fiarlota 
 
 & Stetg of
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 

 
 CARLOTA
 
 lioses of 
 If) Series 
 
 Each I vol., small quarto, illustrated and deco- 
 rated in colour. $1.00 
 
 The Roses of Saint Elizabeth 
 
 Bv JANE SCOTT WOODRUFF 
 
 Gabriel and the Hour Book 
 
 BY EVALEEN STEIN 
 
 The Enchanted Automobile 
 
 Translated from the French by 
 MARY J. SAFFORD 
 
 Pussy-Cat Town 
 
 BY MARION AMES TAGGART 
 
 O-Heart-San 
 
 BY HELEN EGGLESTON HASKELL 
 
 Carlota 
 
 BY FRANCES MARGARET FOX 
 
 * 
 
 L. C. PAGE & COMPANY 
 
 New England Building 
 BOSTON, MASS.
 
 "\X7 HEN EVERYTHING WENT ENTIRELY 
 
 W WRONG MARY LOUISE THOUGHT 
 
 LONGINGLY OF CARLOTA'S MOTHER" 
 
 (See page 3)
 
 of tfje g>an Gabriel 
 Jflisfcum 
 
 Author of 
 
 farmer Brt>n-n and the Sirds 
 " Little Ludy Marjoric," etc.
 
 Copyright, 19O8, by 
 i. C. PAGE A COMPANY 
 
 (Incorporated) 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 First impression, June, 19O8
 
 A LITTLE BOY IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 WHOSE NAME IS 
 
 PALMER W1LLETS 
 
 556863
 
 PREFATORY NOTE 
 
 To my Dear Lee Everett Joslyn, Jr., and 
 his Little Brother Alan, " Back East " 
 in Michigan: 
 
 OW thankful we should be that we 
 are not living in the year 1846, 
 when there were no railroads in 
 the great Southwest. In those days, 
 wishing to tell you how to pronounce 
 Spanish names, the letter wouldn't reach 
 you for months, and you and your cousins, 
 Ruth and Helen Wilson, the "Club," 
 Harold Trumpour, Helen and Anna 
 Harmon, little Naomi Hewitt, John 
 Stewart, Wright Hitchcock, Paul and 
 Jay Thompson, and ever so many other 
 special friends might not know that when 
 Jimmy called himself an "Americano 
 vii
 
 (|| PREFATORY NOTE Ife 
 
 Muchacho " he was saying " American 
 boy," and that the word " Padre," pro- 
 nounced " pah-dray," means " father." 
 
 Mail was carried over the seas in 1846, 
 so if we had all been living then, Ruth 
 and William Higgins, Dorothy Avery and 
 Elizabeth Van Praag, those dear little 
 children "way back East," would have 
 known about Carlota many weeks before 
 you, because they live near Boston. 
 
 You should all remember that the 
 letter "a" in Spanish words is always 
 pronounced like the "a" in "father." "e" 
 has the sound of "a" in "day." "i" is 
 pronounced like "e" in the English word 
 " me." " o " is always plain round " O." 
 
 The DoiTa Ysabel did n't lose her neck- 
 lace. It was at home in her jewel box 
 all the time. She was mistaken when 
 she thought she wore it the last day of 
 the Round-up. 
 
 Carlota's father and mother were called 
 the Don and Dona (you must say "don- 
 ya" on account of that mark over the "n") 
 viii
 
 PREFATORY NOTE 
 
 because they were pure Castilians 
 belonged to old families in Spain. 
 
 Isn't it strange that the historians 
 did n't know that Jimmy had anything 
 to do with the worthless gunpowder 
 manufactured in San Gabriel in 1846? 
 All the histories of the time mention 
 that it was tampered with, but who did 
 it was a mystery. Isn't it fortunate, 
 too, that Carlota and her family spoke 
 English ? 
 
 If we could see one another it would 
 be pleasant to tell you many things that 
 are not in the book. For instance, when 
 gold was discovered in 1849, Jimmy's 
 father located a mine, made his fortune, 
 and went back to Boston with his family. 
 After Jimmy graduated from Harvard 
 he returned to California and married 
 Carlota. He was James Radcliffe 
 then, and greatly improved in general 
 behaviour. 
 
 IX
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 I Jimmy's Sister 
 
 II The Padre's Story .... 13 
 
 III When Jimmy Was n't Brave . 32 
 
 IV Wash-Day in the Mountains . 42 
 V The King's Highway .... 50 
 
 VI Santa Maria Louisa .... 63 
 
 VII The Cat Whose Name Was 
 
 Yankee 70 
 
 VIII Two Sides of a Question . . . 78 
 
 IX Mary Louise and the Grizzly 
 
 Bear 86 
 
 X Carlota's Home 96 
 
 XI Jimmy in Disgrace 105 
 
 XII In the Padre's Garden . . . 112 
 
 XIII The Fandango 121 
 
 XIV The Robber's Sash .... 134 
 XV Jimmy Helps Make Gunpowder 139 
 
 XVI To Save a Spanish Gentleman . 147 
 
 XVII Battle of San Gabriel . ... 156 
 
 XVIII The American Flag .... 1 70
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 "When everything went entirely wrong 
 Mary Louise thought longingly of Car- 
 lota's mother " (See page j) Frontispiece 
 
 "The next second a horseman came from 
 
 behind " 5^ 
 
 "Sometimes . . . Dona Ysabel told the 
 
 children stories" 100 
 
 "Don Lisandro galloped into his own 
 courtyard, bringing the news of the 
 revolt" 121 
 
 " 'Know a thing er two 'bout gunpow- 
 der myself,' suggested the Yankee " 142 
 
 " Tied it swiftly and firmly to the iron 
 
 railing" 178
 
 JIMMY'S SISTER 
 
 aARLOTA'S mother was 
 the Senora Dona Ysabel 
 Del Villar. That means 
 she was a Spanish lady. 
 The little American girl in care of 
 the padre of San Gabriel never 
 thought of Carlota's mother as the 
 Senora Dona Ysabel. This little 
 girl was Mary Louise Radcliffe, 
 and she worshipped the Spanish 
 lady as truly as the Indians wor- 
 shipped the saints in the niches of
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 San Gabriel church. Surely the 
 Senora would comfort a homesick 
 little American if the Padre would 
 only say : 
 
 " Here is Mary Louise. Be 
 kind to her." 
 
 Sometimes it seemed as if the 
 Padre seldom thought of Mary 
 Louise except as Jimmy's sister; 
 and to be Jimmy's sister was a 
 trial in Southern California in days 
 before railroads crossed the Rock- 
 ies, and the Sierra trails were trav- 
 elled by none but the brave. 
 
 Jimmy was usually in mischief. 
 From the time he and Mary Louise 
 sailed from Boston with their 
 father and mother, the boy had con- 
 tinually teased his sister. Alone 
 with him in the old Mission, she 
 was kept almost constantly in tears.
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 To make his little sister cry was 
 Jimmy's favorite pastime. 
 
 When everything went entirely 
 wrong Mary Louise thought long- 
 ingly of Carlota's mother. 
 
 " Jimmy," she ventured, one May 
 day, " do you suppose the lady 
 speaks Knglish ? " 
 
 "What lady?" 
 
 " Why, the Spanish lady ; the 
 one with the three little girls. 
 The lady with the lovely face from 
 the rancho over there Senor Don 
 Lisandro's wife." 
 
 " Dunno 'bout her," Jimmy re- 
 plied ; " but that Carlota can rattle 
 off English good 's a Yankee. 
 Now, if you were like her, Molly, 
 polly-doll-baby-cry-baby, we 'd have 
 some fun. S'pose you 'd dare 
 ride a broncho bareback ? Not
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 you, oh, no ! You 're scared to 
 walk three steps out on the desert 
 on your own feet for fear you '11 
 get lost, or something '11 happen to 
 you. Tied to the Padre's apron- 
 strings, you are. Wish I could go 
 with the Del Villars to-morrow." 
 
 " Where are they going, J immy ?" 
 
 " To the mountains to do their 
 washing." 
 
 " Why do they go to the moun- 
 tains ? There 's plenty of water at 
 home. The Padre's Indians wash 
 in the river." 
 
 "Well, my sweet sister, if you 
 want to know, they 're going to the 
 mountains for the fun of it, for a 
 wash-day picnic." 
 
 " My sakes, Jimmy, I 'd like to 
 go, too!" 
 
 " Oh, no, you would n't, doll- 
 
 4
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 baby. In the first place, it would 
 scare you to death to ride in the 
 caretta; and besides that, and 
 what 's worse, you 'd have to ride 
 under the Mexican flag. And what 
 would Uncle Sam think of that in 
 this year 1 846 ? " 
 
 "Why under the Mexican flag?" 
 " Because, young lady, the Senor- 
 ita Carlota told the Indians not 
 to use sheets for a canopy over the 
 caretta, but to take her father's 
 biggest Mexican flag. Bully for 
 Mexico ! " 
 
 "You ought to be ashamed 
 of yourself," remonstrated Mary 
 Louise. " Maybe I am a 'fraidcat, 
 but I 'm always going to stick up 
 for my flag. So there ! I wish we 
 were n't living near the wrong ocean, 
 and I don't like that Carlota."
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 "Well I do and so does the 
 Padre. I intend to get acquainted. 
 Then I guess you and the cat '11 be 
 lonesome." 
 
 "Jimmy, please be good. Let's 
 go for a horseback ride." 
 
 " Dunno but I will," agreed the 
 boy. "What do you say to tradin' 
 horses?" 
 
