had been considered by 
 the zealous Padres, but to all the commands 
 and entreaties she had one reply no. 
 
 Her father arranged at once for her mar 
 riage with the choice of her heart, for there 
 was nothing now left for chief Matilija but 
 the happiness of his returned daughter. Feel 
 ing themselves somewhat secure in the little 
 secluded spot, they prepared for the dance and 
 festivities that form the marriage ceremony. 
 Gifts from the few members of the families 
 
 (99} 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 of each of the contracting parties were ex 
 changed. Seeds and money were showered. 
 
 The bride was gallantly and lovingly raised 
 in the strong arms of her nearest relative, and 
 he danced toward the lodge of the bridegroom, 
 while the overjoyed father scattered seeds before 
 the girl, that happiness and plenty might fol 
 low her always. 
 
 They sang and they danced, and the little 
 procession was well-nigh at the door of the 
 lodge, when a volley of musketry fired from 
 the mountain-side mowed down the entire 
 party save Matilija s daughter. The Indian brave 
 bearing the girl received a bullet and fell, 
 covering her completely with his robe. Before 
 the soldiers gained the little camp the girl had 
 disappeared; yet they knew that they had seen 
 
 (700) 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 her, and were loath to return without "her 4 or- 
 to give up the chase. Night coming on, they 
 were compelled to depart; and when the last 
 sound of retreating footfalls was ended, the 
 girl came from beneath a projecting rock and 
 began to search among the victims for any 
 signs of life. No one moved, and with awe- 
 stricken heart she bent over the beloved form 
 of her father; alas, his brave soul had passed 
 into the great beyond. From one to another 
 the lonely girl passed until she came to her 
 lover. She knelt down beside him, softly 
 crying, "Cocopah, my beloved, my husband." 
 Though he did not hear her, she saw that he 
 was alive, but with a ghastly and terrible 
 wound in his side. 
 
 She soon found that he was the only one 
 
 (101} 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 living. She gathered him in her arms and 
 carried him a short distance; again she carried 
 him, and again, and again. Thus she placed 
 him on the crest of the hill, where she could 
 watch for any returning soldiers, and where he 
 would be safe should they come. She brought 
 hot and cold water from the sulphur springs 
 below, that their healing gift might restore 
 him. In the ever stilled and hushed camp 
 below she found a small bundle of yerba mansa 
 to bind to the wound; she gathered the great 
 datura blossoms, that the loss of blood should 
 be balanced by their stimulant power. In the 
 morning she searched amid the tall grasses for 
 the bright little pink flower, the canchelagua, 
 that it might aid her with its cooling powers 
 to allay the fever which had come. Carefully 
 
 (102} 
 
 I 
 
 
GO Z 
 
 DC O 
 a H 
 
 O w 
 > ps 
 
 1-3 
 
 3 " 
 
MA T I L I J A 
 
 she watched over him and soothed him, but he 
 died; and with his spirit went the love dream 
 of the fairest of all the Matilija maidens. 
 
 Years passed, and a stranger mounted the 
 hill to gather the great white blossoms that 
 crowned the crest. He found that they guard 
 ed the grave of two lovers. Kind nature had 
 woven the choicest of shrouds about the young 
 form of the brave Indian girl. The wealth of 
 the blossoms enveloped the sleeper, and no 
 irreverent hand dared to pluck them away, lest 
 the fair soul reflected in the white poppy leaves 
 should flee from the earth and leave barren 
 the Ojai, the fair nest. So, even so, the foot 
 steps of the stranger retreated and left Matilija s 
 Poppy like sweet silent music to guard the 
 flower-rimmed grave. 
 
 m 
 
Conceficwn Ague 11 a 
 
CONCEPCION AGUELLA 
 
 m 
 
 N the great bleak land of Ah- 
 lak-shak, where the White 
 Spirit clothes the earth in 
 snow for more than three- 
 fourths of the long, dreary 
 time; where the people dwell in huts made of 
 eternal snow, and line the huts with skins of 
 the seal and otter in order to shield their chil 
 dren from the harsh touch of the White Hand, 
 in this land there came one Winter longer 
 and more bleak than all other Winters. 
 
 The blubber and the whale-oil, the sea-lion, 
 the dried salmon, and the game flesh were all 
 gone. The worthless dog had long since paid 
 
 V 
 
 
 sea 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 its tribute to the vampire Want, and even the 
 pet family dog had passed along the same road. 
 Hunger and starvation dulled the little sense of 
 humanity that those people of the frozen region 
 ever had, and many were the human bones 
 to be seen bleaching on the vast snow-fields ; 
 and who could say whether these as well as 
 the family pets had not been gnawed clean and 
 white ere they found their last resting-place 
 upon the snow. Such were the conditions in 
 the Winter of 1805-06 in the inland of Alaska, 
 and little better, indeed, were the conditions at 
 the seaport of the isle-bound bay of Sitka. 
 
 Here the great Russian Fur Traders and 
 Seal Catchers Company had its headquarters. 
 Here many a strong man, this Winter, chased 
 the gaunt forms of Death and Starvation as 
 
CONCEPCION A GUELLA 
 
 they stalked hand in hand about the village, 
 plying without pity their hideous trade; some 
 times Crime or Murder induced the men to 
 turn aside and help Death to catch his 
 victims. 
 
 One man alone watched these terrible scenes 
 with a set, determined face. He vowed that 
 permanent relief should come ere another Win 
 ter, or he would die in the effort to bring it. 
 This man was Nikolai Petrovich Rezanof, 
 Chamberlain to the Czar and plenipotentiary 
 of the Russian American Company. In June 
 of 1805, Prince Rezanof had come to Sitka 
 to investigate the general conditions of the 
 country. The lack of all comforts for the 
 people and the uncertainty of a proper food 
 supply were matters of deepest concern to 
 
 
MISSION T A L E S 
 
 him. Two provision ships had failed to ar 
 rive in port. One had been wrecked, and the 
 other was long overdue. 
 
 The Summer passed, and the long Winter 
 closed in early. Cold was followed by bitter 
 est cold, and storm after storm shut the col 
 ony off from outside assistance; daily strong 
 men were dying of scurvy, exposure, hunger, 
 and want; and the little colony grew rapidly 
 less and less, until it numbered scarce two 
 hundred, with the provisions reduced to such 
 a degree that there was only about enough 
 left to feed them properly for a few weeks. 
 
 When matters were at this desperate pass, 
 the little ship Juno, an American vessel, under 
 the command of Captain Wolfe, came into 
 port, and Governor Baranof gladly purchased 
 
 Caw.) 
 
 
 
CONCEPCldN AGUELLA 
 
 the entire cargo, paying eight thousand dollars 
 therefor; but he would probably have paid 
 double that amount, or, nothing loath, would 
 have confiscated all, had there been any dis 
 position on the captain s part not to dispose 
 of his cargo, so great was the distress. 
 
 Immediately the little ship was turned back 
 into the troubled waters of the Pacific, its nose 
 turned southward, with the port of Yerba 
 Buena (now San Francisco) as its destination. 
 This idea of going to ask help or seek trade 
 of the Spaniards of California was like going 
 to sea in a tub, it carried the same uncertainty 
 of success, the same assurance of danger. For 
 the law of the Spaniards of the Pacific for 
 bade all trade with foreigners. But, loaded 
 with an alluring cargo of furs, Rezanof and his 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 
 m* 
 
 faithful companion, Dr. Langsdorff, set sail in 
 the JunOy and in the teeth of the biting 
 Winter wind struggled south toward the land 
 of sun and flowers. 
 
 The Russians having long contemplated es 
 tablishing a post in California, Prince Rezanof 
 decided that now was an opportune time to 
 make the preliminary investigations. The pri 
 vations and sufferings of this Winter deter 
 mined him to take this immediate step toward 
 permanent relief. During the long and trying 
 voyage he laid his plans. While he himself 
 should conduct the exchange of the cargo for 
 provisions, he intended that a party should be 
 landed at Bodega Bay, a port well known to 
 pirates and chance whalers, there to establish a 
 post, if the conditions were possible. Bodega 
 
 (112) 
 
CONCEPCION AGUELLA 
 
 was separated from Yerba Buena by hostile 
 Indians, as well as mountainous land. 
 
 At Yerba Buena the Spaniards had long 
 expected the advent .of the Russians, the fa 
 mous navigators who had rounded the world. 
 They often spoke of the Russian fleet, the 
 Russian squadron, when it should sail into the 
 bay of Yerba Buena on a complimentary and 
 friendly visit; so who of these would have 
 thought that the little white sails of the Juno, 
 as it defiantly ran past the guns of the fort, 
 bore the much vaunted Russians to the west 
 ern port of Spain. Made bold by desperation, 
 the Juno weighed anchor only when clear of 
 the Spanish guns, and then silently waited to 
 be received. The reception was akin to the 
 land the ship hailed from cold and bleak. 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 The pomp-loving Spaniards were disappoint 
 ed. Young Alferez Luis Agiiella, son of the 
 Commandante of the port, with an escort came 
 down to the shore, and after a most formal 
 interview and impromptu explanation on the 
 part of Rezanof as to the size of the "fleet," 
 an invitation was extended to the Russian en 
 voy and his officers to dine at the presidio. 
 
 Even the great stress of need did not 
 cause the Russian diplomat to broach the sub 
 ject of trade or colony upon this visit, nor the 
 next, nor for many thereafter, as it was more 
 than evident to Prince Rezanof that the Span 
 ish feared an encroachment either upon their 
 trade or their possessions. Scheme as he might, 
 Rezanof could not break the barrier of prohib 
 ited traffic. The Governor at Monterey, the 
 
CONCEPCION A GUELLA 
 
 Commandante of the presidio, and the priests 
 of the Missions would none of the Russians 
 cargo; nor would any of the parties sell suffi 
 cient food-stuffs for Rezanof to obtain the 
 much needed relief for his starving colony at 
 Sitka. 
 
 Upon the first visit at the presidio, Prince 
 Rezanof met the beautiful daughter of the 
 Commandante, Concepcion Agiiella. As his ef 
 forts to interest the rulers diminished, his 
 interest in Concepcion increased. The clever 
 Russian told the pious girl of the terrible 
 scenes of starvation in the far-off country; he 
 told her especially of the children s suffering. 
 He told of little Alec, the eight-year-old child 
 of a widowed mother. 
 
 "That mother, pain-racked by a dread dis- 
 C//J?) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 ease, needed dainty nourishment ; but instead she 
 had but little of the very coarsest food. While 
 she slept, little Alec added his portion to hers, 
 and together they perished she with disease, 
 and he with hunger. On Christmas morning, 
 when a few of the stoutest hearts went about 
 the village crying, Christ has come! Christ has 
 come! and peered into each hut to give a 
 Christmas greeting, they paused and called 
 aloud to little Alec, for he was well known 
 as Sitka s pet. But the men drew back in 
 silence, for the mother and son lay clasped 
 in the long embrace, and the angel of Death 
 stood guard." 
 
 He told Concepcion of poor Nika, the 
 Indian girl, beloved by the Russian hunter, 
 Michael. 
 
 
CONCEPCION AGUELLA 
 
 "For weeks during the hard Winter, hunter 
 Michael trudged on snow-shoes over the vast 
 beds of snow that he might help Nika, the 
 Indian girl, whom he so dearly loved, and her 
 parents and little sister. One day the hunter 
 did not return, and that night a still more 
 bitter, blinding, sweeping snow-storm than ever 
 swept over this land of snow and storm, pil 
 ing the great banks of merciless white until it 
 was mountains high. No man could go after 
 Michael, and they knew that it would be 
 weeks before he could return, and they doubted 
 if then he would leave Nika in her helpless 
 ness. 
 
 "The hardships of hunting and pioneering 
 weld bands of friendship that endure. A week 
 passed, and then another, and then four great 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 gaunt, raw-boned hunters started for Michael 
 and his loved ones; and no one in the 
 village was surprised when upon the third day 
 they saw the little band coming over the ft A 
 snow-field carrying heavy burdens. Two bore 
 the stiff bulky form of Michael, and the 
 others bore Nika and the sister. They need 
 not have burdened themselves with the frail life 
 less form of Nika, but they could not leave 
 her. 
 
 "The only sounds that were heard from 
 the party were the crunching of snow under 
 their feet, the quick short breath of the tired 
 men, and now and then a sharp wail from the 
 infant. It was this cry that had led the rescue 
 party to the spot where their friend and brother 
 lay with his sad burden. 
 
C ON C EP C ION A GUELLA 
 
 "Arriving at Sitka, other hunters applied 
 restoratives to Michael, and after rubbings and 
 thawings and general drenching with hot liquors, 
 he stirred, and, reaching his hand out, spoke 
 the one word, c Nika. 
 
 " With the brusqueness of frontiersmen, they 
 told him that Nika was dead, and then all 
 the strength of four men was taxed to keep 
 him from beating his brains out against the 
 floor upon which he lay. When he was ex 
 hausted and they could make him listen, they 
 told him that the baby was there, alive and 
 well. 
 
 "He made not another struggle, but arose 
 and began at once to plan comfort for the 
 child. He then told them how he had taken 
 off his fur coat and wrapped it about Nika, 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 but while he carried her and the child she 
 wound the coat about the little one and thus 
 gave her life for her sister. The strong man 
 never again spoke of Nika, but proved his 
 love equal to hers by devoting his life to her 
 sacrifice." 
 
 Rezanof saw yet another argument. 
 
 "When I came from St. Petersburg," he 
 said, "I brought furnishings and ornaments for 
 a church in Sitka, and even now the chapel 
 is being erected. The foundation is that of a 
 Greek cross; and though the exterior must of 
 necessity, at this time, be crude and plain, the 
 interior appointments shall be worthy the cause. 
 Already the Emperor has given to us from 
 his great storehouse of riches, appropriated to 
 the cause of righteousness, many fine paint- 
 
 (120) 
 
C ON C EP C ION AGUELLA 
 
 ings, vestments, and a chime of sweetest bells. 
 How we long to hear them calling out over 
 that sea of vast silence, turning the white quiet 
 into coral hues of deeper thrill! 
 
 "The church bells, singing to the people 
 of Al-lak-shak, recall the wandering Padres* 
 labors among your thousands here in Califor 
 nia. Those who cannot understand the great 
 words of the teachers may look upon the 
 beauteous pictures of the Madonna and the 
 Child; all can understand that love. 
 
 " We shall have, " he continued, " a great 
 painting of the Last Supper; one all sparkling 
 with jewels and inlaid with silver and gold 
 the Countess has promised us that; and one also 
 of the Holy Madonna that shall wear a crown 
 of real diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds. 
 
 (121) 
 
 

 MISSION TALES 
 
 "Though our land may now be worn with 
 trials and starvation, the Divine Unseen will 
 smooth down the road of trial and bathe 
 our troubled cheeks with cooling sprays of 
 heavenly joy, if we attend our sacred services 
 and give plenteously to the Church." 
 
 The crafty Russian noted that the girl 
 listened interestedly and well to the descrip 
 tion of the progress of the Church in the ice 
 bound land, and with the keenness of his race 
 and training, he argued like all who have a rea 
 son in so doing, that a great similarity exists 
 between all Christian creeds or dogmas, and 
 especially between those of the Greek and 
 Catholic Churches. He argued, 
 
 "Is it not the same Christ, the same cross of 
 sorrow, and the same care and love for humanity 
 
 (122) 
 
 
I 
 
 .; 
 
 ; 
 
 CONCEPCION AGUELLA 
 
 that we all believe in ? And would we not all 
 ask the intercession of the Holy Mother for par 
 don of our neglect and sins ? My country, 
 coming to Bodega, will help your country to 
 encircle the world with the shining cross, the 
 emblem of salvation." 
 
 Tears of religious ardor sparkled in the 
 girl s beautiful eyes ; and who shall say whether 
 it was the pleadings of love, of religion, or 
 of pity for the suffering people of Sitka, that 
 won the heart of this Spanish beauty ? Certain 
 it is that when Prince Rezanof sailed away, he 
 carried with him the plighted troth of Concep- 
 cion Aguella, the tacit permission to establish 
 a settlement at Bodega, and plenty of food for 
 the relief of Sitka. 
 
 Five years later a permanent Russian set- 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 tlement was effected at Fort Ross on the Bay 
 of Bodega. Had the future held other than 
 alluring promise for the two lovers, they would 
 have been master and mistress of Little Rus 
 sia, as the new station was sometimes called. 
 But instead, Rezanof returned to Alaska with 
 his ship of food and clothing, and after care 
 fully preparing for the little colony s comfort 
 and conferring with Governor Baranof con 
 cerning his new home, or "castle," and new 
 storehouses and shipping-wharves, he prepared 
 for the long journey back to St. Petersburg 
 over the great bleak snow-fields of Russia 
 that he had so vividly depicted to the tender 
 hearted summer flower of Yerba Buena. 
 She had never seen the snow, and to her it 
 was a pitiless shroud that enveloped the 
 
C ON C EP C I ON A GUELLA 
 
 northern country and wrapped itself about 
 all travellers, whispering the one command 
 "Death!" 
 
 Long the girl waited for some tidings from 
 Sitka or from Russia. A month passed, and 
 then months sped into a year, and still no 
 message came from her lover. Knowing and 
 fearing the icebound north, the girl never 
 doubted her affianced. But when a second 
 year had crawled by, she dreaded the approach 
 of a messenger, for her trusting heart harbored 
 but one thought the merciless snow. 
 
 Visitors came and went, and after the two 
 years were spent, she ceased to make inquiry. 
 One day a party with Kuskof, the Russian 
 settler at Bodega Bay, chanced to mention the 
 name of Rezanof, and was told the story of 
 
 ]!!?-* s 2==^-- =ai * * ^U 
 
 
 uat. 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 the plighted love of the fair Concepcion and 
 the Chamberlain to the Czar. 
 
 An officer asked to meet the sad-faced girl, 
 and tenderly explained to her her lover s long 
 silence, and told her of his fate. 
 
 "When our mission at Sitka was ended," 
 he said, "we set out upon our journey home 
 to St. Petersburg across the barren steppes of 
 Siberia. Arriving at the little Russian trading 
 station of Kloochay, that nestles at the foot of 
 the mighty volcano, Kloochefskoi, Rezanof, tired 
 and worn out with his long anxiety and great 
 exertions, determined to remain at this beaute- 
 ously situated village and enjoy the spring 
 days that reminded him so well of California. 
 Everywhere were flowers and varied vegetation, 
 so different from the fields of ice that we had 
 
CONCEPCION A GUELLA 
 
 left and from those which lay farther on our 
 journey. 
 
 "Scarcely had the party decided to rest for 
 a short time, when the ominous mutterings of 
 the restless volcano gave warning that an 
 eruption might occur. The night was illu 
 mined with a fiery glow that broke from the 
 summit of Kloochefskoi, and the day was dark 
 ened by great black clouds of smoke that 
 belched like mighty bursts of anger from the 
 towering mountain-peak. We were terror strick 
 en, and upon the second morning hastily con 
 tinued on our arduous journey of six thousand 
 miles across the barren waste. The terrors of 
 the snow held no place beside the terrors of 
 the rumbling Kloochefskoi. 
 
 "After many trials and difficulties we reached 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Yakootsk and pushed on to Irkootsk. As 
 the party proceeded, we discovered with great 
 concern that Rezanof grew daily weaker and 
 weaker, and no persuasion could prevail upon 
 him to delay the journey or to exchange his 
 horse for the dog-sledge. Day after day and 
 week after week this determined man rode 
 over the sterile, frigid steppes of Siberia, know 
 ing only too well that if the fever came upon 
 him he would be unable to continue, and there 
 was no competent help to be obtained at any 
 of the miserable little yourts, or huts, and our 
 own emergency provisions had long been ex 
 hausted. 
 
 "The day came, however, when after an 
 exceedingly exhausting and fatiguing ride Re 
 zanof was unable to proceed on the journey, 
 
 (xrf) 
 
CONCEPCION A GUELLA 
 
 and for several days he lay battling with fever 
 and weakness. However, as soon as he could 
 sit on his horse, he insisted upon being placed 
 in the saddle, and we proceeded upon that 
 fateful three-months ride. He was determined 
 to carry back to the Czar the report of his 
 investigations at Sitka, his project for a new 
 station at Bodega, and what lay nearest his 
 heart to ask the consent of the Emperor to 
 his union with you, my most honored lady, 
 the Senorita Concepcion de Agiiella of Yerba 
 Buena. 
 