 "Why, Jimmy, you know my 
 horse is a dear little burro and I 'd 
 be afraid to try your broncho. He 
 stood right up on his hind legs 
 when he heard the bugle-call at the 
 barracks yesterday. Oh, dear, I 
 would n't dare try it." 
 
 " Well then, come on with me to 
 the bear fight. I forgot it. Meant 
 to have told you before." 
 
 Mary Louise shuddered and 
 turned away. She could hear Jim-
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 my's mocking laughter until the 
 boy was out of sight. Then she 
 sought the burro and patted his 
 shaggy neck a few minutes before 
 climbing upon his back. 
 
 "Burrito," said she, "let's go 
 over to the cactus hedge and maybe 
 we'll see Carlota's mother. Per- 
 haps she'll be out in her rose 
 garden." 
 
 Surrounding San Gabriel Mis- 
 sion in the days of its prosperity 
 was an unbroken cactus hedge, 
 planted by Padre Zalvidea in 1809. 
 As in many places the hedge grew 
 to a height of twenty feet, a better 
 defence was never imagined to 
 keep out wild beasts and hostile 
 Indians. It was a mile from 
 the Mission buildings and Mary 
 Louise had discovered an opening
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 through which might be seen the 
 adobe home of the Del Villars. 
 She had kept this a secret. 
 
 The rancho of Don Lisandro 
 Del Villar, miles and miles in 
 extent, had once been Mission 
 property. 
 
 Mary Louise reached her hid- 
 ing place in time to see prepara- 
 tions for the early morning trip to 
 the mountains. 
 
 The first time the child saw a 
 caretta she stood still in amaze- 
 ment, and even now, although she 
 had been in California several 
 months and had seen many caret- 
 tas, she gazed as curiously as ever at 
 the Del Villar equipage under the 
 pepper trees. 
 
 "Stand still, Burrito," she whis- 
 pered, "because there 's only one
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 opening in the cactus for me to 
 see through and if I could n't sit 
 on your back I would n't be tall 
 enough. And oh, Burrito, Bur- 
 rito dear, don't bray. Whatever 
 you do, you sweet old dear, don't 
 bray.' 1 
 
 A caretta is a clumsy ox cart. 
 Its two solid wheels are carved 
 from the end of a big tree and 
 have holes through the centre for 
 the huge wooden axle. 
 
 An Indian was sweeping the 
 bottom of the caretta while another 
 was putting soap on the great axle 
 to keep the wheels from squeak- 
 ing. Mary Louise smiled as she 
 watched the performance. Mats 
 were then put in the bottom of the 
 caretta and hooped poles were 
 arched over its rudely made box.
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 "I wish they'd talk English," 
 whispered Mary Louise as Mexi- 
 can girls came dancing, laughing, 
 singing, and chattering gayly as 
 they brought baskets and bundles 
 to the group under the trees. One 
 girl unfurled the Mexican flag and 
 danced beneath its waving folds 
 before she gave it to the Indians 
 who fixed the canopy. 
 
 "I wish it was the stars and 
 stripes," grumbled the little girl be- 
 hind the cactus hedge. "Now the 
 Indian women are bringing lunch 
 baskets to put in the caretta. I 
 wonder why they don't smile. Oh, 
 they 're going to decorate with flow- 
 ers! Carlota's mother thought of 
 that, I know! Why does n't she 
 come out, I wonder?" 
 
 Without the least warning Bur- 
 
 IO
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 rito began to bray, whereupon Mary 
 Louise left the scene as quickly as 
 possible, keeping under the shadow 
 of the cactus hedge until she 
 thought it safe to go straight across 
 to the Mission. 
 
 " Burrito, you bad little burro," 
 remonstrated the child, " what 
 made you do it ? " 
 
 Perhaps the burro's pride was 
 hurt. Anyway, he straightway, and 
 for the first time, gave a jerk and a 
 curious kick that sent Mary Louise 
 sprawling among the wild oats. 
 For three minutes the burro kicked 
 at nothing, stared at the little girl, 
 and behaved much as Jimmy might 
 have under the same circumstances. 
 He actually winked at the child, as 
 much as to say, " Get on my back 
 again if you dare." She did n't dare.
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 It was nearly dark when Mary 
 Louise passed the barracks on her 
 way to the Padre's house. Music 
 and laughter greeted her ears. The 
 sound of Spanish guitars floated 
 across the courtyard, and as the 
 child drew nearer, she recognized 
 the Mexican national air sung 
 in gay chorus. Next she heard 
 Jimmy's voice alone accompanied 
 by a guitar, then roars of laughter. 
 
 "They're teaching him to sing 
 their old national air ! " exclaimed 
 the child, two bright spots burning 
 her cheeks, " and he 's learning it 
 fast That 's the worst thing J immy 
 Radcliffe ever did. Oh, dear ! oh, 
 dear ! My brother is going to be a 
 Spaniard ! The only one that loves 
 me in San Gabriel is my cat 
 my dear old Yankee cat." 
 
 12
 
 THE PADRE'S STORY 
 
 (D 
 
 ARY LOUISE and 
 
 Jimmy never went to 
 bed until they were re- 
 minded that even in 
 Southern California children were 
 not allowed to sit up all night. 
 
 Usually, a few minutes after the 
 eight o'clock supper, the Indian 
 woman, Docas, appeared with two 
 candles, which was a signal under- 
 stood by the little strangers to 
 mean, "It is all over, you may as 
 13
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 well form in procession/' That 
 was the hour when Mary Louise 
 missed her mother, and when 
 Jimmy longed to be a full-grown 
 man. 
 
 Carlota, Chona, and Rosita were 
 sound asleep when the Padre drew 
 his big chair before the blazing fire 
 and sat quietly looking into the 
 flames. Mary Louise and Jimmy 
 watched the door opening upon the 
 veranda. They expected to see 
 Docas, bearing the solemn, flicker- 
 ing candles ; but minutes passed, 
 and no Docas appeared. 
 
 Jimmy winked at Mary Louise 
 and Mary Louise nodded her head 
 and smiled. Another minute, and 
 the little sister made a venture. 
 She feared the Padre might notice 
 that it was bedtime, so to distract 
 14
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 his attention she climbed upon his 
 knee, rested her head upon his 
 shoulder, and said : 
 
 " I wish you 'd tell Jimmy about 
 the Missions and about San Ga- 
 briel." 
 
 Jimmy immediately drew near. 
 In broad daylight he would have 
 no time to listen to stories of the 
 Franciscan fathers, but to avoid 
 going to bed he had been known 
 to study the catechism. 
 
 " Oh, yes," besought Jimmy, his 
 very freckles assuming a pious in- 
 terest. " Do tell me about the Mis- 
 sions. Antonio Moreno showed 
 me the cow-bell that was worn by 
 the leader of the San Gabriel 
 herds. He says he has seen thou- 
 sands of Indians at work at one 
 time in the grain fields here. And 
 15
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 he says he has seen four hundred 
 carts going single file hauling wheat 
 to San Pedro/' 
 
 " What were they going to do 
 with the wheat in San Pedro ? " 
 demanded the little sister. 
 
 " Ship it to old Mexico. And 
 they used to take hides and tallow 
 to San Pedro, too, loads and 
 loads and loads to send to Boston." 
 
 " Those good old days are gone 
 forever," mused the Padre, with a 
 glance at the Mission clock. 
 
 " I wish I knew more about the 
 Padres," Jimmy quickly suggested. 
 
 "Please tell him about San Ga- 
 briel anyway," added Mary Louise. 
 
 " The boy is right in wishing to 
 know of the old days," remarked 
 the good Padre, never dreaming 
 that Jimmy merely wished to put 
 
 16
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 off going to bed and that his sister 
 was in league with him. 
 
 " Have you heard, my son, of 
 Father Junipero Serra?" asked the 
 Padre. ' 
 
 "No, sir," Jimmy replied. 
 
 "Ah, how strange. He was the 
 first president of the Missions. 
 When he was a young man in 
 Spain, he became a Franciscan and 
 when he heard about the Indians 
 he so longed to convert their souls 
 that he left his home and all that 
 was dear to him to become a mis- 
 sionary in the new world. For 
 many years he lived and worked in 
 Mexico and then in Lower Cali- 
 fornia, where he took charge of the 
 Jesuit Missions after the King of 
 Spain expelled the Jesuits." 
 
 "What were the Franciscans and 
 
 2 I 7
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Jesuits ? I don't understand," said 
 Jimmy. 
 
 " Religious orders, my son," ex- 
 plained the Padre. 
 
 " I suppose they were like Pres 
 byterians and Methodists," com- 
 mented Mary Louise. 
 
 The Padre smiled. "We, the 
 Franciscans," said he, " belong to 
 the order of St. Francis, an Italian 
 who founded the order. He was 
 a wonderful preacher and his fol- 
 lowers vowed to be always poor 
 and to live simply. In days gone 
 by the Franciscans wore coarse 
 gray serge robes tied with hemp 
 rope, but now, as you see, we wear 
 brown. We are known as peace- 
 makers." 
 
 The Padre then continued the 
 story of the brave man who founded 
 
 18
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 the Missions in Upper California 
 when California was a province 
 of Spain, of his life full of hard- 
 ships and suffering, of his won- 
 derful success among the Indians 
 and at last of his death. 
 
 "My boy, to-morrow you shall 
 read a book on Father Junipero 
 and his work," promised the Padre, 
 whereupon a look of dismay spread 
 over Jimmy's face which Mary 
 Louise caught although the Padre 
 was gazing into the fire. 
 
 "I I think," faltered Jimmy, 
 "that I 'd like to know more about 
 San Gabriel." 
 
 "Ah, to be sure," resumed the 
 Padre, "The Mission San Gabriel 
 Archangel was founded Septem- 
 ber 8, 1771. It became the Queen 
 of the Missions, my boy, and was 
 19
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 founded by Fathers Cambon and 
 Somera. Fourteen soldiers and 
 a corporal marched with them, 
 also four muleteers in charge of 
 the mule train of supplies. They 
 rested at last in this beautiful val- 
 ley carpeted then with wild flowers 
 after the early rains. An old ac- 
 count says: 'The spot upon which 
 they halted was a veritable field of 
 gold/ ' 
 
 "I can imagine it," whispered 
 Mary Louise. " I love the flowers, 
 but I should have been afraid of 
 the Indians." 
 
 " With reason," agreed the Padre, 
 " for there were many wild Indians 
 here. A large number came to 
 meet the missionaries, threatening 
 them with death. Father Somera 
 walked toward the warriors and un- 
 
 20
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 || 
 
 rolled a picture of Our Lady of 
 Bethlehem on a large banner. That 
 astonished the Indians who fell 
 upon their faces and laid their bows 
 and arrows upon the ground. They 
 had never before seen a painting. 
 Two Indians took off their shell 
 necklaces and offered them as gifts 
 before the picture." 
 
 "Where was Father Junipero 
 about that time?" asked Jimmy. 
 
 "He was busy founding San 
 Antonio. Father Junipero Serra 
 planned a line of missions a day's 
 journey apart, from San Diego 
 to San Francisco. There were 
 twenty-one Missions established; 
 and the road connecting them, you 
 know the old road, Jimmy, is 
 called El Camino Real, the King's 
 Highway." 
 
 21
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " Our Mission was the fourth 
 one founded. A little chapel was 
 quickly built of wood, with a roof 
 made of tules, and plastered with 
 adobe." 
 
 " What are tules ? " asked a sleepy 
 voice. 
 
 " Tules, my little Mary, are bul- 
 rushes. The long stalks were used 
 for the roof. 
 
 " When the building was fin- 
 ished the church was decorated 
 with wild flowers, and among 
 them were the lovely wild Cas- 
 tilian roses found growing here 
 by the Padres." 
 
 " Wish I 'd been here then," 
 murmured Mary Louise, where- 
 upon Jimmy, unseen by the Padre, 
 made expressive motions sugges- 
 tive of the tomahawk lifting her 
 
 22
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 scalp and an arrow piercing her 
 heart. 
 
 "In the beginning, there was 
 much trouble with the Indians," 
 resumed the Padre. " They at- 
 tacked the Mission, but when their 
 chief was slain they made peace. 
 The soldiers behaved so badly it 
 was no wonder the Indians at first 
 refused to be baptized. There 
 were only seventy-three converts 
 the first two years." 
 
 " I don't see how the Padres 
 ever got the wild Indians to settle 
 down and live in houses," com- 
 mented Jimmy. 
 
 " They began," was the reply, 
 "by giving the Indians clothing, 
 and in time taught them how to 
 cultivate the earth. It was the In- 
 dians, Jimmy, who built this beau- 
 23
 
 j|| CARLOTA """||| 
 
 tiful church after the first Mission 
 buildings were abandoned." 
 
 " Why were they abandoned ? " 
 
 " Probably because they were too 
 near the river and this present lo- 
 cation was thought safer in case of 
 floods. This church is all there is 
 left now of the San Gabriel Mis- 
 sion buildings." 
 
 " What were the buildings like ? 
 Antonio Moreno says he can re- 
 member when there were great 
 storehouses here filled with grain 
 and hides and tallow, and one that 
 was filled with bags of gold and 
 silver." 
 
 " True, my son," assented the 
 Padre. "The Mission building 
 was made in a square like the Casa 
 Del Villar, you have seen that, 
 
 with a big court in the centre 
 
 24
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 planted with trees and blooming 
 with flowers. There were fountains, 
 too, in the court. All around it was 
 a corridor opening upon the rooms 
 of the fathers and the major-domo. 
 There were rooms for travellers, 
 why, Jimmy, we are living in the 
 ruins now. The apartment you 
 and Mary Louise occupy was the 
 schoolroom. Thousands of little 
 Indians have been taught to read 
 there. 
 
 " You know we had wonderful 
 music in San Gabriel in the old 
 days. Our Indians were taught to 
 play the violin, flute, horn, cymbals, 
 harps, drums, triangles, in fact, 
 it was a fine orchestra that climbed 
 that outer stairway under the pep- 
 per tree to the choir loft in days 
 gone by. To-morrow I will show 
 25
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 ||| 
 
 you parchment rolls of music 
 printed by the Indians; big 
 notes, children, that could be seen 
 from a distance; many red notes 
 among the black, for the In- 
 dians copied music more happily 
 if they were allowed to use plenty 
 of red. 
 
 "The Indian girls lived in a 
 separate apartment, and were in 
 care of good women who taught 
 them to spin and weave flax, cotton, 
 and wool, and to cook and keep 
 house. 
 
 "What the Padres taught the 
 Indians is marvellous. They made 
 bridges, mills, machinery, irrigating 
 canals ; you Ve seen out here the 
 ruined arches of an aqueduct that 
 once brought water from the moun- 
 tains to San Gabriel. The Indians 
 26
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 I 
 
 were taught farming and stock- 
 raising. They became weavers, 
 tailors, shoemakers, and soap mak- 
 ers. There were carpenters and 
 blacksmiths among them. In fact, 
 the Padres taught the Indians all 
 the arts of civilization. 
 
 "The Missions became rich, 
 and San Gabriel was one of the 
 wealthiest. Children, in that little 
 burying-ground beyond the church 
 are laid seven thousand Indians, 
 whose hands not only made the 
 buildings but the very furniture in 
 the Mission now." 
 
 " Well, what happened ? " de- 
 manded Jimmy. "If the Indians 
 had such a good time and every- 
 body was happy, why is the Mis- 
 sion in ruins and the Indians all 
 
 \ 
 gone r 
 
 27
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 The Padre shaded his eyes from 
 the fire and said in a low tone : 
 
 " There was a revolution. Mex- 
 ico became an empire, then a re- 
 public. The Padres remained loyal 
 to the King of Spain and refused 
 to acknowledge the Republic of 
 Mexico. Then Mexico took away 
 all power from the Padres by an 
 Act called the Secularization Act. 
 The Indians were told to leave the 
 Missions if they wished. 
 
 "In San Gabriel it happened 
 this way: A Spanish woman had 
 been in the Mission for years; first 
 in charge of the Indian girls, then 
 as bookkeeper and treasurer. She 
 paid the bills and took care of all 
 the money. The governor of Cal- 
 ifornia, after Mexico became a 
 
 republic, sent to San Gabriel a 
 
 28
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 demand for a loan of twenty thou- 
 sand dollars. Eulalia refused to 
 pay the money or give up the treas- 
 ury keys. The treasury was broken 
 open, the money stolen, and the 
 government took control of San 
 Gabriel. Then came the end. 
 The shoe shop, the soap factory, 
 the carpenter shop, the sawmill, the 
 grist-mill, everything went to de- 
 struction. The famous vineyards, 
 the grain fields, all was in ruins. 
 "In 1839, thirteen hundred In- 
 dians were living in comfort in San 
 Gabriel. They owned over forty 
 thousand cattle and sheep. Four 
 years ago, in 1 842, there were three 
 hundred Indians left with only the 
 vineyards to depend upon. Fac- 
 tories, cattle, grain fields, all 
 
 were gone." 
 
 29
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 There was silence when the 
 Padre ceased, broken by the heavy 
 breathing of the little girl in his 
 arms. 
 
 " The child 's asleep," said he. 
 " Go, Jimmy, and find Docas. Cu- 
 rious that she 's forgotten you." 
 
 Jimmy returned after what 
 seemed a long absence. He 
 looked frightened when he again 
 entered the room. 
 
 "Will the Mexicans kill all the 
 Americans in the country ? " he de- 
 manded. " That's what they are 
 saying at the guard-house. My 
 father and mother " 
 
 " Are in the care of Providence," 
 interrupted the Padre, " and the 
 men shouldn't talk before a boy. 
 Where is Docas ?" 
 
 " Gone to San Gabriel Canon 
 
 30
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 after her boy. They say he heard 
 about a robber chief who threatens 
 to kill us all and he ran away. 
 He's afraid of the Mexicans and 
 the Americans too. They say " 
 " Go, Jimmy, ask Anita to bring 
 the candles. I let you sit up too 
 late. Children need sleep."
 
 WHEN JIMMY WASN'T BRAVE 
 
 IT is one thing to call your 
 sister a coward in broad 
 daylight and another to be 
 brave yourself alone in 
 the dark with bats flitting through 
 ruined arches, coyotes howling near, 
 and grizzly bears prowling around 
 the mission. 
 
 Jimmy begged Anita to leave at 
 least one candle, but she was firm 
 in her refusal. The Padre had for- 
 bidden it The girl undressed 
 32
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Mary Louise, who slept so soundly 
 she did n't miss her mother that 
 night. Then she waited for Jimmy 
 to get into his little bed at the fur- 
 ther end of the long room. She 
 seemed in unnecessary haste to be 
 gone. Jimmy sat up in his dismal 
 corner watching Anita's shadow 
 grow longer and longer as she 
 walked across the uneven floor, one 
 candle above her head, until she 
 and the light were lost in the dark- 
 ness of the corridor and her foot- 
 steps sounded from afar. 
 