 "As our silent party rode along we failed 
 to notice that Rezanof had dropped behind, 
 until a halt was made to discuss the route, 
 when his absence was discovered and the 
 party immediately returned to find that the 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 enfeebled man had slipped from his horse and 
 lay still upon the icy shroud of Siberia." 
 
 As the narrator ceased, Concepcion knew 
 that, only too truly, this sad message had 
 long fluttered unceasingly toward her on the 
 wings of dark-browed fate; but though her 
 heart had well known the story, the words 
 sounded harsh and petrified the blood. Her 
 pathetic, silent sorrow touched the speaker, 
 and it was some moments before he continued. 
 
 "We unclasped from about his neck this 
 chain and locket; and not until I heard to-day 
 of the betrothal did I know unto whom it 
 belonged. I return it to you as a comforting 
 assurance of his affection." So saying, he laid 
 the token of love upon her outstretched hand, 
 and quietly passed out of the apartment. 
 
IN THE CHURCH SHE WAS KNOWN AS THE SWEET-FACED 
 SISTER CONCHA 
 
CONCEPCION A GUELLA 
 
 What can be said in the face of such grief, 
 and what can be said when the living are dead ! 
 Woman s heart knows the strength of affec 
 tion, and when it is taken from her, the body 
 bends as a tiny sapling to be whipped back 
 into place by the power of will. The years 
 of waiting had ripened her soul into hushed 
 incense of music; and the mysterious sweet 
 ness of dream kisses had shaped her lovely lips 
 to song ecstasy such as comes from heavenly 
 choirs. 
 
 When the dread thought had been whis 
 pered in words and the chill shiver had 
 passed, Concepcion stilled her love dream with 
 Death s message, and with a quiet spirit of 
 resignation she turned to the Church. Here she 
 found consolation, and when her parents strove 
 
 1 
 
 51 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 to interest her in the world, she sought more 
 closely the refuge of the sanctuary. After a pro 
 longed sojourn in Mexico and a return to Yerba 
 Buena, she visited Santa Barbara, and there 
 became interested in the charitable and educa 
 tional work of the Church, and at the request 
 of the Padres she took charge of the school 
 for young girls that was conducted under the 
 management of the Mission. 
 
 Her duties called her many times to San 
 Buena Ventura and Carpinteria, and on one of 
 these journeys she carried as a riding-whip a 
 fresh twig of the Mission grape-vine. One of 
 her devoted pupils of the latter place asked 
 her for the riding-whip, and the sweet-faced 
 Sister Concha, as she was now known, smilingly 
 gave it. 
 
CONCEPCION AGUELLA 
 
 The girl planted the twig, and like the 
 broad-spreading, gentle influence of the pious 
 Sister, the grape-vine thrived and spread its 
 sweeping branches, until to-day it is the largest 
 single grape-vine in the world. 
 
 Years passed, and Sister Concha became 
 Abbess of the convent, and later returned north 
 to live again upon the shores of her beloved 
 bay of Yerba Buena. This time, however, she 
 took up her abode at the little village of 
 Benicia, where to-day she rests in the sombre 
 silence of the tomb. 
 
The Story of Little R.ossiya 
 
THE STORY OF LITTLE 
 ROSSIYA 
 
 |T was the third attempt of 
 the Russians to establish a 
 colony in New Albion; so 
 when the neat brig Chirikof 
 cast anchor in the Bay of 
 Rumiantzof now known as Bodega there 
 was rejoicing on the part of Ivan Alexandro- 
 vich Kuskof, in whose charge the expedition 
 came, and little less cheer on the part of 
 the ninety-odd convicts and eighty Aleuts who 
 were sent to assist him in the enterprise. This 
 was in March, 1811. The site for the new 
 town had been selected by Prince Rezanof in 
 
 (W) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 1806, and was well known to the Indians as 
 Mad-shui-nui. 
 
 It was some eighteen miles up the coast 
 from the only safe landing-place, and it com 
 manded a view of unsurpassable beauty as well 
 as undeniable safety; and, because of the latter 
 quality, the Russian had purchased it by barter 
 from the Indians, thereby settling for all time 
 the question of occupation, so far as the na 
 tives were concerned. Kuskof paid to the chief 
 of the Mayacmas three blankets, three pairs of 
 Russian breeches, two axes, three hoes, and a 
 quantity of beads for the town site and for 
 the tillable land adjacent to the hills upon 
 which the future fort was to be established. 
 
 The Aleuts were sent out in their bidarkas 
 to hunt for seal and otter, while the con- 
 
STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 victs, under the direction of twenty-five mechan 
 ics, cut and prepared timber for the buildings. 
 For a month the sound of the axe and the 
 heavy thud of the falling monarchs of the 
 forest were the new thrills to the mountain 
 sides that sent the loose rocks tumbling to 
 the gulches, that they too might take voice 
 and action in the new enterprise. 
 
 The site selected was a succession of three 
 small mesas, one above another, the lowest one 
 ending in an abrupt cliff about one hundred 
 feet above the sea. Two deep gulches en 
 closed this semicircle, and the height above 
 the background was a crowning mass of dense 
 ancient redwood, sending towering spires up 
 into the very skies. From the summit a tim 
 ber chute sent the felled redwoods to the last 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 mesa below, where Kuskof intended to build 
 the fort. By September the buildings were 
 ready for dedication and occupancy. The tenth 
 of that month being the name-day of Alexander, 
 the Emperor of Russia, these rough men of 
 the frontier held a picturesque service of song 
 and feast, and ended the festival by dedicating 
 the fort as "Little Rossiya" meaning "Little 
 Russia." As each year passed, buildings were 
 added to "Little Rossiya," until the village 
 became known far and wide as Fort Ross. 
 
 Kuskof, the agent of the Russian Fur 
 Company of Alaska, took pride in his village. 
 He surrounded it with a stockade defence 
 twelve feet in height; built a block-house in 
 one corner and a chapel in the other both 
 used as towers of defence with mounted can- 
 
 
STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 non, the fort containing from fifteen to forty 
 pieces of artillery. Outside the stockade on 
 the mesa were the huts for the Aleuts and 
 natives; there were granaries, workshops, stock 
 yards, and an immense windmill and bath 
 house. 
 
 There was but one entrance to the stock 
 ade, and but one approach from the sea. 
 This was by way of stairs cut in the rock, 
 with an iron hand-rail leading down to the 
 boat-landing ; therefore any traveller coming by 
 sea must mount the stone steps that led to 
 the entrance gate, and any one coming by land 
 must finally reach the same gateway. A few 
 straggling huts were to be found down in the 
 gulches, but the paths led from these also again 
 to the gate. 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Kuskof spent many interested years within 
 the quaint walls of Fort Ross, with only busi 
 ness and mild pleasures to divert him. His 
 coming to the Bay had made great consterna 
 tion among the Spanish settlers at Yerba Buena 
 (San Francisco), but his going gave little con 
 cern. It was not until a beautiful woman 
 came to dwell at Little Rossiya that the Span 
 iards took note of the Fort and interchanged 
 many social compliments. 
 
 "A princess has arrived at Fort Ross!" 
 
 " She is beautiful, she is vivacious, she is 
 grand ! " 
 
 "Muy buena very good we will go/ And 
 such was the sentiment of the entire country. 
 
 Prince Alexander Rotscheff had brought 
 his lovely bride, the Princess Helene de Gaga- 
 
 ggra 
 
STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 rin, to live at Fort Ross. The coming of the 
 courtly woman, with her train of attendants 
 and her sumptuous wedding wardrobe, gave 
 life to the Fort and to the surrounding 
 Spanish settlements, such as they had never 
 known. 
 
 General Vallejo of Sonoma and his cultured 
 family eagerly welcomed the Princess and her 
 merry court. The rides through the forest 
 and along the sloping banks of the Russian 
 River, over the uplands between the hills that 
 lead to the rich Sonoma Valley, where the wild 
 flowers carpeted the land and sent out their 
 sweet fragrance, were the prime joy and pastime 
 of these Russian lovers. 
 
 Many were the visits to the hospitable 
 ranch of Sonoma Valley, and many the invita- 
 
 
- I 
 
 MISSION TALES 
 
 tions to festivals and fandangos, where the 
 bride s wealth of blond loveliness cast charming 
 contrast on the dark radiance of the Spanish 
 beauties. 
 
 Many a time the fair stranger was bathed 
 in cologne showers and covered with fine gold 
 and silver bits from a dozen cascarones that 
 were broken and flashed over her. She soon 
 embraced the fiesta spirit, and she herself and 
 her companions prepared and brought filled 
 egg-shells and uncorked scent-bottles, and joined 
 in the merry game of carnival joy. 
 
 Princess Helene led the contradance, the 
 stately minuet of the Spanish ball, and with 
 the same flush of youth listened to the verses 
 and dances of " Los Camotes," <c Las Pollitas," 
 or " La Jota," as they were danced by the gay 
 
 
 
STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 crowds without, and even laughingly sang with 
 the chorus of " El Sombrero Blanco " 
 
 "<j)uieres que te ponga mi sombrero bianco? 
 )uieres que te ponga ml sombrero azul? 
 )uieres que te sienta ml vida, en un trono? 
 ^uieres que te cante el turun, tu, tun?" 
 
 and announced that she would forego the crown 
 and take the white hat. 
 
 This care-free, fun-loving Princess took de 
 light and interest in everything. She applauded 
 the perfect execution of the "Jarabe," as some 
 ancient dame pattered with her feet so swiftly 
 and so deftly for such a length of time that 
 even the fair patroness was wont to cry, 
 "Enough!" She herself would shower the 
 dancer of the "Son" with pieces of gold and 
 silver when the glass of water was presented 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 to her, which the pretty dancer had carried 
 upon her head while she travelled the silken 
 hobble from her ankles to her knees and back 
 again. 
 
 She loved the gay, picturesque costumes of 
 the new country, and the open court of the 
 patio, with its wealth of Castilian roses of del 
 icate pink mingling with the pure white of 
 the many lilies, as they twined and clustered 
 over the singing fountain and in and about 
 the pillars and arches of the spacious quad 
 rangle or the sequestered family patio. The 
 visit ended, Helene and the dashing Rotscheff 
 would return to their aerie in the pines, carry 
 ing back with them gay companions of the 
 warm Southern blood, there to make merry 
 in the quiet fortress of the hill. 
 
STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 To-day Little Rossiya was gala in its quaint 
 dress of bright Russian banners, pennons, and 
 flags, intermingled with the golden yellow and 
 crimson red of Spanish colors; for the Princess 
 had arranged a boat-race of bidarkas to take 
 place while the sea was calm, just below the 
 great stone steps. The crude stairway was 
 covered with magnificent skins of the polar 
 bear, and the entire one hundred and sixteen 
 steps were filled with Russian and Spanish 
 maiden beauty. 
 
 Helene s golden head seemed the crowning 
 bit of glory. The girls laughed and sang, 
 while the Aleuts paddled their seal boats into 
 line; and when a sharp crack rang out over 
 the sea, the bidarkas sprang forward, and a 
 shout of encouragement arose from the top of 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 the mesa, where the men covered the open 
 space and clung to the crags for an advantage. 
 The course was short, and the races were 
 repeated until the spectators were tired. To 
 each winner money was thrown by one of 
 the bright beauties. When it came the turn 
 of fair-haired Rosalie to toss the money to 
 a swarthy-faced Indian, her foot slipped, and, 
 despite the iron rail, she fell beneath it and 
 went headlong into the sea. The height was 
 not great, but she had not reached the water 
 before the Indian; he carefully lifted her out 
 of the waves and placed her upon the bidarka 
 amid the cheers of the spectators. She waved 
 her hand, and as if it were part of the show 
 ordered that the bidarka be landed at the 
 foot of the stone stairs. 
 
STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 Days and months passed but slowly. The 
 long days of fog and winter rains, and the 
 chill winds moaning through the giant trees 
 above the fortress, made even these stoutest 
 lovers pine for the gay warmth of Russian 
 court life. After three years of isolation, Prin 
 cess Helene joyously contemplated a return to 
 her home at St. Petersburg. 
 
 But an event occurred which caused great 
 est consternation. Among her many admirers, 
 there was one upon whom the Princess had 
 not counted, and of whom she did not know. 
 Upon one of many visits to the hospitable 
 rancho of Sonoma, her party met with a small 
 band of Indian braves. At the head rode 
 their chief, Solano, he who ruled all the many 
 tribes and sub-tribes of the Sonoma Valley 
 
MISSION 
 
 the 
 
 TALES 
 
 mountains beyond. He was a power 
 ful chief; a man of great valor and broad, 
 noble mind. He was in truth Emperor of all 
 these people. He had heard of the strangers 
 of the Fort, and had many times exchanged 
 and bartered foods and hides with them, 
 but he never had seen this wonderful goddess, 
 this fair-haired, pale-faced beauty. 
 
 Strange as the strangest freak of nature, 
 the dark-skinned son of the forest loved at 
 one sight the fair girl of the Fort. To him, 
 desire meant possession. He knew no law 
 superior to his own will; and though the 
 strange passion seemed even to him a curious 
 thing, he never thought of anything else than 
 to satisfy his love and bring home to his 
 lodge the new wife of his choice. All Indian 
 
 
STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 chiefs may possess as many wives as they 
 wish ; and when one sees a new face that 
 attracts him, it is his privilege to have her 
 brought to his home. 
 
 Of course, Chief Solano knew that the 
 customs of the white-faced people were differ 
 ent. However, his passionate love for this 
 beautiful jewel outweighed everything else. He 
 could carry her off into the high mountains 
 and hide her away from all searchers; and the 
 fastnesses of his forest lair could be guarded 
 by his faithful people so that no white man 
 could enter the region and live. Such were 
 his thoughts and desires ; and to carry them 
 out he called a council of all his sub-chiefs 
 and told them his wishes. 
 
 A strong band of braves was to go with 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 him to the Fort and at night attack and set 
 fire to the stockade and adjoining buildings. 
 While the fire raged, he himself would capture 
 and carry off Helene, the fair-haired, silken 
 shower of sunshine, the singing flower of his 
 soul. They would then flee with her to the 
 heart of the Mayacmas forest, and each chief 
 would set a watch to guard the approaches, 
 allowing no stranger to pass through the 
 mountains. 
 
 All seemed in readiness, and no one dared 
 voice dissent to their chief. But all unawares 
 there was a traitor heart in the council. Some 
 said it was the very man of the bidarka, who 
 had lost his blond girl of the sea; who, when 
 he had asked to have the girl sent to him, had 
 received a lash and a swift kick for his pains. 
 
 a 
 
STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 And now that the chief merely wished an 
 additional wife, all the Indians were willing to 
 help him and this heart rebelled. No matter 
 who told, but the secret love and the planned 
 attack, with all the details, were conveyed to 
 the knowledge of General Vallejo. 
 
 The gallant General had held many coun 
 cils with Chief Solano; and, though he knew 
 that this matter was most delicate and most 
 serious, he did not hesitate to despatch a 
 courier at once to the Chief, asking him to 
 come for an early interview to the Mission. 
 Chief Solano, never dreaming that his project 
 or his love could have reached the ear of his 
 friend the General, without hesitation delayed 
 his attack on Fort Ross, and went to meet 
 him. 
 
 C Jtf) 
 
 , 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 With the delicate tact of a Spanish officer, 
 the courteous General brought the Indian to 
 acknowledge the strong friendship existing be 
 tween the Indian tribes and the Spanish; he 
 rehearsed the great strength of the army of 
 Spain, and the still greater power of the army 
 of Russia; he spoke of the number of ships 
 and of men that each ruler could send into 
 any country that opposed his laws or did 
 great harm to ;his people. He diplomatically 
 led the subject to the laws of each country, 
 remarking that the Indian Chief took what he 
 wished from his people, but that the Spaniard 
 and Russian courteously sought permission of 
 fair women even to pay them court; and not 
 until the women were mentioned did Solano 
 see that the General knew of his secret. 
 
STORY OF LITTLE ROSSIYA 
 
 It took firm, persuasive insistence on the 
 part of General Vallejo to convince the Indian 
 Chief that for the good of his own people he 
 must resign his claim for the Princess if he 
 wished to enjoy the good-will of her nation. 
 The attack was not made. 
 
 General Vallejo was loath to see his friends 
 of Fort Ross depart for the distant land of 
 the Great Bear; but he felt, as well as did 
 Prince Rotscheff, that the fair Princess would 
 be much safer within the walled court of St. 
 Petersburg. So they went away, casting two 
 charming shadows on the stream of Spanish 
 life in California. 
 
The Penance Bell of Los 
 Angeles 
 
THE PENANCE BELL OF LOS 
 ANGELES 
 
 BAPTIZE thee and name 
 thee Enrique Domingo Fitch," 
 solemnly said Padre Menendez 
 to the handsome young Ameri 
 can kneeling before him. 
 And thus plain Henry became Don Enrique. 
 For a whole year Henry Fitch had been seri 
 ously in love with the beautiful Dona Josefa, 
 daughter of Joaquin Carrillo of San Diego; 
 but as the ecclesiastical law of Nueva Califor 
 nia forbade marriages with foreigners, American 
 Henry decided to become Spanish Enrique and 
 at the same time enter the Catholic Church by 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 way of a formal baptism, hoping that by so 
 doing it would become easier for him to gain 
 Josefa as his bride. 
 
 In truth, Henry s only sin seemed to be 
 that of having been born to Beriah and Sarah 
 Fitch of New Bedford, Massachusetts, instead 
 of Beriah and Sarah Fitch of Nueva California. 
 Henry s charms of manner and person had 
 completely captivated the father and mother of 
 his inamorata and likewise her cousin, Don 
 Pio Pico, and the good Franciscan friar, Father 
 Menendez. They all seemed to think that 
 under the circumstances a little latitude in the 
 law might be taken. Therefore, very quietly 
 to be sure, a wedding was arranged with the 
 baptism and renaming as a preliminary feature, 
 Alfred Domingo Carrillo acting as godfather. 
 
 (160} 
 
THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 To cheat the fun-loving people of New Spain 
 out of a wedding feast and festival was indeed 
 a serious matter, but whether it was the loss 
 of the fun and entertainment or from a deeper 
 motive that Governor Echeandia allowed his 
 spectre of meanness to enter the wedding hall, 
 no one now may say. 
 
 Upon the following evening, April 15, 
 1829, while the moon made the stars pale and 
 distant, the hall of Carrillo s home was bright 
 with the golden light of love and flowers, for 
 it was gayly trimmed in trailing vines and fairly 
 lined with roses and lilies, and the bride s 
 beauty never shone out more perfectly. Her 
 velvety eyes were half screened by the lace 
 folds of her wedding veil; her silken skirts 
 were the finest that the cargo of Don Enrique s 
 
 </<*/) 
 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 trading vessel, the Maria Ester, could boast; 
 the happy lovers stood before the good but 
 timid priest ready to exchange the vow, " I 
 will," when a man for whom they were waiting 
 entered the room, advanced rapidly to within a 
 few feet of the bridal couple, and with brusque 
 manner and loud voice said: "In the name of 
 the Governor I forbid the banns." 
 
 Was it for this they had waited? Was it 
 possible that Alfred Domingo Carrillo, godfather 
 to the groom, was forbidding the marriage? 
 Surely there was some mistake. 
 
 "You are mistaken, my brother," said Senor 
 Carrillo, the father of Josefa; "by what right 
 do you thus interfere with so solemn a service ? " 
 
 "I am aide to the Governor, and my first 
 duty lies with the State," replied the doughty 
 
THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 patriot. And no amount of persuasion on the 
 part of the men, nor tears on the part of the 
 bride, could alter the edict or gain the consent 
 of the uncle to sign as witness for the cere 
 mony. 
 