 The boy clutched at the bed- 
 clothes and listened. If you are 
 frightened in the night, you should 
 always listen ; you are sure to 
 hear something. Jimmy heard 
 a little scurrying sound near the 
 yawning fireplace. It might have 
 
 3 33
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 been a rat, it might have been 
 who knows what? Jimmy's eyes 
 stared into the darkness. He saw 
 visions of long-ago Indian school 
 boys trooping by his corner, gazing 
 at him with horrible faces and 
 threatening to deal with him when 
 lessons were over. Then he won- 
 dered if the Mexicans would rise 
 up and massacre every American in 
 California according to the rumor 
 discussed in the guard-house. 
 
 Soon Jimmy's mind was so torn 
 between imagination and realities, 
 between the probable and the im- 
 probable, past happenings and pres- 
 ent fears, that he almost fainted 
 when he caught the sound of shuf- 
 fling footsteps and a dark form 
 appeared at the nearest window. 
 It was an old-time Spanish win- 
 
 34
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 ]|| 
 
 dow, with bars across the opening 
 instead of glass. Jimmy tried to 
 scream for help, but his tongue was 
 useless ; it could n't be moved. 
 
 "F-f-fit." The noise sounded 
 like a remonstrance from a cat. 
 Yet it was something bigger than 
 a cat outlined against the bars. 
 " F-f-fit." The creature was mak- 
 ing a noise through his teeth. 
 
 " Jeemy ! Jeemy ! It's your friend 
 Antonio ! Are you asleep ?" 
 
 " W-what ? what do you want ? " 
 chattered the boy. 
 
 " My chulla my knife. I 'm 
 going on the hills with los Del 
 Villars before daylight, and I want 
 my chulla. It 's on the mesa." 
 
 "Where where did you say 
 your knife is?" 
 
 "On the mesa the table." 
 
 35
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " C-come and g-get it. I 'm 
 c-cold." 
 
 " You must be seeck," agreed 
 Antonio. " I would not ask you to 
 get out of bed but I no can get in." 
 
 "Wait," suggested Jimmy. 
 "S-stay th-there until I get your 
 knife." 
 
 " Why, boy, you seeck, sure. 
 Don't run so fast. You stub your 
 toe on the tiles and bump your one 
 nose. I no hurry. I stay here. 
 You do that so fast you make 
 me deezy," continued Antonio, as 
 Jimmy passed the knife through 
 the bars. 
 
 "Antonio, is it true that Black- 
 bird has run away?" 
 
 " Yes, but Docas bring him back. 
 She go after him many times when 
 
 he goes on the hills." 
 
 36
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " Why does he run away ? Is it 
 true about the robber?" 
 
 " I don't know. It may be. 
 Blackbird hear too much talk about 
 war. He poco loco (a little crazy). 
 Never got over what happen when 
 he little boy. That is why Docas 
 watch all time." 
 
 "What happened to him, Anto- 
 nio ? Don't go, stay here and tell 
 me. I 'm lonesome to-night." 
 
 " I tell you about Blackbird, 
 Jeemy, then you never tease him 
 again. He was about ten years old 
 when the Padres refuse to give up 
 the keys. Blackbird know trouble 
 coming even when he little boy, and 
 for two years he scared all time. 
 Blackbird he away on the hills with 
 his big brother tending sheep when 
 the Padres at San Gabriel teach 
 
 37
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Indians how to fight for Mission. 
 Then Alvarado's soldiers come and 
 attack Indians on the mesa the 
 plain out east here. The Indians 
 lose and fly to Arroyo Secco, where 
 they hide in deep canon. 
 
 " Alvarado's soldiers find them 
 and drive poor Indians away to 
 Los Sierra Mad re mountains, 
 where they hide in Los Flores 
 
 canon." 
 
 " Were they safe there ? " de- 
 manded Jimmy. 
 
 " No, because they are taken to 
 the canon by one traitor. He lead 
 them wrong. Alvarado pay him 
 to do it Jeemy! Near the open- 
 ing to the canon, los Mexicanos 
 put one cannon hide it in the 
 bushes, so when the soldiers fire 
 
 down into the canon from up high, 
 
 38
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 and the Indians try get away, they 
 all shot. They could n't go. Black- 
 bird's father is one who die." 
 
 " But you, Antonio," ventured 
 Jimmy, "you are a Mexican." 
 
 "Si, Senor,but I Indians' friend. 
 My father live at the Mission. 
 He with the Padres when Black- 
 bird came home. Blackbird hear 
 the story. He act funny. He 
 no talk, he no cry. One day 
 his big brother is shot dead by 
 Mexicano on cabillo that is one 
 horse, Jeemy. You know that. 
 Mexicano on horseback. Black- 
 bird see his brother die. After 
 that Blackbird is always boy." 
 
 "Why, he's big he's big and 
 tall," corrected Jimmy. 
 
 "He's a boy all the time," in- 
 $isted Antonio. " The inside of his 
 
 39
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 head never grow. His mother will 
 bring him home to the Mission. 
 Poor Blackbird afraid to stay here. 
 He thinks the Americanos are 
 after him." 
 
 "Will there be any fighting?" 
 asked Jimmy. " Is it true that 
 the Mexicans want to kill all the 
 Americans?" 
 
 " There not be an Americano in 
 the country if Don Lisandro Del 
 Villar have his way, that sure," 
 assented Antonio. "And now, 
 Jeemy, go to sleep." 
 
 Antonio left quickly, and Jimmy, 
 with one fearsome glance at his 
 own corner, crept into bed beside 
 his sleeping sister. 
 
 In the morning Mary Louise 
 awoke first. 
 
 " What are you doing here ? " she 
 
 40
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 inquired when Jimmy opened his 
 eyes. 
 
 "Oh, I was cold," said Jimmy, 
 " and, besides, I thought maybe 
 you 'd wake up and be afraid."
 
 WASH-DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS 
 
 'HEN Mary Louise said 
 she didn't like Carlota 
 she spoke from the depths 
 of homesickness. She 
 was n 't acquainted with Carlota. 
 If she had ever looked carefully 
 she would have seen that the Span- 
 ish child was a small image of her 
 mother, the Dona Ysabel. 
 
 Long before daylight, Carlota, 
 Chona, and baby Rosita were 
 awakened and dressed. Four oxen
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 were yoked to the pole, and Carlota, 
 the baby, and their mother climbed 
 into the caretta, while Chona 
 mounted her pony. Beside the 
 caretta walked the Indian driver 
 with his long ox-goad. 
 
 Spanish ladies and their daugh- 
 ters in the old days dressed in 
 snow-white and as the family 
 washing had been neglected for 
 weeks, a long procession of horses 
 led by Indians followed behind 
 the caretta, each horse with a bundle 
 of soiled linen fastened upon its 
 back. Women and girls who were 
 to do the washing trooped along on 
 foot, sometimes beside the caretta, 
 sometimes lingering behind the 
 horses. 
 
 There were several Mexican 
 children among the number, who 
 
 43
 
 f 
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 were allowed to ride in the caretta 
 whenever they were tired. Carlota 
 loved all the household children, 
 especially the little Indian boys. 
 She used to tell them stories by 
 the hour and teach them to sing 
 and dance. 
 
 Dogs innumerable, it seemed, 
 accompanied the noisy expedition, 
 scaring the rabbits, startling quail, 
 and astonishing the owls. 
 
 The steps of the caretta were 
 low and at the first peep of dawn 
 Carlota climbed in and out many 
 times, gathering wild flowers for 
 Rosita and playing with the little 
 Mexicans. 
 
 Once when coyotes howled, the 
 Dona Ysabel called all the children 
 to the caretta and kept them there 
 until they reached the hot springs 
 
 44
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 in the mountains. Chona was 
 compelled to trot slowly behind the 
 caretta, though she longed to gallop 
 on ahead or be the first to climb 
 steep heights. 
 
 After breakfast in the canon it 
 was broad daylight. Carlota and 
 Chona watched the women unload 
 the linen, saw the men turn the 
 horses loose to feed upon wild oats, 
 and then wished they might be 
 allowed to put soap on the clothes 
 and wash them in the spring. 
 
 All around birds were singing 
 and flowers blooming. The Mexi- 
 can women laughed and chatted at 
 their work, scarcely thinking it work 
 under that shining sky. When the 
 clothes were washed they were 
 spread on the low bushes to dry. 
 
 Late in the afternoon Carlota 
 
 45
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 wandered away by herself to ex- 
 plore the canon : at least she in- 
 tended to go alone and did n't know 
 that Chona was following at a re- 
 spectful distance. Carlota liked to 
 imagine herself an early Spanish ex- 
 plorer and as Chona did n't like the 
 game and always refused to repre- 
 sent the handful of starving men 
 under command of the great chief, 
 why, the great chief ventured alone 
 into the wilderness among savages. 
 The canon was an unusually good 
 place to play Pizarro in Peru. 
 
 Suddenly in the trail before her 
 Carlota saw a gayly dressed man 
 a Mexican gentleman she decided 
 on the instant, at the same time 
 wondering where he bought his 
 gorgeous sash of embroidered 
 scarlet silk.
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " Buenos tardes, Senor," ventured 
 Carlota, after waiting for the gentle- 
 man to speak first. 
 
 " Talk English," suggested the 
 stranger, lifting his Mexican hat 
 and bowing low. 
 
 " Certainly," agreed Carlota, " I 
 learned English when I was a little 
 bit of a girl." 
 
 The man's eyes smiled but his 
 mouth did n't twitch as he surveyed 
 the wee maiden. 
 
 "Your name, Senorita?" 
 
 " I am Carlota," was the reply. 
 
 The child then noticed that 
 around the man's hat was a cord 
 made of nuggets of gold. Not to 
 be outdone in the matter of hats, 
 she told the stranger that her father 
 was the man who wore the jewelled 
 sombrero ; that every one in that 
 
 47
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 I 
 
 country knew the Sen or Don 
 Lisandro Del Villar. 
 
 In reply to brief questions Car- 
 lota gave a surprising amount of 
 information regarding her home 
 and family, when the stranger 
 suddenly vanished. For several 
 minutes he had seen Chona and 
 when she turned and signalled 
 wildly he kept his eye on the trail 
 until Antonio Moreno appeared 
 on horseback. Up to that moment 
 Carlota had not dreamed of fear. 
 
 "Who do you think the mountain 
 gentleman was?" she asked, with a 
 slight tremble in her voice. 
 
 "The gentleman, Senorita Car- 
 lota, I think he is robber. You 
 come stay with your mother." 
 
 "If it hadn't been for me, what 
 would have become of you?" in-
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 quired Chona, her dark eyes big 
 and round with horror. 
 
 Carlota gave her sister a hug 
 that nearly took her breath away. 
 Riding home in the caretta that 
 night, she fell asleep with her arms 
 around Chona. Once Carlota 
 awoke, but closed her eyes with 
 a thankful feeling in her heart 
 when she saw her mother's face 
 above her under the stars. 
 
 49
 
 THE KING'S HIGHWAY 
 
 a A R LOT A loved the 
 old road leading past 
 the Mission. Chona 
 laughed about it the 
 careless Chona, who galloped 
 across the mesa like a wild Indian 
 and never would sit down and 
 think quietly of days gone by and 
 things that happened long ago. 
 What did she care about the 
 
 King's Highway? 
 
 50
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 The morning after the mountain 
 trip Carlota begged Chona to go 
 for a stroll after wild flowers. 
 
 " Where ? " asked Chona. 
 
 " On the King's Highway," was 
 the reply. 
 
 " I '11 go on horseback, I '11 race 
 with you," agreed Chona. 
 
 " The Padres went on foot," ob- 
 jected Carlota. 
 
 " They did n't always," suggested 
 Chona ; " besides that, who 's a 
 Padre?" 
 
 " We could play be Padres our- 
 selves; this is a lovely morning to 
 play that. You could be Father 
 Cambon, I 'd be Father Somera, 
 and we 'd " 
 
 " Oh, Carlota," interrupted 
 Chona, " that 's a stupid game. Be- 
 sides, unless we 're on horseback you 
 51
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 know we are not allowed to go out 
 of sight of the Mission buildings. 
 I 'd rather play chase desert Indians. 
 We could go like the wind and las- 
 soo the chief before he could get to 
 the mountains. Come, Carlota, our 
 ponies are saddled. I 'm going." 
 
 " Please, Chona, come with me 
 this once. Please." 
 
 " No, Carlota, you 'd make me 
 learn some poetry or something. 
 I 'd rather ride to the old mill. 
 Babita is pawing the earth, she is 
 so anxious to start. Good-by." 
 
 Carlota trudged along on foot 
 and soon the little sister passed 
 her, leaving a cloud of dust in the 
 road and a feeling of loneliness in 
 the air. 
 
 " Wish I 'd gone with her," con- 
 fessed Carlota. 
 
 52
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 At that moment Chona looked 
 behind and felt uneasy because she 
 had left the Padre. Chona felt sure 
 that by that time the white-robed 
 figure on the highway was a Padre. 
 Carlota waved her hand, smiled, 
 and became the Padre, her white 
 dress upon the instant changing 
 to brown, and her face assuming 
 nearly as possible the expression 
 of an early Franciscan Father. 
 
 " I Ve come from San Diego," 
 mused the Padre, " I Ve walked 
 under blue skies and beside the 
 shining sea just like the man on 
 horseback in the poem. How 
 I love this old road we Padres 
 have made. Soon, when I have 
 passed San Gabriel, the King's 
 Highway will lead by snow-capped 
 mountains, peaks, and waterfalls. I 
 
 53
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 can see a long procession of brown 
 Padres marching on before me the 
 hundreds and hundreds of miles to 
 San Francisco to Mission Dolores. 
 At all the Missions the little child- 
 ren will come to meet me, singing 
 songs of old Spain and about Don 
 Carlos the King. 
 
 "Oh, but I s'pose they'd sing 
 chants and heavenly music for the 
 Padre; I forgot. Don't believe 
 I 'm a brown Padre this morning 
 after all. I feel more like Balboa 
 or Pizarro or or Alvarado. Not 
 Governor Alvarado, I should say 
 not. I mean that brave Spanish pi- 
 oneer who made the leap at Acoma. 
 The more I think of it the more I 
 am sure I am Balboa. Oh, oh, oh. 
 Here are mist-maidens. I never 
 saw them except in the mountains." 
 
 54
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Balboa stooped to gather a hand- 
 ful of the dainty white blossoms; 
 then, that the mist-maidens might 
 have light, she gathered a bunch 
 of lantern of the fairies. After 
 that Balboa was forgotten and a 
 little girl began picking wild flow- 
 ers, led on and on by Indian 
 warriors, scarlet buglers, whisper- 
 ing bells, and woolly blue curls. 
 Making a basket of her dress 
 Carlota filled it with her treasures 
 and then picked more. Violets, 
 the wild forget-me-nots, and name- 
 less blooms were eagerly and lov- 
 ingly added to the store. 
 
 The child forgot that she was 
 alone and did n't notice when a 
 turn of the Highway left the 
 Mission buildings out of sight. 
 She thought of the poppy fields 
 
 55
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 [|| 
 
 beyond and hastened through a 
 wilderness of wild mustard that 
 rose abruptly on either side higher 
 than her father's head. 
 
 "It's like walking through golden 
 walls," whispered the child. " En- 
 chanted walls, I think, because 
 birds are singing all through it." 
 
 How it happened Carlota never 
 knew ; but the next second a horse- 
 man came from behind, snatched 
 her from the ground, placed her on 
 his saddle, and dashed through the 
 long golden walls holding her firmly 
 in his right arm. 
 
 Even in her fright Carlota no- 
 ticed what a noble horse was bear- 
 ing her away from home. It was 
 a silver-mounted saddle, too. A 
 gust of wind swept a fold of scarlet 
 silk about her and then Carlota 
 
 56
 
 I HE NEXT SECOND A HORSE- 
 MAN CAME FROM BEHIND"
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 knew that yesterday's robber was 
 taking her to the mountains. There 
 was no mistaking that embroidered 
 sash. 
 
 What to do Carlota did n't know. 
 To scream for help would be use- 
 less. Shutting her teeth together 
 she wondered what her heroes 
 would do in such a place. Pizarro 
 would manage some way to escape. 
 Balboa but at that moment a 
 sickening thought made Carlota's 
 head droop for a minute against 
 the robber. Both Pizarro and 
 Balboa died frightful deaths. 
 
 " Do we ride too fast, Senorita?" 
 asked the robber. His voice was 
 kind. 
 
 " Are you going to kill me ? " 
 demanded Carlota, feeling that it 
 might be well to know the worst. 
 
 57
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 "There now, child, don't think 
 of such distressing things. Kill 
 you ? I '11 take care of you as ten- 
 derly as your own mother. Kill 
 you? No, indeed, Senorita, you 
 have nothing to fear, and this is a 
 perfect day for a ride. I 'm taking 
 you to my cave near the loveliest 
 canon in all California." 
 
 Balboa would n't have cried, 
 Pizarro would n't have cried, Al- 
 varado would have scorned tears, 
 but Carlota wept aloud. 
 
 " You you turn around and 
 take me home," she wailed in 
 Spanish, forgetting that her cap- 
 tor, in spite of his Mexican 
 dress, had requested her to talk 
 Knglish. 
 
 " Were you speaking to me ? " 
 
 asked the robber. 
 
 58
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " I say you take me home," 
 sobbed the child. 
 
 " Too inconvenient/' was the re- 
 ply. "It occurred to me yesterday 
 that a man of your father's wealth 
 would pay for the return of his 
 daughter. I have seen the jewelled 
 sombrero, little lady. I know that 
 it is worth at least five hundred 
 dollars. I shall send a messenger 
 to Don Lisandro and offer to ex- 
 change you for that piece of vanity 
 and a few bags of gold." 
 
 " My father won't give you his 
 jewelled sombrero," was the retort. 
 "All the soldiers in the barracks 
 will be sent after me and they '11 
 put a bullet through you ! " 
 
 "If they find me, Senorita, and 
 if they find you," was the response. 
 " My cave gives up no secrets. I '11 
 
 59
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 lj 
 
 have the bags of gold and the 
 sombrero." 
 
 " You let go of me, you 're 
 squeezing me to death with your 
 old arm. I don't want you to 
 touch me!" said Carlota. 
 
 The mustard field was left be- 
 hind. The robber's horse bounded 
 up one hill and down another, 
 through thickets, past desert places, 
 on and on toward the mountains. 
 Not a human being in sight. 
 
 " Very well, Senorita, I feared 
 you might fall off. It would be 
 necessary to hold a little Yankee 
 girl, but I '11 let you take care of 
 yourself. It would n't do any good 
 to try to get away from me here, so 
 if you dared jump you 'd only break 
 your pretty neck for nothing." 
 