 Perhaps charming Josefa knew more of the 
 subtle reasons for the interruption of the wed 
 ding than she cared at that moment to acknowl 
 edge, for it was a well-known fact that the 
 Governor made his residence in San Diego, 
 "because of the charms of the ladies/ rather 
 than in Monterey, the accredited capital of the 
 country; and was not Josefa the most charm 
 ing and most beautiful of all of the ladies of 
 San Diego? Governor Echeandia had paid her 
 marked attention, and now Governor Echeandia 
 was forbidding her marriage. 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 This man had a blacker and harder heart 
 than the black rock Tosaut. But the wit of 
 woman at all times is quick where her heart is 
 concerned, for her wisdom trains with the blood 
 of the heart; therefore, rather than submit to 
 defeat by Echeandia this maid would seem to 
 appear overbold with her well-nigh husband; 
 so bending slightly toward him, with a rare 
 twinkle in her eye, she whispered, "Why don t 
 you carry me off, Don Enrique ? " 
 
 On the following evening Don Enrique 
 bade farewell to the Carrillos and his many 
 friends, and with apparent regret he boarded his 
 vessel and set sail. Both the Vulture and the 
 Maria Ester left port, the former in com 
 mand of Captain Barry, a firm friend of Cap 
 tain Fitch. Passing the bluff of Point Loma, 
 
 "rgr "^-"-^-^*^^ ?^j A^"_ - 
 
THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 the Vulture hauled on a stout wind to the 
 west. 
 
 Echeandia was off his guard. As the moon 
 melted into the sea, the goddess of Love spun 
 webs over the eyes of the world, and soft 
 nature was left to envelop the form of a swift- 
 fleeing horse whose feet tapped the sand to 
 the cadence of the love-laden heart that it bore. 
 The horse carried double. 
 
 On the strand lay beached the captain s 
 gig of a vessel, and only a moment was taken 
 to wrap a serape close about the girlish form 
 that was carefully lifted from Don Pico s mount, 
 and with a kiss and caress Josefa was given 
 into the keeping of the Captain, and the stars 
 twinkled delight as the boat skimmed over the 
 water to meet the vessel that waited. 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Don Enrique s care and concern for the 
 good name of his future wife were shown by 
 his taking passage on board the Vulture with 
 Captain Barry; and of the invited wedding 
 guests of San Diego only Barry was permitted 
 to witness the finished ceremony. He called 
 the curate Orrego of the little town of Valpa 
 raiso to complete the band that the demon 
 Jealousy had all but clipped. 
 
 A year passed, and in July, 1830, Captain 
 Fitch and his wife and son were anchored off 
 San Pedro on board the Leonor. 
 
 Father Jose Sanchez, father superior of the 
 Missions of California, resided at San Gabriel 
 Mission, of which San Pedro was the port. 
 Upon hearing of the arrival, or rather the 
 return, of Captain Fitch with his wife, the 
 
 x - 
 
 K 
 
 
 
THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 Padre sent a summons for them to appear 
 before him as a vicar and ecclesiastical judge 
 upon "charges most serious." 
 
 Captain Fitch replied to the summons by 
 despatching his marriage certificate to the vicar 
 for his inspection, and calmly sailed off to 
 Monterey. Father Sanchez was not satisfied 
 with the certificate; he preferred to doubt its 
 authenticity, and despatched a further order 
 for the arrest and return of the guilty party 
 to San Gabriel for trial. Governor Echeandia 
 had removed to Monterey, and was most 
 pleased to execute the order of arrest. He 
 went further: he ordered the husband and 
 wife to be separated ; he ordered the return 
 of the Captain to San Gabriel, and the 
 detention of the wife in Monterey, under 
 
 
 
 

 MISSION TALES 
 
 the care of Captain Cooper and his good 
 wife. 
 
 Captain Fitch began manoeuvring to delay 
 both his departure and his trial. He claimed 
 that he could not travel by land, and his ship was 
 not ready to sail south. What man once a 
 sailor can travel by land? And if a sailor has 
 become a captain, the matter becomes more 
 difficult to consider. So firmly convinced was 
 Captain Fitch of his own disability to travel 
 by land with the whole sea before him that 
 he kept a series of despatches and com 
 munications passing between San Gabriel and 
 Monterey, until finally he persuaded the sev 
 eral authorities to permit him to return by his 
 own brig the Leonor. This point was severely 
 contested by the worthy Fiscal, or Treasurer, 
 
 
 
 
 
THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 
 and he only consented to allow the departure 
 by sea provided one Virmond gave surety or 
 became bondsman for the culprit s due appear 
 ance at San Gabriel Mission. 
 
 As the Captain had extensive business along 
 the coast, he took his good time between 
 Monterey and San Pedro, stopping to trade at 
 Santa Barbara and other points. Therefore, it 
 was not until December that he was safely 
 locked in a room in San Gabriel Mission. 
 
 During all this time the sweet Dona Josefa 
 was planning how best to gain her release and 
 change of venue. She wished to be separated 
 from the close proximity of the Governor, the 
 source and cause of all her trouble and annoy 
 ance. She persuaded Captain Cooper that it 
 would be far better for her also to be at San 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Gabriel, where they were to be tried for their 
 offences, and she naively consented to be 
 placed under the care of the good Dona Eu- 
 lalia Perez, whom she had known from child 
 hood, and who was the real working head of 
 the Mission San Gabriel. Her arguments pre 
 vailed, and in November she arrived at the 
 port of San Pedro on board the Pocahontas^ 
 and was carried to San Gabriel and placed 
 under the charge of her erstwhile friend. 
 
 The Mission San Gabriel and its quad 
 rangle of buildings made a beautiful picture. 
 It nestled against distant hills, and neither 
 stood out from the dim background nor en 
 tirely melted within it. It attracted the eye 
 this pink, yellow-gray of the little stone chapel 
 
 crowned with dull-reddish tile and supported by 
 
 (170) 
 
THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 a bulwark of quaint buttresses relieved from 
 monotony by a series of stone steps ascending 
 from the outside to the choir-loft, which rest 
 ed over the main entrance. The side entrance 
 was more attractive than the main one; all 
 else was lost in the beauty and charm of the 
 tower of bells framed in adobe arches of sizes 
 to suit the width of the bells. There were 
 long rows of adobe and tule-roofed huts that 
 spread about the Mission like an army, and 
 were the homes of the hundreds of Indian 
 workers. 
 
 The picture was perfect but since then 
 the chill hands of both temblor and tempest 
 have touched rudely the charm and blighted 
 the pride of all of the California Missions 
 San Gabriel Archangel. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 The weeks intervening between the arrival 
 of Josefa and the coming of her husband were 
 spent in rides over the valley and about the 
 hills that comprised the extensive lands of the 
 Mission. The girl noticed carefully the rich 
 resources of the great holdings, for now she 
 was the wife of a merchant trader. The 
 great grants of land under the Mission s 
 control extended along El Gamino Real to 
 Santa Gertrudis, and down to Santa Ana. 
 They spread to La Puenta Rancho and San 
 Gorgonio; they included Jurupa, San Bernar 
 dino, and a portion of San Raphael. 
 
 Vast herds of cattle and horses roamed 
 over these fields ; great droves of swine, flocks 
 of sheep and goats, showed plainly the source 
 of the country s wealth, and from whence Don 
 
w 
 
 THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 Enrique could charter his load of hides for 
 his return trip to Lima. 
 
 Aside from the hides and tallow that came 
 from the stock, the extensive holdings pro 
 duced from twenty-five to thirty thousand 
 bushels of grain annually; and there were more 
 than one hundred and fifty thousand vines in 
 the four vineyards little wonder that all the 
 other Missions sent to San Gabriel for their 
 supply of fine wine and brandy. More than 
 two thousand fruit trees supplied fresh fruits 
 to the ten hundred and more who inhabited 
 and enjoyed the bounty of this station. The 
 treasure store was under the watchful eye of 
 Eulalia, who was cashier, receiving clerk, teach 
 er, and "Master." 
 
 No goods came into the storehouse without 
 
 v 
 
 $ 
 
 n>J 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 her examining the quantity and quality, and 
 woe to the persons who tried to defraud honest 
 Eulalia! They did it but once the next 
 time she refused to trade with them. San 
 Gabriel was rich enough to be independent, 
 and the market small enough to make traders 
 careful. This wonderful guardian even helped 
 to sort roots and dried herbs that were gath 
 ered for medicine. She passed on the chamisal 
 that was used for the tea that cured colds and 
 cramps and also was an antidote for poisonous 
 bites ; and she directed the Indian girls how to 
 make the leaves of this precious herb into a 
 curative salve. Her storehouse and medicine- 
 chest contained every herb of California that was 
 known to possess healing qualities. Gladly she 
 gave Josefa bundles of yerba santa and yerba 
 
 (JfcO 
 
THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 mansa, that her baby might never suffer with 
 sore throat or fever; she sent her of the In 
 dian pink, that all bruises might be cured; 
 and she even had a young Indian girl roast 
 seeds of the wild cucumber and make a salve 
 for the hair, to encourage its growth. To Jo- 
 sefa many of these remedies were new, for 
 Eulalia had learned of their properties from 
 the Indians, and, being always provident, she 
 adopted all things that to her seemed good. 
 
 The day came for Don Enrique to arrive; 
 the young wife saw him brought along the 
 Mission road guarded like a pirate, and her 
 heart sank, for their separation had been long and 
 severe. She had but seldom heard from him; 
 and now that he was at the Mission she was 
 told that she would be removed from under 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 the care of Eulalia, as she was too near her 
 captive husband. She was therefore transferred 
 into the keeping of Mrs. William A. Richard 
 son, who very gladly and kindly received the 
 persecuted young wife and her child. 
 
 By this time the legal summons had been 
 construed to read that " Captain Fitch, of the 
 brig Leonor, is entitled to no concessions; that 
 his offences are most heinous, and his intention 
 evidently is to run away again." 
 
 The Fiscal, Jose Palomares, repeatedly 
 summoned the guilty couple before the eccle 
 siastical court of San Gabriel. The case was 
 argued from all possible standpoints, but the 
 only tangible legal point lay in the validity 
 of the marriage license, and they seemed not 
 able to prove it other than valid. Therefore 
 
 (4*) 
 
THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 the case finally assumed the form of shifting 
 the blame for the arrest of parties without suffi 
 cient cause. The worthy Fiscal pronounced 
 "Echeandia s act a gross infringement on eccle 
 siastical authority," declared him "a culprit 
 before God s tribunal," and urged that "he 
 be arrested and brought to trial." 
 
 In this Padre Sanchez warmly concurred, 
 but delayed making any arrest. Further, the 
 learned Fiscal announced: "As for the marriage 
 certificate of Don Enrique Domingo Fitch and 
 Dona Josefa Carrillo, it is slightly torn and 
 blotted; it includes no statement of the city or 
 church where the ceremony was performed ; the 
 paper was neither legalized before three escri- 
 banos^ nor vised by the Chilian minister of for 
 eign affairs. Moreover, P. Orrego, not being 
 
 
 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 the curate of the parties, could not marry them 
 without a dispensation from the bishop. There 
 fore, this marriage was null and void. But," 
 continued the learned and very wise Fiscal, 
 u the motives of the accused were honest and 
 pure, and it is my opinion that the matter may 
 be settled without referring it to the bishop." 
 Following this decision came one rendered 
 by the Padre of San Gabriel, who firmly be 
 lieved in a law that would levy a tax on all 
 breath drawn through American lungs, and it 
 read: "Christi nomine invocato, the Fiscal has 
 not substantiated his accusations; the marriage 
 at Valparaiso, though not legitimate, is not 
 null, but valid; I therefore order the parties to 
 be set at liberty, and the wife given up to her 
 husband; and that they be velados next Sun- 
 
THE PENANCE BELL 
 
 day, receiving the sacraments that should have 
 preceded the marriage ceremony. Yet, consid 
 ering the great scandal which Don Enrique 
 has caused in this province, I condemn him to 
 give, as a penance and reparation, a bell of at 
 least fifty pounds in weight for the church at 
 Los Angeles, which has only a borrowed one. 
 And further, I command the couple to present 
 themselves in church with lighted candles in 
 their hands to hear high mass for three dios 
 festivoS) and recite together for thirty days one- 
 third of the rosary of the Holy Virgin." 
 
 Let us hope the rosary was well and 
 piously told. As for the fifty-pound bell, it 
 never rang penance for the Captain he forgot 
 to order it. 
 
^$7 ana and Alizi-Pafioose 
 
 A Tale of San Juan Cafiistrano J^Lission 
 
WANA AND AHZI-PAPOOSE 
 
 A TALE OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO MISSION 
 
 |NE dreamy afternoon not long 
 ago old Antonio told us this 
 story as he sat perched upon 
 a barrel in front of the vil 
 lage store. We had asked 
 many questions concerning the history of San 
 Juan Capistrano, and he had answered them 
 all with a readiness that bespoke knowledge 
 and long residence. He had lived there for 
 nearly sixty years, and knew many incidents 
 of the days just succeeding the secularization 
 of the Missions. He began: 
 
 "Those were hard days. Many of the In- 
 
 
 m 
 
 ^4.* 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 dians were starving, and the few priests who 
 had remained were even worse off than the 
 Indians, for they stood by and watched others 
 eat what little there was left. The hot winds 
 had blown many days from off the desert, and 
 the young maize was parched and dying. 
 
 "An Indian girl stood looking far out to 
 ward the low hills, evidently watching for some 
 person. It was Wana, beautiful Wana. She 
 was a picture, and one that I shall never for 
 get. It was the last time I saw her. Her 
 figure was outlined against the bank of faintly 
 visible hills, dimmed with dust; her thin, deli 
 cate hand shaded her eyes, and for full half 
 an hour the girl stood like a bronze statue, 
 and then she sobbed; it was half sob, half sigh, 
 the saddest sound I ever heard. Wana had 
 
WANA STOOD LIKE A BRONZE STATUE 
 
WANA AND AHZI-PAPOOSE 
 
 been the belle of San Juan Capistrano, and 
 when, two years before, she chose Jose Ramon, 
 the handsome half-breed, all the young men in 
 the village and at the Mission were wild with 
 envy, and joined in the dance only that they 
 might be near her. That is true. Wana cared 
 only for Jose, and now for their papoose. She 
 would call her baby Ahzi-papoose in the most 
 bewitching way, and then she would coo to it 
 like a bird, and Jose would return the call. 
 Why, they were more like two doves than 
 human beings. 
 
 "Long in the afternoon she watched the 
 hills. I could see that she was in distress, but 
 when I approached her she moved away with 
 that peculiar Indian reserve that repels all 
 advances. Little Ahzi-papoose whined and fret- 
 
 ! 
 
 r 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 ted, and Wana knew that it was from hunger, 
 but she had nothing to give her. Wana had 
 eaten nothing herself for days, for the food that 
 had been given her for herself and the child 
 had not been sufficient for the child alone. 
 
 "Poor Wana s heart turned in rebellion 
 toward the priests who had coaxed her to leave 
 the hills, where she had always had plenty, and 
 come to live at San Juan Capistrano, where 
 the sun baked the maize and the wind dried 
 up the water. The forests were too far distant 
 for her to go to gather nuts since little Ahzi 
 came, and now Jose was away all the time, 
 cutting timber. Wana wondered if she could 
 reach the hills if she started when the shadows 
 began to fall and perhaps she would meet 
 Jose and he would help to carry Ahzi- 
 
 (7*0) 
 
WANA AND AHZI-PAPOOSE 
 
 papoose, and together they could go back to 
 the hills and find food and rest. Wana knew 
 not that her weariness was weakness, for she 
 had been ten years at the Mission, and only 
 twice before had she been very, very hungry; 
 but now she was always hungry. She told the 
 Padre that she was hungry, and he looked 
 pityingly at her, and said : c My daughter, the 
 Lord give you strength to prevail, but I have 
 nothing to give you. Great tears stood in 
 Wana s eyes as she sobbed forth a piteous 
 appeal for only a handful of maize and some 
 milk for Ahzi-papoose. 
 
 "The Padres had sent to San Luis Rey and 
 to San Gabriel for help, but the grain had not 
 come. Meantime, the Indians were restless and 
 hungry, and many were leaving the Mission, 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 while the soldiers and Indian guards were 
 unwilling to bring them back to a home where 
 there was no food. 
 
 "Francesca, a daring spirit, and a sister of 
 Wana s, had that day startled the good Padre by 
 asking: { Why, Father, do the Indians starve, 
 while the Virgin Mary in the chapel wears a 
 golden crown, many jewels, and rare silk shawls? 
 And why do you have many grand ornaments 
 in your church on the altar while we people 
 who come to you from the hills are starving? 
 Tell us, why do you not sell these things and 
 feed us? 
 
 " c Verily, wisdom cometh out of the mouths 
 of babes/ answered the Padre. He did not re 
 buke the girl, but early the following morning 
 a swift horse was seen carrying the Padre in 
 
 (JS) 
 
 HPP1 
 
 HHf 
 
WANA AND AHZI-PAPOOSE 
 
 the direction of Los Angeles. As a great fes 
 tival was going on in the city, no one wondered 
 at the Father s going. 
 
 "In the chapel at San Juan Capistrano 
 there is a small figure of the Virgin Mother 
 holding the Infant Jesus in her arms; it was 
 there then as it is now. This little image was 
 the especial joy of Wana, and that evening the 
 Indian girl might have been seen crouching 
 before it ; holding her own sleeping child aloft 
 in her arms and beseeching the protection of 
 the Holy Mother, for Wana was going after 
 food. She noticed that the handsome silk 
 shawl, all embroidered, and with heavy, long 
 fringe, was gone. But as the dresses, shawls, 
 and ornaments were frequently changed, she 
 only regretted that her favorite silk was not 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 upon the Virgin just this one evening. Quiet 
 ly slipping out of the chapel with her little 
 burden, who now slept ? soundly owing to a 
 soothing potion administered by the watchful 
 and loving mother, Wana was met at the great 
 arch by her sister, who pressed into her hand 
 a few tortillas which she had been able to 
 save or steal ; for she would have begged, 
 stolen, and even done murder for Wana s sake, 
 so strong was her love for her unhappy, starv 
 ing sister. 
 
 "Wana, being married and of good char 
 acter, was allowed to occupy quarters outside 
 the quadrangle and pass in and out at pleasure. 
 As the moon rose, a slowly moving, lone figure 
 might have been seen gliding toward the hills, 
 
 dodging each shadow that seemed to move, and 
 
 (190} 
 
WANA AND AHZI-PAPOOSE 
 
 lying down often back of a clump of sage or 
 chaparral, while some imaginary form passed 
 by; for Wana had left the Mission. 
 
 "She was frightened. She feared to anger 
 the Padres should they discover that she was 
 gone ; but most of all, she dreaded meeting a 
 soldier, for she had often seen them in the 
 former days coming into the Mission driving 
 Indian women with lariats about their necks, 
 making them run along by the side of the 
 horses. Poor Wana, she hoped to meet Jose, 
 and constantly did the frail bird coo, hoping 
 that he would hear the love note and find her. 
 All night long she walked, but near morning 
 she ceased cooing; and it was then that Jose, 
 little dreaming that Wana, his beloved Wana, 
 was not half a mile away, urged his tired pony 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 on, thinking the sooner to reach her with the 
 berries and nuts that he had gathered after 
 the logs were cut and his work done. And 
 so he passed her. 
 
 "The wind had gone down, and the night 
 was so still, and they were so close at one 
 time that had Ahzi but cried or Wana but 
 cooed, how different it all would have been! 
 Oh, the pity of it! Weary, thirsty, and weak, 
 Wana saw the great red ball rise over the east 
 ern range of hills in the morning, and she chose 
 the nearest clump of sage brush and scooped 
 out a deep, cool bed in the loose sand for her 
 and the little Ahzi-papoose to spend the day 
 in, and nestling down by the side of her baby, 
 she watched its features, waiting for the bright 
 
 eyes to open, for she had carefully prepared 
 
 (192} 
 
WANA AND AHZI-PAPOOSE 
 
 a sleeping herb so that the child might sleep 
 during the night and awaken at about the 
 hour of sunrise. 
 
 "Fatigue soon closed the eyes of the weary 
 little mother, and it was with a terrible start 
 that she wakened with the baby tugging at 
 her braid of hair. Wana gave the child some 
 of the cherished tortillas and a gourd of milk, 
 and then again administered the soothing potion 
 for the day, as she felt that she herself must 
 soon rest. 
 