 Many and many a time Carlota 
 60
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 had watched parties of young people 
 going miles and miles on horseback 
 to picnics, each Californian with his 
 sweetheart on his saddle, both with 
 wild flowers on their hats and joy 
 in their hearts. Carlota had even 
 dreamed of the time when she 
 would be one of a merry picnic 
 band galloping away in the same 
 gay style. She thought of her 
 dreams and leaned forward to be 
 as far as possible from the robber. 
 
 A turn of the trail and a group 
 of horsemen appeared. They were 
 Americans from the San Gabriel 
 settlement who had been several 
 days in the mountains on a fishing 
 trip. 
 
 Carlota instantly recognized 
 Jimmy's Uncle Jack. Before the 
 robber had time to think, the child 
 
 61
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 screamed for help and leaped from 
 the saddle. 
 
 It was over in a flash. At first 
 Uncle Jack and his friends thought 
 only of Carlota; and, by the time 
 they were sure she was unhurt, the 
 robber had made his escape.
 
 SANTA MARIA LOUISA 
 
 (D 
 
 'HAT are you made 
 of, child?" demanded 
 Uncle Jack, as Carlota, 
 laughing and crying, 
 climbed upon his horse, patted its 
 neck, and talked hysterical non- 
 sense in Spanish. 
 
 " She did n't even bump her 
 
 head," he explained to his friends. 
 
 " I Ve practised the Alvarado 
 
 leap," the child replied. " I used 
 
 to get hurt, but now I can jump 
 
 63
 
 j|| 
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 pretty well. After the robber let 
 go of me I watched and watched 
 for a chance to get away from him, 
 but there was no use jumping off 
 his horse just to show him I could 
 do it. My ! was n't I glad when I 
 saw you, Senor ! " 
 
 " Call me Uncle Jack," suggested 
 the man, " I 'm more used to it." 
 
 " Oh, dear," sighed Carlota, " I 
 forgot that you are an Americano. 
 Anyway, surely my father will thank 
 you for bringing me home safely." 
 
 " Nothing to thank me for, child, 
 I did n't even pick you up. You 
 scrambled upon your own feet and 
 I believe you captured my horse." 
 
 Carlota laughed merrily. " I 
 never was so glad to see a horse in 
 my life. But, Senor, Uncle Jack, 
 
 if I had not jumped from the rob- 
 
 6 4
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 lj 
 
 ber's saddle, what would you have 
 done ? " 
 
 " Rescued you, of course, though 
 even that would not have been worth 
 mentioning, as there were six of us, 
 all armed. Your robber would have 
 had no chance. We might have 
 given chase anyway. Your father 
 would n't have let him escape." 
 
 " Possibly," assented Carlota, 
 "but he will thank you. I almost 
 hope he will forgive you for being 
 an Americano when I tell him that 
 you saved me." 
 
 " See here, little girl," Uncle Jack 
 remarked in serious tones, " I wish 
 no thanks from your father, but you 
 might do me one great favor. Will 
 you promise ? " 
 
 " Gladly," agreed Carlota, " that 
 is of course you know I can't 
 
 5 6 5
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 belong to the United States. My 
 father says we '11 never live under 
 your flag if we have to sell every- 
 thing and go back to Old Mexico 
 or even to Spain. He says, though, 
 the Americanos can never conquer 
 the Californians and if war is de- 
 clared he'll fight for the Mexican 
 flag as long as there's a bit of green 
 bunting in the country and while he 
 has a drop of blood left in his veins! 
 Oh, I hope it is n't anything about 
 our flags ! " 
 
 How Uncle Jack laughed. 
 
 "You stand by Old Mexico," 
 said he, " that 's all right. I only 
 want you to be friends with my 
 little niece." 
 
 "Oh, she's the pink and white 
 girl at the Mission Jimmy Rad- 
 cliffe's sister." 
 
 66
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 "Yes, that's Mary Louise, and 
 if she is my niece, I must say she 's 
 the dearest, sweetest child that ever 
 sailed around Cape Horn." 
 
 " I have never seen her," said 
 Carlota, "but Chona, who always 
 sees everybody and goes every- 
 where, Chona says she 's pretty." 
 
 "Mary Louise is good, you 
 may be sure of that; she is a reg- 
 ular little saint. The child is so 
 homesick since her mother went 
 away it is pitiful to see her." 
 
 "It must be dreary at the Mis- 
 sion," interrupted Carlota, "and I 
 will go and play with her, Chona 
 and I together. But why did her 
 mother have to go away? Some 
 one told Chona that her father, 
 Senor Thomas Radcliffe, came 
 
 here to buy lands for a big cattle 
 
 6 7
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 rancho, but that he went prospect- 
 ing that he believes there's gold 
 in the California mountains." 
 
 " That is so," was the reply, " but 
 he was taken ill and six weeks ago 
 the children's mother left them with 
 the Padre and went to take care of 
 him." 
 
 "That poor little lonesome girl!" 
 exclaimed Carlota. "You tell her 
 I will come and see her to-morrow. 
 We 're all going to the Chino rancho 
 to-day. Oh, I 'm so glad I 'm not 
 in that robber's cave! I was scared 
 almost to death." 
 
 Late that afternoon Carlota had 
 a glimpse of Mary Louise in the 
 Padre's garden. The setting sun 
 behind the American child's golden 
 hair changed the shining ringlets 
 into a halo. 
 
 68
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " He said she was a saint," 
 whispered Carlota, clasping her 
 hands as she gazed. " The pretty 
 little girl. Why, she 's Santa Maria 
 Louisa."
 
 THE CAT WHOSE NAME WAS 
 YANKEE 
 
 AYS passed and Mary 
 Louise watched in vain 
 forCarlota. It seemed to 
 the little girl that Yankee, 
 the cat, was her only comfort. 
 
 " I am sure we don't like that Car- 
 lota," she murmured, gathering the 
 cat in her arms after standing for 
 half an hour beside an adobe wall, 
 gazing toward the Casa Del Villar. 
 " I Ve got you, anyway," she 
 
 added, and the cat purred and 
 
 70
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 purred and purred just as he did 
 when Mary Louise was seasick on 
 the voyage around Cape Horn. 
 
 " The sailor who gave you to me 
 did n't know that you 'd be my only 
 friend in this Mexican country. 
 Oh, Yankee, why did we ever leave 
 the United States ! " 
 
 Jimmy overheard his little sister's 
 last remark. " Yankee never did 
 leave the United States, Senorita," 
 he declared. 
 
 " I am not a Senorita," pouted 
 Mary Louise, "and you don't 
 know any more about that cat 
 than I do." 
 
 "Well, I know this much," argued 
 the boy, " that Yankee was a stow- 
 away cat, now was n't he ? " 
 
 "What if he was?" 
 
 " He went on board ship one 
 71
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 time in Valparaiso, and that's in 
 South America, is n't it ? " 
 
 "Well, but what of it?" persisted 
 Mary Louise. " The cat changed 
 cars, that 's all. He probably went 
 to Valparaiso on a Boston boat. 
 I 'm sure I saw this very cat in 
 Boston !" 
 
 "That's all you know," Jimmy 
 went on, "that cat, Miss Radcliffe, 
 came on a Spanish whaling vessel 
 from Spain. You ought to see how 
 he rubs up against Antonio Moreno. 
 He rcognizes a countryman, I tell 
 you. Why, that cat is pure Castilian 
 Spanish to the backbone!" and 
 J immy began whistling the Mexican 
 national air. 
 
 " They don't have whaling vessels 
 in Spain," sputtered Mary Louise, 
 
 "and that's all you know about 
 
 72
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 anything. Dear old cat, I can't 
 imagine what I 'd do without 
 you." 
 
 " Better not let Yankee see Car- 
 lota," Jimmy suggested, grinning at 
 the sight of his sister's unhappy 
 face, "and and my dear Miss 
 Radcl iff e, don't cry; if you get that 
 cat wet he '11 run away to see Carlota, 
 sure." 
 
 " Yankee would n't look at Car- 
 lota," was the retort. 
 
 "Wouldn't, hey? What '11 you 
 bet?" 
 
 " Yankee belongs to the United 
 States, don't you, Yankee ? " was 
 the response. 
 
 "You wait," predicted Jimmy. 
 " The first chance that cat gets to 
 go over to the Casa Del Villar, he'll 
 go. Can 't help it. He's Spanish ! " 
 
 73
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Mary Louise had the last word. 
 " He 's American ! " she insisted. 
 
 At that moment the Padre ap- 
 peared. It 's bad manners to 
 quarrel in the presence of a Padre. 
 Mary Louise wiped her eyes, then 
 listened with Jimmy to a talk on 
 orange culture. It was interesting 
 to know that the first orange trees 
 in California were planted by the 
 Padres in San Gabriel. Mary 
 Louise asked many questions: but 
 Jimmy kept the eye of his mind on 
 Yankee. 
 
 When the bells of San Gabriel 
 sounded the evening chimes and 
 Mary Louise at the Padre's feet 
 listened with penitent heart as she 
 recalled her many imperfections 
 and especially the unkind things 
 she had said to her brother but a 
 
 74
 
 1 CARLOTA p 
 
 few hours before, that brother was 
 hastening toward the Casa Del 
 Villar with Yankee in his arms. 
 
 In the gathering darkness, for 
 night descends quickly in southern 
 California, Jimmy crept close to 
 an outer porch of the adobe house 
 where Carlota sat with a book in 
 her lap, and released Yankee. 
 
 Instantly Carlota recognized the 
 cat. Springing to her feet and 
 stamping upon the stone floor she 
 exclaimed : 
 
 " Go home, you gato Americano ! " 
 
 Jimmy thought his scheme had 
 failed : but he did n't know Yankee. 
 Approaching the little Spanish girl 
 Yankee made a few mewing re- 
 marks, waved his tail and rubbed 
 himself against her in a fashion of 
 his own that proved irresistible. 
 
 75
 
 jll 
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Carlota petted him and then talked 
 pages of Spanish that Jimmy inter- 
 preted to suit himself. 
 
 Mary Louise wept for her cat 
 that night, but Jimmy did n't dare 
 do more than sympathize. The 
 next day he went in search of his 
 sister's pet and told this story on 
 his return : 
 
 " Found your cat. Did n't bring 
 it home because I thought you'd 
 have to go after it yourself or 
 you wouldn't believe where I 
 found it." 
 
 "Oh, where, Jimmy?" 
 
 " Over to Carlota's. She was 
 giving it milk to drink out of a blue 
 bowl that is exactly like the Mis- 
 sion dishes s'pose Yankee did n't 
 know the difference." 
 
 The next day the cat returned 
 
 76
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 and begged to be loved. At first 
 Mary Louise refused to caress the 
 runaway. 
 
 " You old Spanish cat," she 
 sobbed, "you better go back and 
 stay with Carlota. I don't like 
 her but come here, Kitty, Kitty, 
 Kitty, nice Kitty, oh, Yankee ! 
 Don't go over there again ! Re- 
 member, Kitty, we belong to the 
 Stars and Stripes ! " 
 
 77
 
 TWO SIDES OF A QUESTION 
 
 SUNDAY was a hard day 
 for Mary Louise. When 
 she tried to get ready for 
 church Jimmy refused to 
 button her dress and she had to ask 
 Anita for help. Perhaps Anita 
 did n't mean to be unkind but she 
 jerked the tiny buttons and yanked 
 at the hair ribbons; didn't even try 
 to tie a pretty bow. Something 
 Anita said about troublesome 
 
 Americanos made the little girl 
 
 78
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 cry; and at last when she started 
 for church, Jimmy had run 
 away. 
 
 Alone, Mary Louise, red-eyed 
 and miserable, entered the open 
 doors beneath the choir loft. It 
 was nothing to her then that those 
 massive doors were hand carved 
 and brought from Spain. Years 
 and years afterward, when Mary 
 Louise was an old lady, she saw 
 those same doors at the World's 
 Fair in Chicago, and smiled. 
 
 That morning, feeling thoroughly 
 dismal, she remembered that be- 
 neath the chapel were buried many 
 of the greatest men of early Cali- 
 fornia. At the foot of the altar 
 rested Padre Sanchez, once presi- 
 dent of all the Missions. It was 
 particularly mournful to think of 
 
 79
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 him, as he was said to have died of 
 grief at the ruin of San Gabriel. 
 
 While Mexican families began 
 seating themselves around her the 
 child tried to imagine scenes of 
 other days when the church was 
 filled with Indian worshippers sit- 
 ting or kneeling upon the tiled 
 floor and musicians in gay costume 
 filed into the choir loft from the 
 outer stairway, playing upon their 
 harps and violins. 
 
 Mary Louise missed her own 
 church. Everything about her in 
 that foreign land was new and 
 strange. As usual, the image of 
 Saint Gabriel behind the altar, with 
 Saint Francis and Saint Padua on 
 either side, were seen dimly through 
 a mist of tears. 
 
 The Padre did n't compel Mary 
 
 so
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Louise and J immy to attend services 
 in the chapel, but he was pleased, 
 that good man, whenever he saw 
 the little sister in his congregation. 
 How surprised he would have been 
 if he had known that Sunday after 
 Sunday the little Americano fol- 
 lowed in the footsteps of departed 
 Indians for the purpose of gazing 
 upon the lovely face of Senora 
 Dona Ysabel. 
 
 When Mary Louise dried her 
 tears and began studying the paint- 
 ings of the twelve apostles upon 
 the walls, the Del Villar family 
 appeared. Don Lisandro made 
 her smile. She and Jimmy often 
 wondered how their father would 
 look dressed in Spanish costume. 
 The straight, strong man wore an 
 exquisitely embroidered white shirt 
 
 81
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 open at the neck. His vest was 
 yellow silk trimmed with silver 
 braid. His short coat was crimson 
 velvet. The trousers of the same 
 color and material were slashed on 
 the outer side to the knee and laced 
 over long white silk stockings that 
 wrinkled. Around his waist was 
 tied a bright blue silk sash heavily 
 fringed. 
 
 The Dona Ysabel, his wife, wore 
 a short-sleeved white gown of soft 
 silk with a rose pink sash. Carlota 
 and Chona were also in white. 
 
 From her corner Mary Louise 
 watched the four, one minute won- 
 dering how Carlota's mother could 
 wear such an immense back comb, 
 the next second marvelling that 
 Chona managed to keep so quiet 
 
 and look so pious. 
 
 82
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 At last Carlota turned around, 
 meeting a wistful gaze from two big 
 blue eyes. Mary Louise smiled, 
 but Carlota, pretending not to see 
 the friendly advance, stared at the 
 wall behind the little stranger, al- 
 though her cheeks flushed until 
 they were nearly the color of her 
 father's coat. Hurt and angry, 
 Mary Louise swallowed the lump 
 in her throat and winked back the 
 tears. 
 
 One little act redeemed that 
 morning. Outside the chapel, Car- 
 lota's mother, in passing the Amer- 
 ican child, lifted a bright curl and 
 called it hair of gold. A loving 
 look accompanied the words and 
 for the moment Mary Louise was 
 happy. Later she hugged the cat 
 and wept upon his soft fur. 
 83
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 "That Spanish girl is horrid," 
 she wailed, " and Yankee, don't 
 you ever, ever, ever go near her, 
 ever, ever ! " 
 
 That night Jimmy again guided 
 the footsteps of the cat in the direc- 
 tion of the Del Villar rose garden, 
 and once more that day Yankee 
 was eagerly welcomed. 
 
 Carlota talked Spanish to the 
 cat and whether Yankee under- 
 stood it or not, it was safe to con- 
 fide in a creature who could repeat 
 neither Spanish nor English. 
 
 " Kitty," said Carlota, " if your 
 mistress could only know that my 
 heart is pretty near breaking in ten 
 pieces on account of the war and 
 because I can't even speak to her, 
 I would be glad. I am so sorry 
 
 for that poor little homesick girl, 
 
 8 4
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 but what can I do? My father 
 hates the Americanos and he told 
 me I must n't even look at that 
 pretty Santa Maria Louisa. I 
 wonder what her Uncle Jack 
 thinks ? 
 
 "And, oh, Kitty, my father says 
 he 's going to be ready to drive the 
 Americanos out of the country the 
 minute war is declared between 
 Mexico and the United States. 
 He wants to fight, and, oh, he '11 be 
 killed. Oh, dear, maybe we'll all 
 be dead before next Christmas. 
 
 "Don't go home to-night, Kitty, 
 stay here and be a Spanish cat 
 until to-morrow."
 
 MARY LOUISE AND THE GRIZZLY 
 BEAR 
 
 IF there was one thing Mary 
 Louise feared more than 
 another in the vicinity of 
 San Gabriel, that one thing 
 was the grizzly bear. Yet the time 
 came when the little girl rejoiced 
 that she had had an adventure 
 with the biggest, fiercest grizzly 
 bear ever dragged into the 
 Mission. 
 
 Antonio Moreno often told 
 Mary Louise and Jimmy bear 
 
 86
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 [| 
 
 stories. He said that every Span- 
 ish family in the country related 
 thrilling tales of grizzlies. The 
 bravest young men used to ride 
 out alone to kill the bears. 
 When a young man lassoed one, 
 he dragged it to a tree, slipped 
 out of his saddle and killed the 
 beast with one blow from his Mex- 
 ican hunting knife. Sometimes 
 these young men lassoed bears for 
 the fun of dragging them through 
 the streets at night past the homes 
 of their friends. Once in a while 
 two or three bears trotted down 
 the hills into a village where young 
 men were serenading their sweet- 
 hearts. This made a change in 
 the music. 
 
 Herdsmen and hunters were so 
 often killed by grizzlies that one of 
 87
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 the governors of California ap- 
 pointed expert bear hunters to 
 destroy them. Antonio Moreno 
 liked especially to tell the children 
 of brave feats performed by one 
 of these experts, Don Rafael Soto, 
 who used to hide in a pit covered 
 with logs and leaves and baited 
 with fresh beef. When the bear 
 came for the beef Don Rafael 
 shot him from beneath. 
 
 Mary Louise wished that Don 
 Rafael had killed all the bears in- 
 stead of leaving such vast numbers 
 around San Gabriel. She thought 
 Jimmy was nothing short of a sav- 
 age because he never missed seeing 
 a bull and bear fight if he could 
 reach the scene. 
 
 There was a time when Jimmy 
 thought the young Mexicans, who 
 
 88
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 went to the foothills and lassoed 
 and dragged bears into the 
 Mission for these fights, were 
 braver men than any heroes of 
 the American Revolution. At 
 least, so he told Mary Louise. 
 