 "The day passed, and the night, and the next 
 morning came, and Wana slept on. The baby 
 wakened, cried, and scrambled piteously to gain 
 the food and milk which the mother had 
 placed just beyond its reach, and yet had not 
 touched a bite herself. Hunger had passed 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 into lethargy, and lethargy into a sleep that 
 was to know no waking. 
 
 "All day Jose searched for Wana. She 
 had wandered far from the beaten track, and 
 even from the Indian trail, for she had been 
 too weak and weary to take notice. Francesca 
 left the Mission with Jose, despite the matron s 
 order. The Padre returned and asked at once 
 for Wana and Ahzi, and was distressed beyond 
 what he cared to express when told that they 
 could not be found. 
 
 "Francesca came back in the evening and 
 burst into the Padre s presence, hissing: Cruel 
 viper that you are! For silk rags and gold 
 circlets you have killed her ! 
 
 ccc Stop! shouted the Padre. c Dare you 
 desecrate the Holy Church in the face of such 
 
WANA AND AHZI-PAPOOSE 
 
 a calamity? You should be upon your knees 
 praying to the Virgin Mary for intercession 
 and assistance. Know you, sinful child, that for 
 you I have this day sinned against the Church 
 by taking holy offerings to the festival, and had 
 lots cast for them that you and your sister 
 might have to eat ? 
 
 "Francesca listened with wide-open eyes, and 
 answered: Give it, give it to me, that I may 
 take it to them or that I may never return ! 
 
 "The food was given to her, and, without 
 another word, the Indian girl turned and left 
 the Mission, never to return to it. 
 
 "Wana, Ahzi-papoose, and Francesca were 
 ever after spoken of by the Indians of San 
 Juan Capistrano as the children of the Holy 
 Mantle/ " 
 
 Uftf) 
 
 
 
PIRATE JOE 
 
 I RATES, why, of course we have 
 had pirates!" said old Uncle 
 Poncho, as the young men gath 
 ered about him jangling among 
 themselves, some claiming that 
 California had never had a real pirate, and 
 others that there had been plenty of them. 
 Uncle Poncho settled it, for Uncle Poncho s 
 word was law. He continued: "We have had 
 plenty of pirates, and good ones too, for that 
 matter. The first one, you know, was Sir 
 Francis Drake with his Golden Hind that I 
 told you boys about the other day. We 
 cannot claim him altogether, for he came here 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 before our Missions were established, and 
 consequently did little harm to us; but later 
 there was one fine, brave, sassy fellow that 
 came here to Monterey first, and then fol 
 lowed down the coast to San Juan Capistrano, 
 and then disappeared forever. Do you want 
 me to tell you about him and Pirate Joe ? 
 If you do, you have all got to be mighty 
 still/ 
 
 u Oh, yes, uncle, we ll be pious if you say 
 so, if you ll just keep a-talking about the 
 pirates." 
 
 The old man was in his element. He 
 knew every bit of history, romance, fable, and 
 fiction told of thi$" glorious Western State, and 
 if he sometimes mixed the knowledge, it was 
 due to the nature of the audience. 
 
 (200) 
 
PIRATE JOE 
 
 "Well, boys, this pirate s name was Buchar." 
 
 "Why, I thought you said it was Joe?" 
 broke in one of the fellows. 
 
 "Now, see here, young man, I want no 
 more of that. Your job is to listen, and I 11 
 come to the c joe part. 
 
 "As I said before, this man s name was 
 Buchar; he was a Frenchman, and you spell 
 it B-o-u-c-h-a-r-d," slowly spelt out the old 
 man. "He came from that South American 
 province, Buenos Ayres, and the ruler had 
 given him a letter of marque, that is, a regular 
 permit to poach upon other countries commerce 
 or ships at sea. 
 
 "It was on the afternoon of November 20, 
 1818, that a sentinel stationed off Point Pinos 
 out there," waving his hand toward the point, 
 
 (201) 
 
 
 B 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 "reported two vessels in sight headed for Mon 
 terey. One was a little thing, but the other 
 one was big, and black as thunder. The sen 
 tinel called her frigata negra (black frigate), 
 and the other one frigata chica* (little frigate). 
 The Spaniards had been looking a month for 
 these pirates, and there had been so many 
 cries of c Wolf, wolf, wolf! that Governor Sola 
 hardly knew whether to prepare the guns or 
 not. 
 
 "But when the sentinel announced that the 
 one ship, instead of looking like a great white 
 swan and floating a well-known flag, came like 
 a great black hawk and floated an unknown 
 banner, there was no further time lost. Sola 
 sent his men, on the run, under Ensigns 
 Manuel Gomez and Jose Estrada, down to the 
 
 (202) 
 

 ON IT CAME, LIKE A GREAT BLACK. HAWK. 
 
; 
 
 PIRATE JOE 
 
 shore battery; while he saw that the women 
 and children were hustled off at once into the 
 interior. They were sent to the Mission of 
 Soledad with all the provisions they could 
 gather together. 
 
 "Like hawks of unrest, the two vessels 
 sailed around all day, just out of hailing 
 distance; and when night closed in good and 
 dark, about eleven o clock, the chica* came 
 quietly pushing her nose right into the harbor 
 and cast anchor. Our men were on watch, 
 and as soon as they found she was settled, 
 they hailed her. Making a trumpet of his 
 hands, one of our men shouted: Ship ahoy! 
 What ship is that, and where do you hail 
 from? " 
 
 Uncle Poncho suited the action to the 
 (*) 
 
 
 
 
m 
 
 MISSION TALES 
 
 words, and every man sprang to his feet at 
 the terrible shout he gave. 
 
 "And will you believe me, the impudent, 
 daring devils sent back an answer in English: 
 c We can t understand. 
 
 "Our men repeated the inquiry, adding the 
 order to send a boat ashore with the ship s 
 papers. But the stranger said that they would 
 attend to all formalities in the morning. 
 
 "Now, as for the ships, they proved in the 
 morning to be La Gentila that was the frigata 
 negro* and the Santa Rosa Liber tad the fri- 
 gata chica. Both were in command of Captain 
 Hippolyte Bouchard, the buccaneer. The black 
 vessel carried thirty-eight heavy guns and two 
 violent es, or light howitzers; the little one car 
 ried twenty-six guns, and her officer was Lieu- 
 
PIRATE JOE 
 
 tenant Pedro Conde; together their force of 
 men was two hundred and eighty-five men of 
 all nations, colors, and kinds. Now, there are 
 some later so-called historians who say there 
 were three hundred and fifty men on board, 
 but two hundred and eighty-five is enough for 
 me, and every one of them had two wives. 
 I ll tell you about them later. So you can see, 
 boys, what big ships they must have been to 
 carry all those people, and the tons and tons 
 of gold and silver and jewels and valuable 
 stuff that the pirates got from every ship they 
 boarded and every town they looted/ 
 
 The old man loved to make the stories big 
 and watch the effect upon his listeners. 
 
 "At the first streak of light on the follow 
 ing morning the saucy little beggar of a 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Libertad began dropping balls right down in 
 Monterey s lap, and that was the only formality 
 that she sent in the morning in reply to the 
 questions of the night before, as to who she 
 was, and where she came from. The unfriendly 
 salute was returned by the Spanish sending a 
 terrific fire of six and eight pounders straight 
 at the two vessels, which now lay close together 
 and very close in. The fire continued on both 
 sides for about two hours, when six boat-loads 
 of men were seen to go from the little frigate 
 out to the black one; and that was evidence 
 that we had done mighty good work with our 
 balls on the Santa Rosa, for she sent up a 
 white flag and begged for suspension of firing/ 
 "The Spaniards told them to send an 
 officer ashore at once; and they replied that 
 
 (206) 
 
 *i^K~- 3- 
 
Pf" 
 
 ?l 
 
 PIRATE JOE 
 
 the officer had gone over to La Gentila. But 
 this time our people would not stand any 
 foolishness, but replied: Send a responsible 
 officer at once, or firing will be resumed/ 
 
 "That brought a boat with three men; one 
 was the second officer, Joseph Chapman, and 
 the other two were black men one named 
 Fisher, and the other a native of Buenos Ayres, 
 without a name. The breakers were high, and 
 the sea rough; and when near shore the boat 
 capsized, and the two negroes struck back to 
 ward the ship, but could not make it, the 
 nameless native being drowned. 
 
 "A lot of vaqueros dashed down to the 
 water and began lassoing the other two strug 
 gling men. The negro was easy work and soon 
 lay high and dry on the sand; but when the 
 
 (207} 
 
< :/ 
 
 MISSION TALES 
 
 lasso fell over Joe Chapman s neck, he just 
 trod water and pulled that horse and rider clean 
 into the surf, and the fellow had to hollo for 
 assistance; another vaquero landed a reata over 
 Joe s shoulders just as he had cleared himself 
 of the first one, and he just caught that lasso 
 and pulled the man and horse right into the 
 water; but a third vaquero was quicker, and 
 landed his lasso before Joe got rid of the 
 second one, and so together the two vaqueros 
 hauled the big fellow onto the shore limp 
 as a rag. 
 
 "Now, boys, there is a man named Foster 
 that says the lassoing business occurred at the 
 Ortega rancho, down near Santa Barbara ; and 
 I m inclined to believe him, for he knows a 
 
 great deal more about Spanish events as they 
 
 (208) 
 
PIRATE JOE 
 
 occurred than the Americans that came after 
 him and have to get their facts from such 
 as he. 
 
 "When Pirate Joe recovered sufficiently he 
 began a long series of excuses and lies, as 
 Governor Sola called them, and for his pains 
 was promptly locked up in the guard-house. 
 When Bouchard saw his representatives marched 
 off to the guard-house, he sailed his big, black 
 ship right down upon the little town and 
 demanded its surrender. 
 
 "But Sola stoutly refused to surrender, and 
 answered that the Spaniards would fight till 
 the last drop of blood was shed, and never 
 give" up. 
 
 "Matters remained that way during the 
 
 day and next night. All night it drizzled and 
 
 (209} 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 rained; and about eight o clock the following 
 morning, the black frigate was seen to send out /A| 
 nine boats loaded down with men and arms; l/t 
 four of them carried small cannon, and they 
 all headed straight for Point Potreros. Sola 
 sent his twenty-five men down to the shore to 
 prevent their landing, but as the ship and the 
 fort had both recommenced firing, the situation 
 was full of danger for the few men on shore, 
 and Governor Sola ordered Estrada to spike the 
 battery guns and retreat with all the men to 
 the presidio; for it was evident that so small 
 a garrison as was stationed at Monterey could 
 not withstand the attack of three or four hun 
 dred men." 
 
 "But, Uncle Poncho, you said there were 
 but two hundred and eighty-five, and now you 
 
 ~ V-^, 
 
PIRATE JOE 
 
 say three or four hundred," piped up one of 
 
 the 
 
 boys. 
 
 youngei 
 
 " Well," acknowledged the story-teller, 
 "Governor Sola said in his report that there 
 were three or four hundred when he began to 
 retreat, and I and I don t know just who is 
 right; but when there is a lot of people after 
 you they look more than if they are just on 
 a ship out in the water/ And all were satis 
 fied with the explanation. 
 
 "The pirates sacked the presidio, carried off 
 two eight-pound guns, and spiked all the others. 
 Then they looted all the houses near by and 
 killed all the cattle that they wanted. 
 
 "While two of the pirates were looting 
 General Castro s father s property, they came 
 suddenly upon a pretty young girl who was 
 
 (*//) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 trying to catch a horse. When she saw them 
 she fell upon her knees and prayed them to 
 do her no harm. They asked her name and 
 why she was there alone. She explained that 
 her mother had left a most cherished book at 
 the home when they departed so hastily, and 
 that she had returned for it; and as proof she 
 showed the book. 
 
 "One of the men laughed and said she 
 was a good girl, and sent the other man to 
 catch her horse. As she knelt there at the 
 door of her own deserted home, the man came 
 to her, and, calling her Senorita Castro, for 
 such she was, kissed her on the forehead, and 
 when the other men brought the horse he 
 helped her to mount. Then he swore a ter 
 rible oath and said: My girl, you are more 
 
 (212) 
 
PIRATE JOE 
 
 brave than some of your people were on the 
 beach when we landed. You shall go back. 
 Ride fast! for there are others of Bouchard s 
 men who would not treat you so well. My 
 name is Pedro Conde; and I already have 
 two wives on board my ship, or I would have 
 taken you there. 
 
 "You can imagine that Senorita Castro 
 rode like the wind to the next rancho, for that 
 last sentence nearly scared her to death." 
 
 " I would n t a been afraid," said one of the 
 small boys. " I would have asked to go with 
 him; but then she was only a girl." 
 
 Poncho continued his story: 
 
 "The pirates got about five thousand dol 
 lars worth of plunder and then set fire to the 
 town and departed for Santa Barbara. On the 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 way they stopped at the beautiful old rancho of 
 the Ortegas, where Stephen C. Foster says 
 Pirate Joe was lassoed, and the pretty 
 Senorita Guadaloupe begged for his life and 
 offered to give surety for his good behavior. 
 c He is such a handsome, strong senor, it would 
 be a pity to kill so powerful a man/ pleaded 
 the charming daughter of Ortega. And so it 
 came that Pirate Joe was allowed to live, and he 
 made good ; he turned out to be the handiest 
 man in all California. 
 
 "He was known as c jose el Ingles/ for 
 Senorita Ortega didn t like to hear him called 
 c Pirate Joe ; but in reality he was not an 
 Englishman, but was born in Massachusetts, 
 and he spoke the English language. Like all 
 really first-class pirates, he could speak lots of 
 
PIRATE JOE 
 
 different languages; he spoke French and Span 
 ish and English, and learned quickly a lot of 
 Indian, so that when he gave an order it was 
 something like this : Mon Dieu ! Ventura ! 
 vamos ! trae los bueyes go down to the Playa 
 and come as quick as you can puede, mite- 
 ma/ And Father Sanchez said that Joe could 
 get more work out of the Indians in his unin 
 telligible tongue than all the major domos put 
 together. 
 
 " When the pirate ship lost Joe it lost a 
 good man, and California gained a better one; 
 for the longer Joe stayed here the better he 
 got. 
 
 "The Ortega rancho was one of the largest 
 places in California, it appeared like a small 
 Mission, and when the pirates landed at 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Refugio and marched up to attack the place, 
 they expected strong resistance ; but instead 
 of that, the beautiful old home was deserted. 
 The pirates looted it and then burned it. 
 
 "What was worse, Bouchard deliberately 
 cut the throats of three fine stallions imported 
 by Senor Ortega from Mexico. Perhaps that 
 was in revenge for the Spaniards having cap 
 tured three of the pirates. There is no telling 
 how they rate those men. The captives gave 
 their names as Lieutenant William Taylor of 
 Boston, Martin Romero of Paraguay, and a 
 negro who called himself Mateo Jose Pascual. 
 
 "Another historian tells us that, when 
 Bouchard and eighty of his men were climbing 
 the steep cuesta de Santa Inez, Carrillo drove 
 them back by rolling great heavy stones down 
 
 lliii 
 

 PIRATE JOE 
 
 upon them, killing five and severely wounding 
 two more. I am awfully glad if he did/ contin 
 ued the old man, "for the Spaniards seemed 
 to be getting the worst of it, so far. 
 
 "The pirate ships stopped at Santa Barbara 
 and gave her such a good scare that it cheated 
 her out of proper growth. Here Bouchard 
 offered to exchange prisoners, and when Guerra 
 finally consented, in the name of humanity, to 
 do so, what do you think, boys? the only 
 prisoner Bouchard had taken in all that time 
 was one good-for-nothing, drunken man, named 
 Molina, of Monterey, whom everybody was 
 glad to be rid of; and we had to give back 
 the one from Boston, the one from Paraguay, 
 and the negro, Pascual. 
 
 "Santa Barbara was known to be a strongly 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 fortified presidio, and the pirates were glad 
 enough to leave her alone. They glanced at 
 San Pedro, but saw nothing there but a few 
 caches of hides; so they sailed on to the grand 
 old Mission of San Juan Capistrano. But the 
 Padres were ready for them there ; they had 
 sent all the sacred vessels and church orna 
 ments, carefully packed in boxes, away up in 
 the hills to Pala. They had driven the stock 
 far inland and hidden all things of value. 
 When the pirates landed there was nothing 
 for them. The women and children had fled 
 to distant ranchos, and the Mission was quite 
 a heap of ruins from the earthquake of 1812, 
 which you remember about; and so the place 
 had an air of desolation that checked the 
 pirates. The only thing they could find was 
 
PIRATE JOE 
 
 the Padres storehouse of good old wines. 
 They drank like pirates, and then boarded their 
 vessels and sailed away, and were never heard 
 from again. That s the story of our pirates," 
 concluded Uncle Poncho. 
 
 "But about Pirate Joe?" respectfully asked 
 the fellow who had first interrupted the old 
 man. 
 
 " Oh, yes, you want to know some more 
 about him, do you? Well, he became one of 
 our most valuable citizens. He could do 
 anything, from shoeing a kicking mule to com 
 pleting a fine piece of surgery. He was a 
 carpenter, a blacksmith, a ship-builder, a doctor, 
 and he could mend drums splendidly. For the 
 most part he lived at San Gabriel Mission and 
 was an especial favorite of Father Sanchez. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 He built a wonderful grist-mill there, which is 
 known as c El Molino Viejo to-day, and he 
 built another one at Santa Inez. Besides that, 
 he helped get out all the timbers for the 
 Church of Our Lady of the Angels." 
 
 "And did he marry the beautiful senorita ? " 
 asked another. 
 
 "Yes, he did. In 1822, he was duly bap 
 tized in the little Mission Church of San 
 Buenaventura and named c jose Juan Chap 
 man ; the same year he and the beautiful 
 Senorita Guadaloupe Ortega were married in 
 the chapel of Santa Inez, and later went to live 
 at Los Angeles. But the most wonderful thing 
 he ever did was in 1 83 1 : he entirely con 
 structed a sixty-ton schooner at San Gabriel, 
 fitting each piece to its proper place, and then 
 
 (220) 
 
PIRATE JOE 
 
 had it carted down to San Pedro, where it 
 
 was put together. And every board fitted just 
 
 " 
 exactly. It was launched amid great festivities, 
 
 and christened Guadaloupe. 
 
 "Senor Jose Juan lived until 1849, an d 
 died an honored man. He was a great pi 
 rate." 
 
 
 
 
Dos Hermanas 
 
 (TJie Two Sisters) 
 

 DOS HERMANAS 
 
 (THE Two SISTERS) 
 
 T was Christmas time, and the 
 Alameda, the beautiful wide 
 avenue stretching between the 
 Pueblo of San Jose and the 
 Mission of Santa Clara was 
 aglow with color and life. The broad, sweep 
 ing willows and the narrow, stately poplars 
 spread their shade over a joyous throng of 
 young people, as they jaunted along the way 
 between the gay little town and the quaint 
 Franciscan Mission, where they were going 
 to attend the festivities of " Noche Buena" 
 (Christmas eve), and assist in the presentation 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 of the sacred drama of "Los Pastores" (The 
 Shepherds), a play that was annually given at 
 the Missions of California. 
 
 The merry company numbered many hun 
 dreds, and they were scattered along the entire 
 three miles of way between the Pueblo and the 
 Mission; some were on horseback, and many 
 more afoot. Many of the riders wore the pic 
 turesque jacket of velvet beautifully embroidered 
 in silver or gold, the trousers made snug at 
 the seat and widened by slashing from knee 
 to ankle, the open edges caught by silver 
 or shell buckles over snow-white calzoncillos 
 (riding-breeches). Others wore knee-breeches 
 with legs wound in the richly embroidered bota, 
 or scarf, and fastened with tasselled garters that 
 hung near to the ground. The neat riding-habits 
 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 of the women contrasted strongly with the elabo 
 rate suits of the men. 
 
 Here and there a wedding party brightened 
 the costumes of the ladies, and the pedestrians 
 added still greater gayety to the color and scene. 
 The horses were by no means a small part of 
 the bright cavalcade. 
 
 In the olden days of the Padres only good 
 horses were ridden, and the trappings were a 
 part of the wealth of this wealthy country. 
 The saddles were of the finest leather; some 
 were embroidered in silk or golden threads, 
 others were most artistically stamped or carved 
 in flowers or intricate designs; and many of 
 the pommels and seats were of solid silver, 
 with a long |black anquera reaching near to the 
 ground. On this occasion many of the head- 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 stalls and bridles were of finest filigree silver 
 or made of softest jet black leather set off 
 by elaborate mountings of filigree silver or 
 gold. The limit to the amount of precious 
 metals used for the many decorations on horse- 
 trappings was the compassion of the owner 
 and rider; if he had none, his horse often 
 carried double the rider s weight. 
 
 The pedestrians were decked in the gayest 
 festival costumes, which varied in color accord 
 ing to the taste of the wearer; but the major 
 ity of the women wore the flounced skirt and 
 white embroidered or lace-trimmed chimesettes, 
 and their long dark hair braided in two plaits 
 down the back; the matrons wore tall combs 
 and gay rebosas. 
 
 The quaintest part of the procession was 
 
DOS 
 
 HERMANAS 
 
 the priest in his new volante, or carriage, with 
 his numerous attendants. The volante was 
 home-made. It was composed of a long nar 
 row box swung on a pair of low wheels. The 
 width barely accommodated the portly person of 
 the priest. To add to the comfort, in the absence 
 of springs, the box was well padded with softest 
 lamb s wool, and over all was thrown a rich 
 white robe of albatross, that made a fitting 
 background for the magnificently embroidered 
 church vestments that the Padre wore. His 
 bared head and dignified countenance became 
 well the scene. The volante was drawn by 
 a great white mule, and perched on its back 
 was a tiny, very brown Indian boy, whose 
 short legs scarcely spanned the broad back of 
 the huge animal; his wee hands clutched the 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 quaint twisted rope of green hide that served 
 for bridle and harness. 
 
 The mule was guided, in fact, by an expe 
 rienced Indian rider, who rode at its head and 
 held firmly the end of the stout reata that was 
 about the mule s neck. Two outriders rode 
 prancing, dancing horses, and they assisted the 
 volante over the rough places by means of 
 lassoes hitched to the axle-tree and used as 
 taut guy-lines. Their gay costumes of bright 
 green satin breeches, with botas of scarlet em 
 broidered in gold thread, their black velvet 
 jackets almost covered with silver embroidery, 
 and their wide sombreros with silver trimmings 
 added greatly to the brilliancy of the equipage. 
 The Padre was attended by his choir boys, 
 altar boys, and alcaides of the Mission. 
 
 (230) 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 Close by, and a part of the Father s pro 
 cession, was a gay wedding party. It consisted 
 of two brides twin sisters and a large num 
 ber of friends who were invited to attend the 
 wedding that was to take place immediate 
 ly after the presentation of "Los Pastores." 
 Carmencita and Rosalie were two beautiful 
 young girls, favorites with all, and so perfectly 
 alike in face and figure that the most intimate 
 friends were frequently mistaken in their 
 identity. The most striking individuality was 
 that Carmencita was more quiet and somewhat 
 grave at times, while Rosalie was always gay 
 and laughing. To-day one rode in front of 
 her father on his spirited horse and the other 
 in front of the brother. The gay friends in 
 sisted that each of the two lovers knew his 
 
 v 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 bride-elect only by remembering that she rode 
 with the father, or, on the other hand, with the 
 brother. It was no uncommon prank for the 
 girls to exchange themselves, as they called it, 
 and thus tease their sweethearts. 
 
 Their wedding dresses of filmy white lace 
 and exquisite drawn-work, done in the intricate 
 butterfly design, made them appear more dainty 
 and more beautiful than ever. Each wore 
 long strings of pearl beads about the bared 
 neck and around the plump arms, which had 
 no sleeves to cover their rosy freshness. A 
 beautifully wrought gold heart lay on each 
 throat, the love token from the bridegroom. 
 
 The day was one of those rich, balmy, 
 warm, sunny winter days of California that 
 keep all her people young. 
 
 (*) 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 When the procession arrived at the Mission 
 Church, the floor of the chapel was quickly 
 cleared of all benches and prepared for the 
 presentation of the religious drama. The spec 
 tators arranged themselves about the walls in 
 rows, that each might see to the best possible 
 advantage. 
 
 Distant music of voices was heard, and the 
 tinkling of the guitars within the church told 
 the waiting audience that the procession of "Los 
 Pastores" was entering. Heading the procession 
 were the shepherds and singers, followed closely 
 by the Archangel Michael, Lucifer, a character 
 representing Satan, and a lazy, clownish fellow 
 named Bartolo. Having passed several times 
 around the church, the chorus singers retreated 
 to the choir-loft, and the first act of the play 
 
asr*dB>.ai 
 
 te# 
 
 MISSION TALES 
 
 was begun. As there was no scenery, nor 
 varying lights to signify day or night, the 
 simple story was told in the music, with the 
 assistance of a very little of crudest acting. 
 
 But the music was so beautiful and the 
 surroundings were so appropriate, that when 
 the shepherds sang of tending their flocks by 
 night, the absence of the sheep was not felt, 
 and the dim vaulted roof of the church con 
 veyed the idea of starlit heavens. The approach 
 of the angel in a vision announcing the birth 
 of Christ was told in the hymn; and 
 the shepherds followed the sweet voice of the 
 singer, as he led them across the church on 
 their way to the manger that they might see 
 Him and adore Him. 
 
 The appearance of Satan at this critical 
 (*) 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 moment, with his sarcasm and discordant notes 
 and jibes, jarred upon the listeners; and the 
 conflicting influences exerted on the shepherds 
 by the angel and Satan in their efforts to 
 persuade them the one to go, and the other 
 not to go was soon reflected upon the audi 
 ence, who gave vent to their feelings in ap 
 plause. The godly and religious applauded the 
 angel and encouraged him to further persua 
 sions, by shouts of "Bravo" and " Muy 
 buena" while the boys and rabble enjoyed 
 hugely the part taken by Satan. His horns 
 and tail and cloven feet were commented upon 
 and snatched at by the most daring. The one 
 lazy, good-for-nothing shepherd boy, Bartolo, 
 lay still on his sheepskin, shouting rude person 
 al jokes and hits at the audience, perfectly 
 
 - 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 convulsing the rough element and fascinating 
 the younger boys. 
 
 The ascendency of good over evil was re 
 ceived with great satisfaction by the majority; 
 and when the shepherds followed Archangel 
 Michael from the centre of the church amid 
 rounds of applause, even the lazy Bartolo 
 gathered up his dirty sheepskin and followed 
 the actors from the scene, quietly though reluc 
 tantly. 
 
 In the third act the music tells the story. 
 It is of the scene in the stable where Mary 
 and Joseph and the Infant Son, Jesus, are 
 receiving the Wise Men with their magnificent 
 presents. The music finished with a volume of 
 song announcing the world s Redeemer and 
 Saviour. The drama closed by the shepherds 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 rushing from the church, pursued by Satan 
 and the angel, who immediately engaged in a 
 personal combat, to the great satisfaction of the 
 boys. But again the evil one was worsted, 
 and to hide his discomfiture he rushed at a 
 wild-eyed, scared-looking Indian and chased 
 him down the Alameda, until by chance he 
 tripped and fell, and the devil landed him a 
 terrible blow with the flat of his sword; where 
 upon the Indian, now completely terrified, 
 jumped to his feet and protected himself with 
 a wicked-looking knife. If the crowd had not 
 interfered quickly and surely, Satan would have 
 indeed lost the day. 
 
 During the presentation of "Los Pastores," 
 Carmencita and Rosalie, who sang in the choir, 
 forgot in many places to sing, for they were 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 busily discussing their own future. The im 
 pulsive little Rosalie suddenly said to her 
 sister, "Carmencita, mia, I cannot be married 
 to-day, and I cannot tell you the reason 
 why." 
 
 "But we have arranged to be married, her- 
 mana carina, what may we do?" replied the 
 quiet sister. "But in truth I care not either, 
 whether we are married to-day or not, for my 
 heart is sad with a heavy secret. 
 
 " Tell me, mia carisima^ tell me quick, 
 why you are sad, for you know you must 
 keep no secrets from me, nuestra Rosalie. Come, 
 whisper to me and tell me all." 
 
 Caressingly the loving little bird begged 
 of the other one to unburden her more serious 
 heart, and while the music of the sacred love 
 

 DOS HERMANAS 
 
 of Christ for the world was being given around 
 and about them, the two sisters learned for the 
 first time that each held a secret from the 
 other, and that both secrets deeply concerned 
 their lives. 
 
 After a pause, and as the quiet strains of 
 sweet music filled the church, Carmencita said, 
 "Rosalie, promise me while you kneel here on 
 your knees that you will never, never tell what 
 I tell you. Swear it, Rosalie, say, ( I swear/ 
 
 "I swear/ answered the girl. 
 
 "I love another," whispered her sister, and 
 her eyes shot a glance of defiance toward her 
 dashing, gay lover who knelt on the opposite 
 side of the choir. 
 
 "Ah, Holy Mother of Christ, and so do 
 I," said Rosalie. 
 
 
 A -^f 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 The sisters clasped hands and each told a 
 bead. 
 
 " Rosalie, Rosalie, who can it be ?" 
 
 "I dare not say, Carmencita mia; but now 
 that we know, let us go to Domingo and to 
 Jose and beg of them to wait until another 
 day. Let us say we are ill, or whatever you 
 please; only, I cannot, I cannot be married to 
 day." 
 
 " Listen," said the quiet sister. "I say no, 
 a thousand times no ! Since you love not 
 Domingo, handsome Domingo, I fear not to say 
 to you that I do. It is Domingo that I love." 
 
 Rosalie, always dimpled with laughter, hid 
 her face in her laces lest she should scream 
 aloud. Her sister thought she had made a 
 grievous mistake in telling, and with fear 
 
 (240) 
 
DOS 
 
 HERMANAS 
 
 in her heart she slipped her arm about the 
 trembling girl and peered close into her 
 face. 
 
 When the girl checked her laughter so 
 that she could speak, she stole a merry glance 
 at her sister and whispered, "And it is Jose 
 that I love. I thought of course you loved 
 him, and that he was lost to me, and that 
 is the only reason I consented to marry 
 Domingo." 
 
 By this time the impetuous girl was fairly 
 in sobs; and Carmencita spoke almost harshly 
 to remind her where they were, and that some 
 thing must be done at once to stop the 
 wedding, lest each should wed the wrong man. 
 The girls sat quietly for a moment and then 
 Rosalie, quick of wit and quick of action, put 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 in words what was uppermost in both their 
 minds. 
 
 "Let us exchange and never tell until it 
 is too late!" 
 
 She had said it, and both were startled at 
 the thought. 
 
 Carmencita sat looking straight ahead, and 
 when she -heard her sister say, "Will you 
 do it? Will you?" she knew that she would, 
 that she must, no matter what came of it; for 
 her love, now free, rose like a torrent in her 
 breast. 
 
 Very solemnly she answered, "Yes, I will 
 do it." 
 
 Rosalie said, very comfortingly, "We might 
 as well be pleased with our choice as they 
 with theirs," a thought that very often makes 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 girls wish that the good methods adopted by 
 the pious Padres with the Indians of early 
 California, were yet in vogue, when they annu 
 ally arrayed the eligible young men in a row 
 about the Mission patio and allowed the young 
 girls to pass along the front of them once, 
 twice, or three times, and then announce their 
 choices of husbands. As the young folks 
 comprised one large Mission family, and as 
 they frequently met with each other, though 
 always under strict surveillance, the Indian girls 
 were still allowed to choose their husbands, and 
 that was exactly what Carmencita and Rosalie 
 were doing to-day in defiance of prevailing 
 custom. 
 
 They exchanged the golden hearts on their 
 breasts and made a few secret resolves and ex- 
 
 (499 
 
 mmi.s . -"THwr " 
 
 m 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 changes of experiences, the better to start right. 
 They resolved in the future to be each other 
 Rosalie to be Carmencita and Carmencita to 
 be Rosalie only excepting at the signing of 
 the register. In that they would be honest. 
 They could not see how Domingo and Jose 
 could be so very much disappointed when they 
 found them out, for their own older sister 
 seldom knew them apart, and frequently their 
 mother mistook one for the other. Of course, 
 they both recognized that the greatest differ 
 ence lay in their dispositions. Carmencita 
 saw with regret on many occasions that 
 Rosalie laughed and sang, when her own heart 
 was heavy and sad. She someway felt that 
 to gain Domingo would unburden her whole 
 life of sadness, for she had long loved him 
 
DOS 
 
 HERMANAS 
 
 most devotedly, and it seemed that to be 
 allowed to love him unrestrainedly would 
 be the whole joy of her life, and that in so 
 doing she too could be gay like Rosalie. 
 
 In the frolic following "Los Pastores" the 
 many couples who were intending to be mar 
 ried arranged themselves before the good 
 Padres, awaiting their turn. The twins were 
 followed by many friends; and when they 
 finally knelt at the altar with their veils shad 
 ing their pretty faces, they listened to their 
 father s voice giving them in marriage; and 
 finally, when the silken cord was wound 
 about their necks, yoking them indeed to the 
 men of their choice, they arose and followed 
 the priest into the sacristy, there to subscribe 
 their names without a thought of the men, 
 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 
 only an overwhelming wave of real happiness 
 for themselves. 
 
 Each received her husband s first kiss and 
 gayly went with him to the feast and fandango 
 given at her uncle s home. 
 
 "Why, Carmencita mia, I thought you did 
 not like the bunuelo, the sweet cake. How, then, 
 comes it that you eat them to-day?" said Jose, 
 when he passed the crisp fried cakes of which 
 he was so fond. He had always regretted 
 that Carmencita cared so little for them, while 
 Rosalie was so fond of them. 
 
 "I shall eat of everything to-day, Jose, it 
 is my wedding day," answered the girl, and 
 she touched her sister that she too might take 
 notice and be on her guard. 
 
 Now, Domingo cared not for the Christmas 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 sweets, but was fond of the hot enchilada^ and 
 urged " Rosalie " to take another and another, 
 when the girl cared indeed for them not 
 at all. 
 
 The gay feast ended, the party repaired 
 to the patio, there to dance until misa del 
 gallo (the mass of the rooster) was cele 
 brated, at four in the morning. 
 
 "Carmencita, you are wild to-night, I have 
 never seen you so gay," remarked Jose, as 
 they danced dance after dance; "you are more 
 like Rosalie to-night. I have so often tried 
 to make you gay and happy, and now I 
 know it was only to be married that you 
 wanted. You were afraid that I should run 
 away from you, and your fears made you sad, 
 eh, mia muchacha, was that it?" 
 
 *~^F?v5=*? 
 
 <.* 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 "Why did you not marry Rosalie, who is 
 so much gayer than I, when you wished a 
 gay wife ? Doubtless Rosalie would gladly have 
 married you, Jose," said the girl, with great 
 joy throbbing in her heart to find that Jose 
 had always preferred her gay manner to the 
 more quiet ways of her sister. 
 
 "I married you, Carmencita, because I love 
 you, only you. Rosalie has not the wit nor 
 the kindness of heart that mia Carmencita has. 
 Rosalie is a little chatter-box; she is silly and 
 oftentimes foolish." The girl s deep red lips 
 paled and the dimpled face grew pallid white, 
 as the man continued: "You remember when 
 we came to your uncle s last summer, how well 
 we planned for the future, what you were to 
 do and what I was to do; tell me again you 
 
 (248} 
 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 will do it," whispered the lover and husband. 
 The girl, so brave and happy a few moments 
 ago, chilled with the prospect of trying to take 
 up the strong, sensible webs of the future that 
 her sister had woven. 
 
 " Give me first your promise again, and 
 then I will give mine," said the wife, hoping 
 to catch some drift of the past conversation 
 and promise. 
 
 " Oh, well, I will say it again and again. 
 No more flirting with Mercedes, nor Teresa, 
 nor nor Rosalie, no more cock-fights, nor 
 gaming, nor excess of wine, only love on my 
 knees to you, only joy where you are and our 
 trip to South America. No one knows, Car- 
 mencita, where the boat lies but you and me; 
 and should Domingo know that I told you, he 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 would curse me for a fool and take those 
 horses from me." 
 
 "Oh," gasped the girl in such a fright 
 that Jose drew back and looked sharply at his 
 wife. "What is the matter? It is all right so 
 long as we keep the secret; and there is no 
 one to tell so long as Domingo keeps it hidden 
 from the foolish little Rosalie." 
 
 "What did you say about Rosalie?" asked 
 the girl. 
 
 "I said there was no fear of any one 
 knowing our secret about the money, so long 
 as Domingo does not tell that silly, foolish, 
 stupid Rosalie; and it was you, Carmencita, 
 who said not to tell her." 
 
 "No, no, Carmencita never said that; you are 
 mistaken, Jose, you are mistaken," gasped the girl. 
 
 (250} 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 c< No, I am not mistaken ; it was you, yes, 
 you indeed, who said neither Domingo nor I 
 should tell Rosalie, for she told everything she 
 knew; you said that she could not be trusted 
 with so great a secret. And Domingo said 
 there would be plenty of time to tell her after 
 we all were married and were ready to go or 
 were safely away. Now, tell me your promise 
 again." 
 
 " I promi-s-e Ah, Jose, I am very tired 
 dancing; I will have a wee glass of wine and 
 a bunuelo, and then I will tell you my prom 
 ise again. I think I shall add more to my 
 promise. Go, please, and bring me the wine," 
 faltered the girl. Anything to gain time, she 
 cared not what she asked for, nor where Jose 
 went, so long as she could be alone a moment 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 -mm 
 
 with those awful words, " Rosalie is foolish 
 silly and not to be trusted with so great 
 a secret," and Carmencita had said it too! 
 
 Jose went reluctantly for the refreshments; 
 he could not understand Carmencita asking 
 now for wine and another bunuelo when she 
 rarely touched wine and never ate the sweet 
 cakes. It puzzled him, and made his brain 
 whirl more than the wine which he had just 
 now promised not to drink of so deeply. 
 
 As he disappeared under the arches and 
 through the doorway after the refreshments, 
 his wife leaned for a moment against a cool 
 ing pillar, trying to keep back the tears that 
 sprang to her eyes as she thought of the harsh 
 words, and realized for the first time the im 
 port of loneliness. She saw that she stood 
 
 UfO 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 alone, apart in life as a waxen-faced, empty- 
 headed doll ; that she, a bride, must look ahead 
 through empty years, yet living side by side 
 with him she loved, but whom she had cheated 
 out of his love. There was no time now to 
 think of the future, but she must act for the 
 present. She must find Carmencita and have 
 her tell what the promise was and something 
 of the mysterious trip and boat. Spying her 
 sister, she ran to her and whispered, "Oh, Car 
 men, come quickly and talk to me." Hurriedly 
 she told what Jose had been saying about the 
 promise and the trip and boat, but did not 
 speak of the slighting words about herself. 
 
 Carmencita explained her promise to Jose, 
 and of the trip and boat she said, "Oh, sis 
 ter mine, say you have forgotten about that." 
 
 
 til 
 
 
 , 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 "But I cannot. He says that you and 
 Domingo and he all know, and that all will 
 be lost if silly, foolish, stupid Rosalie knows 
 about it; so how am I to know what to do?" 
 blurted out the girl. 
 
 "Rosalie, listen, I have no time now to tell 
 you all that, and so you must get out of the 
 trouble as best you can; you got us into it 
 by your quick suggestion of the exchange, 
 and" 
 
 "Well, you jumped at the plan, and were 
 even more anxious to carry it out than I was. 
 Oh dear, oh dear, I wish that I had stayed with 
 Domingo; he never called me silly nor foolish, 
 nor made me promise a lot of most absurd 
 things!" 
 
 They were being sought after, and it was 
 

 DOS 
 
 HERMANAS 
 
 decided that Carmencita should return to Jose 
 and tell him again her promise and talk with 
 him about the mysterious money and boat, 
 while Rosalie would go to Domingo and take 
 Carmencita s place. 
 
 Carmencita had quite forgotten to instruct 
 Rosalie how to talk to Domingo, and when he 
 asked her. to continue her story and tell him 
 what Antonio had said, the girl tried to gather 
 up these tangled threads by asking Domingo 
 where she had got in the story when Carmen 
 cita came, and he said, 
 
 "Why, don t you remember, Rosalie, that 
 you said Viviana went to Antonio and told 
 him that the Indian was waiting for him, and 
 that the freebooters would catch him on the 
 way home to-night, if he did not send them 
 
 
 
 UftIS 
 

 MISSION TALES 
 
 a message and the gold? Now what was it 
 that Antonio said? Did he send the gold? 
 And who took it?" 
 
 Rosalie laid her sad little head on Domin 
 go s shoulder and whispered, "It is not Rosalie, 
 it is Carmencita you are talking to; so say no 
 more. Rosalie will be back in a minute!" 
 His tender eyes grew narrow and black, and 
 he said rather harshly, " I am sorry that you 
 girls play this exchange on us to-night, for 
 something of importance has happened, and I 
 was anxious that Rosalie should tell me of the 
 matter at once. Let us go and find her." 
 
 Poor Rosalie guided Domingo about rather 
 aimlessly, knowing, of course, just where to find 
 Carmencita and Jose; but of course, not wish 
 ing to find them at once, she did not. Sud- 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 denly they came upon them; Rosalie ran to 
 Carmencita, catching her about the waist, whirl 
 ing round and round in order to confuse the 
 somewhat angered Domingo and to tell her 
 sister at the same time what had happened. 
 They walked back to Domingo while Carmen- 
 cita told Rosalie that all was explained with 
 Jose, and to keep away from past experiences 
 and conversations until they could more close 
 ly converse with each other. 
 
 Domingo s wife returned to him and finished 
 the piece of gossip that Viviana had related to 
 her, knowing well the import of the story, for 
 the messenger sent was Hugo, the Indian, who 
 had charge of the boat hidden off Monterey, and 
 that contained the cargo belonging to Domingo 
 and Jose. 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 ;* ..-, VM 
 
 9K&Z& 
 
 Domingo, thinking she was Rosalie, careful 
 ly guarded the fact that it might be of interest 
 to him other than as an affair of his friend 
 Antonio. He began other conversation by say 
 ing, "Where, Rosalie, did you place the music 
 and the embroidered purse that you gave me? 
 I want the purse, and you can return the mu 
 sic this evening." 
 
 "I do not just now remember where I 
 placed them, but I will find them for you/ 
 replied Carmencita. 
 
 "No, I wish the purse now, surely you can 
 think were you placed it; it contains a card 
 with directions that I want," urged Domingo. 
 
 "I gave it to Carmencita to take care of," 
 said the girl, "and I will get it from her." 
 
 "Surely, Rosalie dear, you can look after 
 
DOS 
 
 HE R M A N A S 
 
 such little matters and not always go to 
 Carmencita. Come, shall we try the new steps 
 I taught you last evening? You danced them 
 so prettily," added Domingo. 
 
 They began to dance with the music, but 
 Carmencita had not an idea what steps Domingo 
 had been teaching Rosalie, and to admit so 
 quickly again that she had forgotten would 
 never do. 
 
 After several trials and much jesting about 
 her pretty little empty head that could not 
 remember a few new dancing steps, Domingo 
 said, "We will try some other time; I will go 
 now and see Jose for a while," for he was 
 most anxious indeed to get away from his wife 
 without arousing any suspicion. 
 
 Gladly Carmencita exchanged Domingo for 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Rosalie, that the two might straighten matters 
 out a little. The girls found the music and 
 the purse with the card. Rosalie showed 
 the steps to Carmencita, and then, with an al 
 most bursting heart poor loving little Rosalie 
 told word for word what Jose had said, and 
 sobbed aloud as she sat there on the steps of 
 the chapel, repeating the unkind words of Car 
 mencita regarding her own foolishness and 
 unreliability. 
 
 Carmencita was dumb. She was guilty, and 
 might have known that her own dual life could 
 never be exchanged fairly for the pure, out 
 spoken heart of her twin sister. Already she 
 feared to be found out by the rather harsh 
 Domingo, whose harshness never turned upon 
 Rosalie; but she saw in one evening how it 
 
 (260} 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 could and might be turned upon one whom he 
 did not love. At last the girls comprehended 
 the enormity of their act. 
 
 Domingo and Jose came to the sisters and 
 told them that it was of grave importance that 
 they leave at once for Monterey; and Domingo, 
 looking closely at the two girls, spoke directly 
 to Rosalie, saying, "Rosalie mia, bring me 
 the card that I have need of, and Carmencita 
 will tell you all that is necessary of our going 
 away." 
 
 Jose had told Domingo that Carmencita 
 now knew of the money and boat with its 
 cargo, and that she had advised Domingo to 
 tell Rosalie such facts as were necessary for her 
 to know. As he had no time to tell her, 
 he left it with Carmencita. 
 
 (jtfr) 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Quietly the bridegrooms withdrew, but it 
 was not long before they were missed by the 
 gay company and certain explanations were de 
 manded. It was learned that a band of free 
 booters had sent a message to one of the 
 company, demanding gold, and for some reason 
 Domingo and Jose had volunteered to intercept 
 the demand. No one save Carmencita knew 
 that the young men recognized their own ser 
 vant, Hugo, as the messenger from the outlaws ; 
 and if they knew where to find Hugo, they 
 knew also of the hidden boat with its cargo. 
 Consequently the men had gone to defend their 
 property and prevent the freebooters from cut 
 ting loose with the booty. 
 
 When the early mass was said, and the gay 
 company were exchanging the merry greetings 
 
 (262} 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 and good wishes, "Feliz Noche Buena!" "Feli 
 ces Pasquas" (Merry Christmas, Merry Christ 
 mas), it was indeed a sad time for the two 
 young brides, who had learned so much during 
 the wedding and Christmas festivities. The 
 cold gray of the Christmas dawn was not 
 colder than the true heart of little Rosalie. 
 She had drunk deep of the bitterness of life in 
 one draught. She had exchanged Domingo s 
 shallow love for Jose s contempt ; she had 
 found that Carmencita s glossed endearments, 
 like frozen iron to the tongue, wounded the 
 heart they touched. In one short festal night 
 this gayest girl awoke a disappointed woman. 
 She heard from Carmencita that a wedding 
 trip to South America on the little boat Dos 
 Hermanas had long been planned by the 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 others, and that the messenger sent to Don 
 Antonio for money was their own servant 
 Hugo ; also that if he failed to send the 
 money he would be kidnapped on the way 
 home from the festival. Few knew of the 
 boat, and fewer still knew that it belonged to 
 Domingo and Jose. 
 
 The morning came, and no word from the 
 bridegrooms. A week passed, and the news 
 came that a small craft had been sighted by 
 the Pocahontas and when hailed had given the 
 name Dos Hermanas from Monterey to Maza- 
 tlan. She flew the Spanish flag. 
 
 The girls knew that this was their husbands 
 boat, but feared to tell all they knew. When 
 another week passed and the men did not 
 return, they went to the priest and told him 
 
 (j&r) 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 everything. They told him of the boat and 
 its owners ; of the messenger Hugo, and who 
 he was ; of the cargo and gold already on 
 board ; of the fears that Jose had entertained 
 lest the freebooters capture the boat and thus 
 get away with the money. And finally they 
 confessed to the good Padre the exchange they 
 had made at the altar, and the reason for 
 so doing. 
 
 Surprise and consternation kept the Padre 
 busy deciding how best to treat this peculiar 
 confession. After some consultation with the 
 good Padres from the neighboring Missions, it 
 was decided to tell of the boat and institute 
 a search for the missing men ; for it became 
 evident to the priests that the men had been 
 shanghaied on board their own vessel, as it was 
 
 
 
 *=- uar 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 most certain that they would not have left 
 willingly upon their wedding night without 
 sending messages to their brides. The girls 
 relatives found that a fearful encounter had taken 
 place near a cove where a small boat had been 
 seen anchored by some Indians. 
 
 Months passed, and still no word came from 
 Domingo and Jose. Carmencita and Rosalie 
 were changed and sad, though no one save the 
 Padre and themselves know the whole reason. 
 The spring flowers brought their fragrance, but 
 the girls heeded them not. 
 
 Summer came, and one day as they sat 
 watching the new arrivals from Monterey, they 
 recognized two browned, familiar faces and very 
 slim, almost gaunt, forms step from the stage 
 and hasten toward the patio where they sat. At 
 
 (266) 
 
DOS HERMANAS 
 
 the first glance they knew Domingo and Jose, 
 their lost husbands. They quickly learned that 
 it was true that the men had been captured 
 by the outlaws on Christmas eve, imprisoned 
 on board their own boat, and forced to serve 
 as crew and sail the boat south to Lower Cali 
 fornia. 
 
 The pirates landed at a port in Lower 
 California in order to pillage a large rancho, 
 and had left but a small guard on board to 
 keep watch of Domingo and Jose. Up to 
 this time they had made no attempt to escape 
 nor to do anything other than carry out di 
 rections, therefore the attack made by them 
 upon the small guard was unexpected. They 
 quickly overpowered two and killed the other 
 two in trying to defend themselves. They had 
 
 (267) 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 counted on Hugo, who was indeed faithful to 
 them, but the pirates did not know it. Being 
 now in command, they cut loose and sailed 
 out of port, leaving the pirates ashore, ma 
 rooned. 
 
 "We turned at once, and came back to 
 Monterey to find our brides and take them 
 with us," said the happy bridegrooms. 
 
 The task of choosing his own wife was left 
 to each man, for the girls had decided not to 
 assist them in any way or manner, but on the 
 contrary to confuse them if possible. 
 
 But again Domingo chose Rosalie, to the 
 humiliation and disappointment of Carmencita, 
 and stooping over he said, "I know you are 
 Rosalie ; say it, mia carisima. It is a long 
 time indeed, but my heart knows its home." 
 
 (*) 
 
Z> O S HERMANAS 
 
 "Yes, I am Rosalie/ replied the saddened 
 girl; "but we have a secret to tell you, a 
 secret greater indeed than the one you kept 
 from me, and that so cruelly crushed my lov 
 ing, confiding heart and rudely opened life to 
 me. Months ago, when we all were married, I 
 thought I loved Jose the most, and Carmencita 
 thought she loved you, Domingo; so to satisfy 
 our own hearts, and finding that many times 
 you did not know one of us from the other, 
 we decided to exchange and each marry the 
 man she thought she loved the best. 
 
 "I married you, Jose," continued the girl, 
 in a hard, cruel voice, "and in the one evening, 
 I found my love turned to bitterest hate. 
 You called me foolish and stupid and silly, yet 
 
 you had always seemed almost to love me, 
 
 (269) 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 ill 
 
 and I found that you were untrue to your best 
 friend, Domingo; and more still, I found on that 
 same evening that my most dearly beloved 
 sister kept from me the most vital incidents 
 in her life, telling me the trivial ones, as a 
 mother might dole out bunuelos to her child. 
 Whether Carmencita loves you, Jose, or no, I do 
 not know; and I will not live with you as 
 your wife." 
 
 The two men stood mute. They had never 
 suspected such a state of affairs, and when 
 the always silent Carmencita at last found her 
 tongue, they listened to hear more of this 
 strange happening. 
 
 <c It is true, alas, all too true what Rosalie 
 has said. We treated her as a child; and I, 
 
 who should have shielded and protected her 
 
 (270) 
 
 
DOS 
 
 HERMANAS 
 
 V 
 
 as a part of myself, heaped about her tne 
 bank of disappointment that she fell against 
 so cruelly, and no hand dared to help her, for 
 all were stained with the mire of deceit. She 
 thought us all as true to her as she was to 
 us. Not until after you and I became en 
 gaged to be married, Jose, did Rosalie consent 
 to become the wife of Domingo; and even 
 then she told him plainly that she did not 
 love him as a wife should love her husband, 
 but he persuaded her to marry him. While I, 
 seeing that Domingo loved Rosalie and not me, 
 turned to you and won your love, when per 
 haps Rosalie might have had it, for you were 
 always so fond of gay, happy, laughing girls. 
 
 " From the day of our wedding and your 
 disappearance my sister has changed, and from 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 the gay girl of c Los Pastores festival she has 
 become the sad, disappointed woman that you 
 see; we three together crushed a pure, true 
 heart with one fatal blow, but I was the one 
 most guilty. 
 
 "We have talked with the Padre who mar 
 ried us, and he says we are in truth married to 
 the wrong men. But as we answered to wrong 
 names in the marriage ceremony, the marriages 
 are crimes, and therefore are null and void." 
 
 "Let us go at once to the Padre," said 
 Domingo, for he loved the sad-faced Rosalie 
 even more than the gay, pretty girl that he 
 had wooed. 
 
 But she said, "No, go you and have the 
 marriage annulled, for the Padre will annul it. 
 As for me, I will not again go to the altar." 
 
 
DOS 
 
 HERMANAS 
 
 Then, turning for the first time directly to 
 Domingo, she added, "You did not confide in 
 me nor trust me before the wedding, you 
 surely would not have done so after; I was 
 but a plaything for you an empty-headed 
 pretty doll, to be tossed aside when you tired 
 of me. I never loved you, Domingo, and I 
 told you so ; I thought I loved Jose, but he 
 killed all that." 
 
 Jose and Carmencita were remarried accord 
 ing to the law, and returned to South Amer 
 ica; but the beautiful Rosalie spent her time 
 in affectionate help for her brother, to whom 
 she had confided her sorrow. He tried to 
 reconcile her to Domingo, but to no avail. 
 
 Love was dead in her heart, and Domingo 
 was not the one to reawaken it. 
 
Teresa, the PofieJoutechom 
 
TERESA, THE POPELOUTE- 
 CHOM NEOPHYTE 
 
 VERLOOKING the Popelou- 
 techom Valley is a broad 
 mesa, swung, as it were, be 
 tween the two hills, Gabilan 
 and Pacheco. In 1797 this 
 broad plain was populated by three thou 
 sand indolent, comfortable Indians, who seldom 
 knew want and lived for the most part in 
 peace, although there were many tribes and 
 sub-tribes of the Popeloutechom people. The 
 Indians built their huts of braided mustard- 
 stalks, and over the top of each hut was 
 tossed a skin; that completed a home, for 
 
MISSION 
 
 T A L 
 
 they knew of no furniture nor had need of 
 any. 
 
 A clear, cool stream crossed the vail 
 the foot of the mesa and provided the Indians! 
 with fish, which they preserved with salt brought 
 from the adjacent Salinas Plains. In this : inaH 
 ter they were always provident, varying theirn 
 fish diet with a free use of dried grasshopper] 
 and various bugs, when they were in season] 
 They rarely hunted, but were content, for trm 
 most part, with a diet of bread and fish. Tnj 
 bread was made from the acorn-meal, the bi 
 terness being readily extracted by soaking th 
 bread for a day or two in the running wat< 
 of a stream. 
 
 There is no more picturesque or more 
 beautiful valley in California than that of Sa| 
 
 (278) 
 
 
TERESA 
 
 Benito, as the Spanish fathers called the Poj 
 loutechom district. Here on June 24, 179 
 Father Francisco Fermin de Lasuen, Superior 
 of the Missions, dedicated the valley to t! 
 patron Saint of the day, John the Baptist, ai 
 solemnly founded a new Mission station undei 
 the Spanish name of San Juan Bautista. 
 
 The Indians were timid and unfriendl 1 
 but the Padres had learned that music rarely 
 failed to overcome both fear and hostility, 
 so upon this bright June morning, when a 
 shining white cross had been erected and a 
 chime of sweet bells had been swung upon the 
 outstretched limb of a great tree, the good 
 friars quickly transferred a strange-looking b< 
 from the back of a mule, and, placing it whei 
 the sounds would carry far out over the v 
 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 below, began to turn swiftly the crank of a 
 small pipe organ. Had they thought for a 
 hundred years, they could not have devised 
 a more effectual plan for securing the attention 
 of the large band of Indians quietly sleeping, 
 for the most part, in their little mustard-stalk 
 huts in this village of Popeloutechom. When 
 they first heard the sounds, they fell upon 
 their faces in fear; but as they continued and 
 they found they were not dead, nor in any 
 way injured, a few of the braver arose and 
 stole out toward the mesa whence came the 
 strange sounds. Slowly they approached the 
 tree where the queer "talking box" stood, and 
 when they were within hailing distance one of 
 the Padres spoke to them in their own dialect. 
 
 Their astonishment increased, but their fears 
 
 (280} 
 

 WHEN A SHINING WHITE CROSS HAD BEEN ERECTED, AND A 
 
 CHIME OF BELLS HUNG UPON A LIMB, THE FRIARS BEGAN 
 
 TO TURN SWIFTLY THE CRANK OF A SMALL PIPE ORGAN 
 
TERESA 
 
 were allayed; and they were urged to return to 
 the valley and call the Indians to come to the 
 mesa to hear the music and meet the new 
 friends. They did so, and after playing the 
 organ for an hour or more, the good father 
 addressed the hundreds of interested savages 
 and told them that he had come to dwell 
 among them. The question was immediately 
 asked, 
 
 "Will the talking box stay?" 
 
 "Yes," answered the Padre, "it will stay if 
 you will help to build a hut for us/ 
 
 These indolent Indians consented at once 
 to help the Padres and their assistants, and 
 all because of the music. When the In 
 dians did their work well they were rewarded 
 with many tunes, but when they were care- 
 
 - 
 
 
I S S I O N 
 
 
 TALES 
 
 less or disobedient there was no music. The 
 wonderful influence of the music upon the 
 Indians, together with the fact that one of the 
 resident priests spoke fluently the natives lan 
 guage, was evinced by the rapid growth of the 
 Mission station. 
 
 In fifteen years the Mission of San Juan 
 Bautista had erected one of the most beautiful 
 and ornate chapels in Alta California, which, 
 together with the necessary buildings for the 
 Padres, living rooms and dormitories for the 
 neophytes, storehouses and corrals for the grain 
 and cattle, formed three sides of a patio two 
 hundred feet square, with the corrals leading 
 away beyond. These buildings and walls were 
 constructed entirely of adobe (sun-dried brick 
 composed of stiff mud and straw or tough 
 
 (282) 
 
 
TERESA 
 
 >d grass) and ladiello, another species of 
 
 :k that was baked in a subterranean kiln; 
 ana all were capped with the artistic tejas, or 
 red tiles, making sweet concord with nature 
 such as delights the eye. 
 
 The Indians, with only a few teachers and 
 helpers, had done all this work. They be 
 came carpenters, brickmakers and bricklayers, 
 blacksmiths and painters, as well as agricultur. 
 ists. During this period there were many 
 stealthy, cowardly attacks made upon the Mis 
 sion, for the Indians were treacherous; but for 
 the most part the annoyances came from the 
 Indians outside of the Mission. But even then 
 there was always some friendly Indian to warn 
 the Padres and avert the danger. 
 
 Teresa, a very beautiful, earnest neophyte 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Indian girl, was one who always proved faith 
 ful upon such occasions. She was a general 
 favorite, both through her beauty and her gentle, 
 kindly ways. The Popeloutechom natives were 
 not favored of the gods, but in truth were the 
 ugliest of all the Indians in California Missions, 
 and therefore Teresa was something of a wonder. 
 By reason of her beauty she held peculiar sway 
 over her people, and dared thereby openly to 
 disagree and protest against disorderly conduct 
 of the Indians in their treatment of the fathers 
 who were devoting their lives to them and 
 making them so comfortable. 
 
 Annually, each young Indian hoped that 
 the beautiful Teresa would choose him as her 
 husband. As the years went by and Teresa 
 chose no husband, the good Padres began to 
 
TERESA 
 
 chide the girl seriously for not making a 
 selection, and she just as earnestly pleaded with 
 them to allow her to remain at the Mission 
 enclosure as their servant, as she had no 
 desire for the serious obligations of matrimony; 
 and she was allowed to follow her own inclina 
 tions. The marriage vow was most sacred to 
 her, and the lightness in which it was held by 
 her people greatly distressed her. 
 
 It was the custom for the trusted women 
 and children to go up into the Gabilan hills 
 and gather nuts and berries. Upon these ex 
 cursions Teresa was always the leader ; her gay, 
 merry, singing voice and joyous ways made 
 the journeys occasions of pleasure. It was 
 in the year 1815, or perhaps 1816, that 
 a berrying party had gone to the hills to 
 
 Cafe) 
 
 

 I S S I O N TALES 
 
 camp over night, for the nuts and berries were 
 scarce, and the people had to wander far before 
 they could fill their burden-baskets. So it 
 came that they were far from San Juan, and 
 la maestra (the matron) thought best to remain 
 a second night and fill all the baskets before 
 returning. At the first streak of dawn the 
 
 S/jta^BB 
 
 party was out again searching far and near, 
 
 R^^^H 
 
 and as all the gatherers ate nuts and berries 
 they chose, no lunch was prepared ; and so 
 
 10 one missed Teresa until the call was sound 
 ed to start on the return to the Mission. As 
 
 >nly the religious neophytes were ever taken 
 upon such trips, the loitering of one or two 
 
 t ^JtVXrlj 
 
 did not disturb the Padre or la maestra, but 
 weary and tired they all trudged slowly toward 
 :he Mission. 
 
 I 
 
TERESA 
 
 When they were nearing San Juan, it was 
 discovered that all were present but Teresa. 
 She was not in sight, and the Padre hurried 
 forward to send back some one from the Mis 
 sion in search of the girl. It was thought 
 that she had gone too far, or that she had 
 become fatigued with her burden-basket, and 
 would readily be found. Late at night the 
 guard returned, having found no trace of her. 
 A large party was detailed the following day 
 to return to the hills and search very care 
 fully, for all believed now that an accident had 
 befallen the favorite ; and it was needless to say 
 that there was no lack of ready volunteers 
 among either the guards or the male Indian neo 
 phytes to go in search of the pretty girl. For 
 days, in fact for weeks, the search was contin- 
 
 \ 
 
 ^f^ T V T * ; 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 ued, but the only trace that was ever found 
 was discovered by the first searcher, who inci 
 dentally remarked that he noticed that some 
 horses had been up on the mountain. But no 
 one thought to connect that with Teresa. 
 
 A year and more passed, and Teresa was 
 mourned at the Mission as one dead. 
 
 The season for gathering nuts was over- 
 this year only the old women and young boys 
 had been allowed to go after them. The Padre 
 was sitting in his quiet quarters thinking of 
 the strange disappearance of the beloved child, 
 Teresa, when a faint knocking was heard at 
 the little window at the rear of his apart 
 ments. It seemed nothing more than a twig 
 brushing against the iron grating; but as it 
 continued, the Padre rose and gently asked: 
 
TERESA 
 
 "What is wanted?" thinking if any one was 
 there he would give answer, and if not no 
 harm was done. A faintest voice answered, 
 "Help me." 
 
 That was enough. The good man fairly 
 ran out through the corridor and around the 
 corner of the building that brought him to the 
 rear of his own apartment. Crouching there in 
 the cold night air was a girl holding tightly in 
 her arms a small bundle. He raised her to 
 her feet and asked most soothingly, "What is 
 it you need? Why are you here?" 
 
 " Oh, Father, it is Teresa." 
 
 " Teresa, my child, Teresa, is it truly you ? 
 Come, come at once into the Mission." 
 
 " No, no, I cannot come until I tell you 
 
 all," sobbed the girl. 
 
 (jtfp) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 But as the faint cry of a child caught 
 Padre s ear, he answered, " It matters r 
 what has happened. Come, Teresa, into the Mi 
 sion and we will care for you and the child 
 
 As the girl tried to move toward the ope 
 gateway, her steps faltered and she fell, fro 
 exhaustion, back into the strong arms of tfc 
 holy man, who quickly picked her and t 
 child up and carried them into the apartmen 
 of la maestra. 
 
 For some time the matron worked ov 
 the fainting girl and cared for the feeble chil 
 Toward morning Teresa sprang to her fe 
 crying, "My child, my child, what have 
 done with my child?" 
 
 When assured that it was safely taken car< 
 of, she gradually became sensible of her sur 
 
TERESA 
 
 roundings and burst into a flood of weeping. 
 The good matron gave her some broth and 
 a quieting tea of datura and tried to induce 
 her to sleep again ; but the girl asked plead 
 ingly to have the Father come to her and hear 
 her confession. 
 
 Gladly the Padre came to the relief of this 
 distressed child, and when she tried again and 
 again to begin the story, he took her hand 
 quietly and said: "Thy sins are forgiven. He 
 that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but 
 whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall 
 have mercy. Speak, daughter, and unburden 
 your heart, for your great grief proveth your 
 sorrow." 
 
 Thus encouraged, the girl sobbed out the 
 story of her past year s life. 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 "When we were gathering nuts, more than 
 a year ago, I strayed far up the hillside where 
 a great tree rests. And as I bended over, 
 with my eyes close on the ground, I did not 
 see or hear any one approach, until a scrape, 
 or great blanket, was thrown over me, and I 
 was gathered up in a bundle and tied thus 
 and placed on a horse and carried, cruelly car 
 ried, a long distance ere the wrapping was re 
 moved. The lack of air and the fright made 
 me unconscious. When I awakened, a man, a 
 soldier from Mission Carmel, named Felipe 
 Guzman, stood over me, chafing my hands and 
 drenching me with aguardiente. When I tried 
 to rise and call for help I found that I was 
 hobbled; and Felipe said with a laugh, f Ah, my 
 pretty one, it is not often we find so charming a 
 
 (292) 
 
TERESA 
 
 wild flower, and I am glad to be the lucky man/ 
 I answered him in the same Spanish, and he 
 was greatly pleased, and called to the other men 
 that he had indeed captured a prize. She can 
 speak the language/ he said. 
 
 "I begged of them to release me, and explained 
 that I came from San Juan Bautista Mission, 
 and that the Padres would look for me; but all 
 the answer I got was, Doubtless the Padres 
 will look for you, for they seldom find such 
 a jewel, and the Padres know a pretty girl 
 when they see one/ As soon as I was able to 
 rise, I was placed on a horse and strapped 
 there. I thought I was to be taken to the 
 Mission of Carmel, as I heard them talk of 
 that Mission; but as we rode all that night 
 and near morning came to a small camp of 
 
 Cm) 
 
 mlf 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 workmen, I found that I was the captive of a 
 soldier, and not an intended neophyte for the 
 Mission. 
 
 "Oh, Father, Father, the terror of those 
 awful days! I pleaded with Felipe to marry 
 me, that if he would but marry me I would 
 live with him and serve him; but he would 
 not, he would not. And I am not married. 
 No ceremony was said, and my child was born, 
 and I m not married." 
 
 She moaned and moaned, repeating the one 
 sad sentence that to her was the saddest in life; 
 and the good Padre tried to comfort her, but 
 there were no words with which to plead, to 
 such a distressed and outraged heart. 
 
 Her wee child cried and was brought to 
 her, and as she folded it in her arms she said, 
 
TERESA 
 
 "Sainted Father, will you not baptize my baby 
 even if I am not married ? " The good man 
 immediately performed the rite and tried to cheer 
 the distressed soul. He asked the matron to 
 act as godmother, and he himself took both 
 the offices of priest and godfather. 
 
 Teresa showed great signs of weakness, and 
 told how she had walked from the camp with 
 the child, stopping only to gather a few nuts 
 by the way. Felipe had even kept a guard 
 watching over her; and while he had been gener 
 ally kind, he was always cruel when she broached 
 the subject of marriage, swearing terribly at 
 her and calling her vile names, "Indian wench," 
 and many other words she had never heard. 
 
 It was thought best for the present not to 
 acquaint the Mission family with the return of 
 

 MISSION TALES 
 
 Teresa, but after a few days it became evident 
 that the baby was very ill from exposure and 
 lack of proper nourishment, for Teresa was in a 
 prostrated condition, and it became necessary 
 to tell all the circumstances, excepting the fact 
 that Felipe had not married Teresa. 
 
 There came a night of long vigil that 
 brought the saddest of days to the girl; her baby 
 was dead. She heard them preparing for the 
 funeral; but not until she was led into the chapel 
 and saw the wee white-covered coffin enshrouded 
 in wild flowers and rosettes of gilt paper, did 
 she realize that her child was gone from her. 
 She heard the young girls chant hymn after 
 hymn, and she saw the cross and the lighted 
 candles, but sat stricken and heart-broken, not 
 even tears coming to break the tenseness of 
 
 (296) 
 
TERESA 
 
 her feeling. The choir ceased singing, and 
 the sound of the organ burst forth in all its 
 volume, as if to silence the sounds of the grave- 
 digging that could be heard throughout the 
 quiet chapel. The ritual was intoned, and a 
 prayer was offered for the soul of the departed 
 infant, and then all the Indians joined in the 
 Lord s Prayer in the Mutsun dialect spoken at 
 the Mission. As the familiar words fell upon 
 the suffering mother s ear, she sobbed aloud and 
 sank prostrated upon the floor of the chapel. 
 She did not see the girls pass out through 
 the door bearing the tiny coffin, but as the 
 chanting ceased and silence surrounded her, she 
 heard the dull sound of a handful of earth 
 as it was cast upon the coffin, and in her agony 
 she sprang to her feet and ran out to the open 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 grave; she would have cast herself into it had 
 not strong arms caught her. She saw each 
 one take up a handful of earth, kiss it, and cast it 
 in upon the coffin. In pity the good God 
 sent her relief in unconsciousness ; and lovingly 
 they carried the broken-hearted mother to the 
 matron s room. 
 
 For weeks the girl lay hovering between 
 life and death; her one moan was, "I am not 
 married; not married." She would call upon 
 Felipe, begging with him and pleading with him 
 to have the solemn rites of matrimony performed, 
 and immediately she would scream and protect 
 herself from imaginary blows. 
 
 Day by day the good Padre sat by the sick- 
 couch, soothing the girl and repeating over and 
 over again 
 
 CJfH 
 
TERESA 
 
 "Teresa, do you take this man Felipe to be 
 your lawful wedded husband? 
 
 "I pronounce you man and wife." 
 
 He hoped that the words would sometime 
 catch the aching chord in her distressed mind 
 and bring repose. A lucid moment came, and 
 the girl heard the last few words, "I pronounce 
 you man and wife," and with trembling lips, 
 as if trying to speak, she fell into the long- 
 looked-for slumber that held life for her. 
 
 When she stirred, a few spoonfuls of broth 
 were given to her, and gradually she was coaxed 
 into a natural sleep. 
 
 A week passed before she spoke to the 
 Padre, and then she said, 
 
 "Father, I am married, am I not? Did 
 not Felipe come and marry me?" 
 
 * 
 
 3^ 
 
 ft 
 
 we, 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 What was there to say? The holy man 
 bowed his head and said : " You are married ; 
 but do not talk now." 
 
 "But, Father, I ran away from Felipe, al 
 though he guarded me so well; tell me, how 
 did he come?" faltered the girl. 
 
 The Padre for answer said, "If you persist 
 in talking, I shall leave jour bedside and may 
 not come again." 
 
 Weeks passed, and as the girl gained in 
 strength, the Padre determined that he would 
 never tell her other than she knew. Teresa 
 could now go among the Indians, and the 
 matron cautioned her not to mention her past 
 life to any one; they respected her silence, 
 and she gladly kept it. She heard rumors of 
 dissatisfactions among the neophytes, and with 
 
 (300) 
 
TERESA 
 
 terror learned that they were arranging for an 
 uprising against the Padres, but she little thought 
 that the tempest was ready to burst. One day 
 in her weakness she lay contemplating how, upon 
 the morrow, she would tell the Padre of the dis 
 content and warn him of the trouble. Her keen, 
 alert Indian ear caught the sound of muffled 
 steps, and she sprang to her door. She found 
 that the approach to the Padre s apartments was 
 blocked by hundreds of skulking, bended forms. 
 She took but a second to think what could be 
 done to avert such a calamity the organ, the 
 music box! 
 
 She flew to the little shielded side-entrance 
 to the chapel and stumbled up the dark steps 
 that led to the music box. The mob had gained 
 the door of the chapel and with suppressed 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 rage were bursting through the holy portals ; 
 but the notes of the music fell upon the 
 throng, and for a moment silenced the fore 
 most. As the girl turned the crank with 
 all the force of her weakened arms, she found 
 that the Indians were quieted, and as the hush 
 continued she played softly and more softly, 
 until she found that the crowd were with 
 drawing. 
 
 In a short time the church was still as 
 usual, and no sounds were heard in the pa 
 tio. Teresa kept playing very slowly until she 
 was confident that all had returned to their 
 huts, and then she tried to rise and go to 
 the Padre. She could not move, the fright 
 and exertion left her helpless; painfully she 
 crawled to the foot of the altar. She was 
 
 (302} 
 
TERESA 
 
 found there by the Padre, who had learned that 
 
 i 
 
 an attack was in progress, but did not know how 
 the change of mind had occurred until, upon 
 entering the chapel, he saw Teresa lying at the 
 foot of the cross. 
 
 He lifted the frail form and carried her 
 back to the matron ; but the shock and excite 
 ment had proven too great, and the heart of 
 the dearly beloved neophyte Teresa was still 
 forever. 
 
El Molino Viejo 
 
 (The Old MM) 
 
EL MOLING VIEJO 
 
 (THE OLD MILL) 
 
 |N a gray morning in Autumn, 
 when southern California was 
 wearing her mantilla of per 
 fection, a caravan from the 
 Simi Hills came winding along 
 
 the picturesque road, bent upon pleasure. 
 The yells of the white-haired ganan, or driver, 
 of the carretas as he cried, "Arr e! Arrel 
 bueyecillo, arre ! arr e ! bueyezuelo ! " and goaded 
 the fat sides of the oxen with his long, stout 
 garrocha, could scarce be heard above the shrill 
 laughter of children and the screaming and 
 singing of gay young people, each bent upon 
 
 (jo?} 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 being heard above the creakings and groanings 
 of the ponderous yet gayly decorated convey 
 ances. 
 
 All the morning the hot sun had been veiled 
 by a breath from the sea, and the soft mist 
 floating far inland left the balm of the ocean 
 pressing ever so lightly on the warm brows 
 of the people, thus paying joy to the party in 
 propitiation for the later discomforting heat 
 of the sun, which would soon drink up this 
 wine from the sea and leave a short hot day 
 to the travellers. 
 
 According to custom, Salvador was taking 
 the grain down to El Molino Viejo, the only 
 mill of any consequence, and the occasion was 
 a time for picnicking and visiting along the 
 way. A hundred pack-mules were bulging with 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 heavy aparejos stuffed full to bursting with 
 golden grain, while other mules carried the pro 
 visions and camp outfit for the party. Scores 
 of Indians ran hither and thither, prodding the 
 pack-mules and yelling incessantly, "Arr e! Arrel 
 A la vereda, vamos a la fiesta porque del cuero 
 viene la correa!" ("Get up! Get up! Keep in 
 the road, go to the fiesta, the hides will pay for 
 the strings!") as if in accompaniment to the 
 snatches of songs sung by the riders as they 
 swayed in their saddles. 
 
 There was a long line of young folks in 
 the party gathered from different neighboring 
 ranches, all riding prancing, spirited horses; and 
 the gleam of harvest festival was reflected from 
 gay adornments on even the elderly women and 
 small children, who were carefully stowed away 
 
 (309} 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 in the carretas. These great ponderous carts 
 were mounted on two wheels, each wheel made 
 of a single circular piece of oak with a hole 
 in the centre for the axle to creak in, and the 
 hideous creaking and groaning could be heard 
 a mile off. 
 
 Salvador, who was the head shepherd at 
 the Simi rancho, had been sent as foreman 
 of the pack-train; and he kept busy riding first 
 to the front and then galloping back to the 
 rear, lashing here a lazy pack-mule and there 
 a laggard Indian, doing his work with smiles 
 and again meting out his rebukes with tem 
 pered severity that made him beloved even by 
 the lazy. Salvador s father was an Indian and 
 his mother a mulattress, and together they 
 had developed in their son the best traits of 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 both races. When the major domo at the rancho 
 called the head shepherd to him and said, 
 "Salvador, I am old, and too frail now to take 
 the grain to the mill; you must take it; and 
 remember you are responsible to me for 
 every one of these people, for all the stock, and 
 for all of the grain," and the boy answered, 
 "I will defend them with my life," the major 
 domo knew that all would be as safe and as 
 well as if he himself went with them. 
 
 About noon the party came in sight of 
 Encino rancho. Here they were delighted to 
 see gathered along El Camino Real a large 
 party of young friends ready to join them, and 
 here also was another carreta. This cart was 
 gayly decorated with a canopy which was in 
 fact an exquisitely embroidered silken bedspread. 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 The background was of grass-green silk, em 
 broidered over the entire field with brightest 
 red and yellow, pink and white roses, with 
 intertwining leaves and stems, making the old 
 carreta appear to be a real rose-bower bloom 
 ing along the King s Highway. From the edges 
 hung a rich, deep, silken knotted fringe. Be 
 neath the heavy fringe again hung lace cur 
 tains, the filmy meshes shading the faces of 
 the sleeping babies and making a love-screen 
 for the young mothers to cast voiceless soul- 
 dreams to their mates, who pressed alongside 
 like butterflies sipping the heart of the rose. 
 
 This carriage decoration contrasted well with 
 the one coming from the Simi, having a canopy 
 of green boughs interlaced with gay artificial flow 
 ers and caught with bright ribbons in festoons, 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 which hung over lace curtains that shielded the 
 occupants from the rays of the sun. 
 
 Three or four days were consumed on the 
 road before Salvador had his picturesque party 
 well settled on the banks of Lake Vineyard. 
 
 The mill was near by, and was in itself a 
 work of great value, one that was built by the 
 worthy Americano, Jose Chapman, under the 
 close direction and eye of the thrifty Padre Jose 
 Maria Zalvidea of the San Gabriel Mission, 
 in order that the extensive grain fields of the 
 Mission should find a ready outlet for their 
 produce. The rose-tinted tile roof of El Mo- 
 lino Viejo cast like a flower the tint to the hill 
 that it rested against. The stone walls and 
 great wheel were strength to the landscape; 
 and the gnarled oaks and balsamic pines lured 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 the traveller to rest. Toward the road, the 
 wide-sweeping pepper-trees with their bright 
 berries, and the gaunt eucalypti stood like sen 
 tinels guarding the mill. 
 
 The picnickers spent the days of the mill 
 ing by the fountain in the shade of the oaks 
 and elms. Here great wide-eyed periwinkles 
 entwined themselves with wild roses, and together 
 they dipped over the edge of the fountain, kiss 
 ing the water-lilies that covered the entire sur 
 face of the water. Many lovers strayed away 
 to gather wild flowers, while the others danced 
 on the lawn under the trees or sang to the ac 
 companiment of guitars and violins. 
 
 The evenings were spent in dancing on the 
 floor of the mill, when Josefita and Teodoro 
 charmed the company with their graces in the 
 
EL M O L I N VIE JO 
 
 beautiful "La Cachuca" (The Cap); or Viviana 
 and Don Antonio danced the equally fascinating 
 "Cuna." The "Jarabe" (Sweet Drink) and "El 
 Trabuco" (The Gun) were interspersed with 
 many others, as night after night the jolly party 
 danced and sang. 
 
 Besides these dances there were many gen 
 eral dances, such as "El Sombrero Blanco" (The 
 White Hat), "Las Pollitas" (Little Chickens), 
 and "La Jota" (The Jaybird), wherein every one 
 joined. In these, they formed in sets comprised 
 of twenty or even thirty-two couples; and when 
 two or three sets filled the old mill, they made 
 it ring with glee and fairly vibrate to the per 
 fect time of the dancers. 
 
 "Las Pollitas" was a popular dance, as the 
 music was sung by one of the most gifted sing- 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 ers, and the length of the dance depended 
 upon his versatility in composing the words as 
 he sang. Each evening new verses were added, 
 telling of the freaks of the little chickens, 
 amid peals of laughter and general applause, 
 when all would join in the chorus of 
 
 "hie se lleven a la polla, 
 <^ue no se la llevaran, 
 6)ue si la polla se la llevan, 
 Carambas, yo voy alia." 
 
 "Let them take the little chicken, 
 No, they will not take her, 
 But if they do take her 
 Carambas! I m going too." 
 
 One evening the whole story of " Las Polli- 
 tas" was told in the song, to the discomfiture 
 
 *^ : 
 
I 
 I 
 
 J 
 
 EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 of a few gringos who had presumed to attend 
 the dance uninvited. The man sang of the poor 
 little birdie chickens that were so innocently 
 enjoying a birdies ball, when a gathering of 
 hawks soared over the chicks until some of the 
 elders, seeing the plight of the babies, allayed 
 their fears by telling them that they would build 
 a house for the chicklets that would defend 
 them from the hawks. Applying the words with 
 gestures to the present onlookers, the singer 
 gained what he wanted, the departure of the 
 Americanos. 
 
 The impromptu rendition of verses to any 
 of the songs always produced the height of mer 
 riment, and was received with perfect enjoy 
 ment and without criticism. 
 
 When the wee hours apppoached, "La Jota" 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 (The Jaybird) was introduced and danced un 
 til morning. It was a rollicking dance, and as 
 both music and words were supplied by the 
 musicians, the strength of the dancers was not 
 taxed by singing; if the musicians could 
 sing until morning, the gay party danced until 
 they saw the sunlight stream over the top of 
 the Sierra Madre. 
 
 No one among the gay throng was anxious 
 except Salvador. Frequently he made trips 
 over to San Gabriel Mission, about a league 
 away, there to exchange his flour for the needed 
 supplies to be taken back to Simi. Upon 
 each trip he learned further news of a band 
 of robbers that were infesting the country. The 
 outlaws were everywhere. One day they drove 
 herds from the hill ranchos, and the following 
 
 (3*8) 
 
EL M L I N O V I E J O 
 
 day they robbed the stage from San Pedro. 
 "They infest the very air we must breathe," 
 murmured Salvador, and with great uneasi 
 ness he remembered his responsibility and 
 his promise to the major domo. 
 
 He took no one into his confidence, but 
 he thought well concerning the gold that was 
 theirs, and how best to guard it; for to carry 
 it now to the rancho would be but to give it to 
 the outlaws. Such thoughts filled his mind 
 as the strains of "La Jota" were filling the 
 silent cove, and the swift pattering of feet kept 
 time to the words: 
 
 " El cuervo en el aire vuela vigilante 
 Vuela para atras, vuela para adelante, 
 Si la pi edra es dura, tu eres un diamante, 
 ^ue mi amor no ba podido ablandar. 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 "El que del mundo 
 )uiere gozar 
 Ha de ser soltere 
 T no se debe casar." 
 
 "The crow, through the air, flies vigilantly, 
 Flies backward, flies onward. 
 Stone may be hard, you are a diamond 
 Which my love, as yet, is unable to soften. 
 
 "He that wishes to enjoy 
 The pleasures of the world 
 Should remain single, 
 And be without the duties of matrimony." 
 
 Salvador passed out into the night, out 
 among the sighing trees, as if to see again that 
 his camp was safe and the workers asleep; but 
 in truth to raise cautiously a very heavy box 
 to his shoulder and pass up the slope of the 
 
 (320} 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 hill. Returning, he took a shovel and pick 
 that he had earlier placed against the wall of 
 the mill cistern, then, winding back and forth 
 about and among the trees, he zigzagged in 
 order to cover a possible trail, and again 
 paused at the foot of the giant tree where he 
 had already placed the box. 
 
 A few days later, Salvador gave word that 
 the grain was all ground, and that Don 
 Antonio would conduct the carretas and young 
 people by the way of Verdugo rancho, resting 
 there one day, and meeting his own party on 
 the following Friday at the Asistencia Chapel of 
 Cahuenga; as it was necessary that he go by 
 way of the pueblo of Los Angeles, there to 
 obtain sundry supplies not procurable at San 
 Gabriel Mission. In order that the women and 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 children might be safely guarded, Salvador sent 
 many of the Indians with some of the flour 
 along with Don Antonio, but thereby greatly 
 weakened his own party. Many a love-storm 
 had gathered at the milling party, and all were 
 loath to leave the charming and seductive spot. 
 Salvador arrived at noon at Los Angeles 
 and spent the remainder of the day making his 
 purchases. At dawn the pack-train, "head-and- 
 tailing" in true Indian style, started from the 
 door of the little chapel Nuestra Senora de 
 Los Angeles, hoping the farewell blessing of 
 the good Padre would protect the little band 
 against marauders. The living, moving, squirm 
 ing line wended its way up the hill back of 
 the Plaza, weaving in and out through the 
 gulches that break the steeps, leaving only the 
 
 i 
 
 it !*.* 
 

 THE PACK-TRAIN STARTED FROM THE DOOR OF THE CHAPEL, 
 
 HOPING THE FAREWELL BLESSING OF THE PADRE 
 
 WOULD PROTECT THEM 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 sonorous "Arre, arre, arre, arre" wafted back 
 as an echo. 
 
 At late noon the little party rested under 
 the shady grove of oak-trees near Cahuenga 
 Pass, the same grove that Father Junipera 
 Serra blessed by his presence when he made 
 his first journey north to Monterey. It was 
 here that the good Padre had said the 
 Mass of the Holy Wood of the Cross on 
 that third of May so long ago, and it was 
 the blessed memory of that Mass that now 
 quieted the fears of the faithful Salvador. But 
 only for a trice. A cloud of dust and a clat 
 tering of hoofs made all the men jump to their 
 saddles to obtain control of the pack-train, as 
 a party of rollicking fellows shouted "Buenos 
 diasl " and sped on toward the sea. All wished 
 
 
 ** tat 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 to sit down again and finish their siesta all 
 but Salvador. 
 
 For the first time the young leader ex 
 pressed to his men the fears he entertained of 
 being waylaid, and told them of the many 
 depredations being constantly committed; fur 
 ther, he said, he believed that the party which had 
 just now so boldly and daringly ndden past were 
 the robbers, for he knew not a single face of 
 them and had seen them at every turn in town. 
 He told each man to see well to his fire-arms, 
 that all were loaded and ready for sudden 
 defence. 
 
 Against the hill at the head of the pass was 
 the home place of Chief Cahuenga, the kind 
 and trusty old Indian whom all equally loved 
 Spaniards, Indians, and gringos. To ask re- 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 inforcements from him was to receive them if 
 at hand. It took but a moment for Salvador 
 to explain to Cahuenga the situation, and to 
 state further that they did not carry the gold, 
 but that the robbers did not know that fact. 
 Only a few Indians were available, but among 
 them was Cahuenga s son, who volunteered to 
 go with the party through the pass and as 
 far as the chapel. No time was lost in useless 
 preparations, for the Indians feared such an 
 enemy as that which had just passed. 
 
 The pass through the Cahuenga hills was 
 steep, and the trail narrow; the mules were heav 
 ily laden, and the nervousness of the drivers was 
 transmitted to the stock, so all were restless. 
 
 Long before the small caravan had reached 
 the divide the sun was low and red, with a bank 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 of dark lowering clouds to hide the light; 
 when the band was once beyond the crest and 
 on the eastward slope, the daylight dimmed 
 rapidly, and soon darkness enveloped the quick- 
 moving mule-train. It seemed to the nervous 
 men that now and again horses with reckless 
 riders were outlined against the dim sky and 
 skirted the crown of the hills only to disap 
 pear as phantoms. Perhaps these were only 
 scraggly trees; but overwrought nerves, or the 
 demon of fear, possessed the hearts of the men, 
 except possibly Cahuenga, the stoical Indian. 
 He set a fast pace for the mules and kept the 
 garrochas y or prods, swinging like ball-bats to 
 keep the laggards in line. 
 
 The rose-glow of the cloudy night had dis 
 appeared, and the violet rays were fast min- 
 
 
E Z, M L I N O V I E J O 
 
 gling with black, when a distant sound made 
 young Cahuenga ride to the side of Salvador 
 and cry, "They come/ 
 
 He raised a wicked -looking knife and 
 hefted a weighty club that he carried as a quirt, 
 saying, "These are my defence, look well to 
 yours, for we shall have need of them, and 
 soon. " 
 
 The road dropped suddenly into a densely 
 shaded ravine, and ran along the course of 
 a small stream for some distance. The moun 
 tain cast deep shadow and gloom over the valley, 
 and only the keen eyes of an Indian could now 
 follow the winding path. 
 
 A sharp report from the side of the hill 
 just ahead of the mules surprised the party, and 
 a clear command, "Halt!" brought the thor- 
 
U 
 
 MISSION TALES 
 
 oughly frightened Indians and obedient mules 
 to a standstill. 
 
 It was for an instant only, and then such a 
 blood-curdling yell as came from the throat of 
 young Cahuenga no one could have heard 
 without quailing. The robbers fell back, and 
 in that moment were lost. The terrified Indians 
 took up the yell, and the terrified mules 
 stampeded. Over the hills, along the trail, 
 coming and going, they went. The rushing 
 band of men and mules, the robbers and robbed, 
 became at once so mixed that no one dared 
 attack another lest he kill a friend. 
 
 The war whoops of the Indians and the 
 tramp of the galloping horses soon came within 
 the hearing of Don Antonio and his party at 
 the secluded little chapel. The men rushed 
 
 (3**) 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 to their horses, for the furious yelling betokened 
 immediate danger of some kind. The rescuers 
 tried to answer the calls for help, but were 
 mistaken by the frightened Indians for a fresh 
 band of marauders, and were fired upon by 
 the now desperate men. 
 
 When Antonio called "Salvador, Salvador/* 
 a few recognized his voice and rallied about 
 him, and they were soon able to head off 
 and round up the frightened pack-train. No 
 one had seen or could tell anything of Salva 
 dor after the attack. Cahuenga had not missed 
 him, as it was his and every other Indian s 
 custom and training to look out for himself 
 alone in time of danger. 
 
 Gathering as many of the pack-mules to 
 gether as he could, Don Antonio pushed on 
 
 ^^- 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 to the chapel. He secured a light to return 
 and look for Salvador, for it had become evi 
 dent that something serious had befallen him. 
 Cahuenga led the party back, and about a 
 mile from the cross road where Antonio had 
 met the stampeded party Cahuenga s horse 
 shied. He sprang to the ground and spoke 
 softly to the dark object lying by the road, 
 but no answer came. By the dim rays of the 
 small torch, he discovered a horseman caught 
 under his fallen horse. The animal was dead 
 from a bullet wound, and the rider, Salvador, 
 was unconscious. The side of his face was 
 terribly crushed by contact with a sharp rock 
 against which he had fallen. 
 
 Strong arms gently lifted him into Cahuen 
 ga s saddle, and a slim lad was raised behind 
 
 (330} 
 
EL M L I N O V I E J O 
 
 him to hold the limp form in place as best 
 he could. The return trip seemed endless. 
 The fear of a fresh attack added suspense to 
 the grief for Salvador s condition and made the 
 party silent. 
 
 The moon was slowly rising from back of 
 the trees that covered the banks of the little 
 stream flowing by the chapel when the sad 
 dened party laid the almost lifeless form of 
 Salvador down by the water, and Don Antonio 
 began to wash the dirt and blood stains from 
 the wounded face. In the moonlight the features 
 were ghastly white, and when the eyelids began 
 to quiver, even brave Don Tono turned with a 
 start to the Father who had just come, saying, 
 " Take you this dead man s face in your 
 hands and wash it; I cannot." 
 
 U?/) 
 
 >>* 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 The Father replied, "Go, son, it is indeed 
 my duty. Go, you, into the chapel and quiet 
 the women and children; that is your duty." 
 
 When alone with the injured man the quiet 
 Padre began to speak gently to him, soothingly 
 and naturally; he talked to him of the sheep 
 and of the wool and of the daily life at Simi, 
 knowing that when he regained consciousness, 
 if indeed he did, all would be confusion; but 
 if a simple word of his accustomed work and 
 duties caught his attention, it would be the 
 easier to straighten out the tangled web of on- 
 rushing thoughts. An hour passed, and then 
 another; those who came to inquire were firmly 
 waved back, and only the Padre knelt by the 
 injured man. Near midnight Salvador slowly 
 opened his eyes, and hearing some one speak- 
 
 (332} 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 ing about his sheep, mechanically answered 
 the slow, simply stated questions concerning 
 them. Presently he recognized his true fath 
 erly friend, Padre Lopez, and smiled. In 
 a moment the pain in his head made him 
 put up his hand, and he found the bandage 
 about his forehead, but thought he merely had 
 a severe headache. When the Father tried 
 to raise him, he found that to move was 
 intense agony. 
 
 After a second trial Salvador fell heavily back 
 with a deep sigh of pain and despair, and 
 after several moments of terrible suffering he 
 rallied again and said: "Holy friend, I am 
 dying. Go quickly, fetch writing materials, for 
 you must prepare a paper of great importance. 
 Permit no one to come to me, not even my 
 (333) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 brother, for my strength is fast failing, and I 
 cannot I may not leave this matter undone." 
 
 Padre Lopez speedily returned to the dying 
 man with pen and a bit of parchment which 
 he had torn quickly from an old book, and 
 there on the banks of the little stream, on exactly 
 the same spot now famous as the place where 
 the Treaty of Cahuenga was drawn, that made 
 California an American province, the dying man 
 dictated to the good priest the statement of the 
 location of his master s gold that he had buried 
 in a strong-box at the foot of the tall pine 
 on the sloping hill back of El Molino Viejo. 
 
 "Write it all in Greek, Father, for the 
 master of Simi knows well the foreign tongue 
 and loves it; then no common man may read 
 the paper if it becomes lost or stolen," said 
 
EL M L I N V I E J O 
 
 the careful Salvador. The flickering, doubtful 
 light of the Padre s tiny taper made it diffi 
 cult for the good man both to write and 
 watch the faltering sufferer. 
 
 In the statement, the boy made it very plain 
 that the danger from outlaws made it wholly 
 unsafe to bring the gold at this time across 
 the country. Reaching a trembling, wavering 
 hand out toward the Padre, he said, "You see, 
 Father, I was right, was n t I ? And the ma 
 jor domo will say I did well, won t he? " as 
 though his one great desire was to hear the 
 words, "Well done." 
 
 The kind Padre answered, "It was well 
 done, my son, well done indeed, and you will 
 hear it said many, many times in the great 
 beyond." 
 
 ft 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 Salvador asked the priest to read the 
 description of the location, that he might know 
 that it was correct. It ran : 
 
 " Exactly within the centre of the circle 
 formed by three trees a pine, an elm, and an 
 oak that stand near the top of the hill back 
 of El Molino Viejo, and in a direct line up 
 the hill from the fountain, there is buried a 
 strong-box containing gold and silver, and also 
 an account of the milling, the grain, and the 
 purchases, together with the money there 
 deposited. A pile of stone I placed against the 
 pine-tree; I cut a cross upon the elm-tree, and 
 I drove a wooden wedge far into the one large 
 root of the oak at a split near the ground." 
 
 The description ended, and with great 
 effort the boy scrawled "Salvador." 
 
 (336} 
 
 bs-^i 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 The statement was carefully sealed, and 
 explicit directions were given by Salvador for 
 its safe transmission to Simi rancho. The 
 paper was to be given to Salvador s brother, 
 with the explanation that it was the dying state 
 ment of the head shepherd, and that it was to 
 be placed in the hands of the master of Simi. 
 
 When all was finished, the priest called to 
 the men to assist him in carrying the sinking 
 man into the little chapel, that the faithful ser 
 vant might have full benefit of the holy sur 
 roundings ^in his pain and death. Gently he was 
 placed at the foot of the altar in the little 
 Cahuenga chapel, and there, surrounded by 
 loving friends, who scarcely knew how they would 
 arrive safely without his guiding hand, the suf 
 fering boy lay till dawn. As the cold steel- 
 
 (337} 
 
 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 gray of the morning began to lighten the little 
 chapel, the Father gave the true soul absolu 
 tion, and the spirit went to its God. 
 
 Sad indeed was the home-coming of that 
 gay milling party. A messenger was sent for 
 ward to announce the coming and prepare for 
 the sad arrival. After the funeral it was learned 
 by the attendants that much money was 
 missing, and it was generally believed that the 
 robbers had taken it from the unconscious Sal 
 vador. 
 
 Years and years passed, and one day an 
 old negro came to El Molino Viejo. He 
 told of many milling trips that he had taken 
 from the up country down to the mill, and 
 especially of one when his half-brother was 
 killed and robbed by highwaymen. He showed 
 
 (338} 
 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 a stained and yellow parchment that had 
 been given to him by the priest Lopez, who 
 told him that it was a dying statement made 
 by his brother Salvador, and that the master 
 at Simi could read it. But he had never given 
 it to the master to read for him, and therefore 
 never knew what his brother had written. 
 
 He showed the paper to two young college 
 boys, one the son of the foreman of the mill, 
 who had some knowledge of Greek characters; 
 and with the aid of a dictionary, the two lads 
 deciphered the statement and found it to be a 
 description of the location of a strong-box 
 hidden there on the hill. They gave the old 
 negro a few coins for the parchment, and the 
 boys dug up the side of the hill in vain efforts to 
 locate the hidden treasure. The trees had been 
 
 (339) 
 
MISSION TALES 
 
 long ago replaced with others, and the diggers 
 had only the position of the fountain from which 
 to take their directions. They could work only 
 on the nights when it rained or when there 
 was no moon. The quiet hush of the hill was 
 broken only by the crackling sound of falling 
 leaves and a mysterious voice calling " L-a-d-r-o-n y 
 l-a-d-r-o-n!" ("Thief, thief!") At first the 
 voice was distant and scarcely heard by the 
 boys ; but as they worked, the voice came 
 nearer and nearer, until at last it seemed to 
 drive the words right into their very ears. The 
 sound so close sent a tingling shock down the 
 spine, like an electric current, and the pulse 
 stood still, while both boys quivered with the 
 shock. Without a word, they ceased work and 
 stole softly toward the mill and to bed. 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 Night after night the voice now followed 
 them, and as the rain fell on certain nights, 
 the boys saw visions of a dark-robed figure 
 gliding through the trees, lit up now and 
 then by a playful flash of sheet lightning, 
 and it was followed always by the ghostly 
 voice, sighing, " L-a-d-r-o-n ! " 
 
 "It is the ghost of Salvador watching over 
 this accursed gold, I do believe," said the older 
 boy; "and if we do not soon find the box, I 
 will willingly give you my share." 
 
 "The negro said that the hill was haunted, 
 and that ghosts stalked about at night ; and I 
 think he was right, I think they do," replied 
 the other. 
 
 "If only father would help us," said the boy, 
 " I believe we could find it." 
 
 
M 
 
 
 MISSION TALES 
 
 "No, no, don t let us divide the money, let 
 us keep it all to ourselves. I will not consent 
 to your dragging your father into this compact. 
 I am not afraid! " 
 
 And so again they began to work, digging 
 first under one tree and then under another; 
 but all the while the voice sighed, " L-a-d-r-o-n I" 
 and the spinal columns of the boys froze 
 tighter and tighter. A flash of lightning dis 
 played the figure of the watching ghost, and a 
 moment later they both stood trembling at 
 the door of the mill, ready to cease forever 
 from the search for the haunted gold. 
 
 It was well they did, for the following day 
 the foreman received notice to the effect that 
 his services at the mill were no longer required. 
 
 134*} 
 
EL M O L I N O V I E J O 
 
 The notice stated that the disturbances on the 
 hill were again noticed, and even the appear 
 ance on several occasions of phantom shadows 
 was reported; and as they always brought bad 
 luck upon some one, and the foreman chose 
 to ignore the general agitation among the 
 people, his services might cease. 
 
 In truth, the foreman had passed through 
 the grove every night, but had not chanced to 
 come upon the boys. Even now, when they 
 were all leaving, the boys were unwilling to 
 confide in the older man, for they were con 
 vinced that the place was guarded by Salva 
 dor s spirit, that no stranger might find the 
 Simi gold of the mill. 
 
 In later years the story of the hidden treas- 
 
MISSION 
 
 TALES 
 
 are became well known, but a thorough, deep 
 ploughing of the hill revealed no strong-box. 
 The shepherd s ghost guards safely to this day 
 the gold of El Molino Viejo, and ill luck 
 attends all who search for it. 
 
 THE END 
 
 
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