 Many an hour the boy practised 
 with a reata. He lassoed whatever 
 he chose from sticks of wood to the 
 cat and Mary Louise. Once the 
 little sister narrowly escaped losing 
 an ear. After that episode the 
 Padre interfered. The only diver- 
 sion left Jimmy for the next few 
 days was scaring his victim with 
 horned toads and showing her bear 
 tracks near the school-room window. 
 H e made the tracks himself, but con- 
 vinced the little girl that bears were 
 in the habit of climbing to the win- 
 dow and gazing upon her as she slept. 
 8 9
 
 f 
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 It was early summer, the time 
 of the yearly round-up, that Mary 
 Louise met her grizzly. Thanks 
 to the Padre, the child knew that 
 from early days a round-up took 
 place once a year, when cattle were 
 driven in from surrounding pastures 
 and the herds belonging to different 
 ranchos were separated. Theyoung 
 cattle were then marked with the 
 brand of their owners. The Padre 
 showed the children the famous 
 old branding iron of San Gabriel. 
 Jimmy thought himself the hero of 
 that particular round-up because 
 Antonio Moreno was appointed 
 one of the special officers of the 
 plain. Their duty was to settle 
 disputes and keep order. 
 
 At the feast that followed the 
 
 round-up it was rumored that Car- 
 go
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 lota's mother had lost a pearl neck- 
 lace,an heirloom from Spain. Mary 
 Louise and the Padre searched 
 through the early afternoon for the 
 treasure, then the Padre returned 
 to the Mission, leaving Mary Louise 
 to follow later on her burro. 
 
 Most of the time the little girl 
 lingered apart from the merry- 
 makers, always trying to get a 
 glimpse of Carlota's mother. 
 
 Two hours passed when it was 
 discovered that the Senora Dona 
 Ysabel was missing. At that an- 
 nouncement dozens of young men 
 sprang into their saddles and gal- 
 loped in search of her. 
 
 " We know which way she went, 
 
 don't we, Burrito ?" whispered 
 
 Mary Louise. " She walked over 
 
 that way toward home, looking on 
 
 91
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 the ground, probably hunting for 
 her necklace. We'll find her, and 
 oh, Burrito, she '11 speak to me; 
 she'll say, ' Why, have I been gone 
 long ? How strange that they 
 think I 'm lost. Thank you, little 
 girl, for telling me ! ' 
 
 Thus Mary Louise went in 
 search of the Dona Ysabel and 
 came without warning, except from 
 the frantic burro, face to face with 
 a grizzly bear a more terrible 
 bear than she had ever imagined. 
 Certainly the burro did all he 
 could to prevent the meeting, but 
 Mary Louise did n't understand 
 why he became so unmanageable. 
 The child screamed, expecting the 
 next minute to be killed. 
 
 Instead of giving chase the bear 
 
 merely growled, snarled, and turned 
 92
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 toward a rock almost hidden in the 
 thicket. The burro whirled, but in 
 that second Mary Louise heard a 
 voice calling to her from the nearest 
 crevice in the rock. 
 
 " Fly, child, go for my husband 
 quick quick. I could barely 
 squeeze in here fly, fly! I am 
 afraid the bear will turn on you." 
 
 When Burrito started home- 
 ward he did n't choose his steps 
 but tore through the thicket re- 
 gardless of the safety of the fright- 
 ened child upon his back. Her 
 clothes were torn almost off and 
 her face and arms were bleeding 
 from thorns and underbrush when 
 the burro finally threw her almost 
 under the hoofs of Don Lisandro's 
 horse. 
 
 Mary Louise managed to tell 
 
 93
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 llj 
 \V* 
 
 her story before she fainted. The 
 next thing the child knew she was 
 lying on a couch in the Casa Del 
 Villar. Carlota was kneeling be- 
 side her, clinging to one little hand, 
 and Mary Louise could scarcely 
 believe it was her own hand so 
 lovingly held. On the couch, 
 smoothing back the golden ring- 
 lets, sat Carlota's mother, pale but 
 unhurt. Standing near was Don 
 Lisandro, who looked upon her 
 with the tenderness of a father 
 instead of appearing the haughty 
 Spanish gentleman she had 
 known. 
 
 "Where 's Jimmy ? " asked Mary 
 Louise. 
 
 Carlota smiled and kissed 
 Jimmy's sister. " He 's listening 
 to the bear growl," she answered, 
 
 94
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " and wishing that he had been a 
 man and could have lassoed that 
 bear the way my father did." 
 
 " What 's the matter with me ? " 
 continued the child, " am I hurt ? " 
 
 " Not a bit, but mamma says 
 that the Padre and Docas and 
 Anita will have to live without 
 you for a while. You 're going to 
 stay here and have a good time." 
 
 " But but your father ? " faltered 
 the little American. 
 
 " My home is yours," said Don 
 Lisandro. 
 
 95
 
 CARLOTA'S HOME 
 
 aARLOTA and Chona 
 did everything possible 
 to please their guest. 
 The Padre excused her 
 from lessons. He told Mary 
 Louise that she could learn more 
 Spanish during her visit with the 
 Del Villars than he could teach her 
 in many months; an arrangement 
 which satisfied all children con- 
 cerned except Jimmy, who was 
 
 obliged to copy Spanish sentences 
 96
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 by himself in the presence of the 
 Padre. It would never do to aim 
 paper wads at the Padre, nor drop 
 a horned toad down his neck, hence 
 Jimmy missed his sister. 
 
 As days passed Mary Louise was 
 thankful that Jimmy was left at the 
 Mission. He would have shocked 
 Carlota's father and mother 
 almost beyond hope of forgiveness. 
 When Jimmy tried his best to be 
 good he was n't half so well be- 
 haved as the rudest Spanish child. 
 
 Not only did Carlota and Chona 
 obey their father and mother strictly 
 and as if obedience was their great- 
 est pleasure, but all the children 
 connected with the household were 
 angelic in their ways. They never 
 teased their parents nor whined, 
 nor cried. 
 
 7 97
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 The principal room in the Del 
 Villar house, which was made of 
 adobes, or sun-baked brick, with a 
 roof of red tiles, was a large hall 
 in the centre. This was designed 
 for dancing parties and Mary 
 Louise thought it the most at- 
 tractive room she had ever seen. 
 The mantelpiece was brought from 
 Honolulu, the iron supporting it 
 from China, while the beam ceiling 
 and sides of the room were of red- 
 wood from the Sonoma forests. 
 Bearskin rugs and goatskins cov- 
 ered the floor. 
 
 There the children played dur- 
 ing the noonday heat and scarcely 
 an evening passed without witness- 
 ing a gay gathering within its walls. 
 
 The living rooms and bedrooms 
 opened off the hall and many a night
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Carlota, Chona, and Mary Louise, 
 having been sent to bed, begged 
 to have their door left open that 
 they might hear the music of the 
 guitars and violins and watch the 
 dancers until they could no longer 
 stay awake. 
 
 It is strange, but Mary Louise 
 missed her own mother more dur- 
 ing those happy days than before. 
 She was accustomed to a mother 
 who gave her children an occa- 
 sional hug, cuddled them beside 
 her in the firelight and tucked 
 them in bed at night. Even 
 Jimmy was a good boy when his 
 mother's arms were around him. 
 Mary Louise soon felt that the 
 lovely Dona Ysabel was n't nearly 
 so sweet as her own mother. 
 
 Carlota, with permission, showed 
 
 99
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Mary Louise her mother's jewels; 
 long strings of pearls and rubies ; 
 gold buckles encrusted with pre- 
 cious stones ; pins of all shapes 
 and sizes ; curious necklaces from 
 Old Mexico, and priceless rings, 
 many of them heirlooms from 
 Spain. One day Carlota unlocked 
 a door and showed Mary Louise 
 Don Lisandro's bags of gold. 
 
 Sometimes, seated in a massive 
 arm-chair in the long hall, Dona 
 Ysabel told the children stories, 
 while Carlota, Chona, and Mary 
 Louise lay on a goatskin rug at 
 her feet. 
 
 Carlota loved to hear stories of 
 Father Serra and of the time just 
 before his death when he set out 
 from San Gabriel to found the 
 Mission of San Buenaventura 
 
 IOO
 
 SOMETIMES DONA YSABEL 
 TOLD THE CHILDREN STORIES"
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 fc 
 
 with the governor and seventy 
 soldiers in the procession. Mary 
 Louise preferred listening to le- 
 gends, particularly the legend of 
 the San Gabriel bells. It was the 
 story of a maiden in Spain who 
 died of grief because her sweet- 
 heart was killed close by the un- 
 finished San Gabriel church, and 
 who, when she was taken to see 
 the casting of the bells which were 
 to be sent over the seas to the 
 Mission, threw in her gold rings 
 and jewels. Other Spanish 
 maidens followed her example, 
 which accounts for wonderful 
 tones of sweetness in the San 
 Gabriel chimes. 
 
 "The Santa Maria Louisa is so 
 fond of legends," Carlota suggested 
 one evening in the great hall, " tell 
 
 101
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 her the legend of the rain prayer." 
 And Dona Ysabel told it as 
 follows: 
 
 LEGEND OF THE RAIN PRAYER 
 
 IN the long ago the vineyards and 
 the grainfields of San Gabriel needed 
 rain. Evening after evening the Padre, 
 the Spanish settlers in the village, and 
 the Indians looked toward the mountains 
 for signs of rain. Snow was deep upon 
 the peaks, but not a cloud. Day after 
 day the sun beat down upon the valley 
 and the plains, scorching the grainfields 
 and withering the vineyards, while the 
 cattle died of thirst. The river-bed, wide 
 and dry, stretched toward the sea a path 
 of burning sand. 
 
 Upon their knees the Padre, the settlers 
 and the Indians knelt beneath the open 
 .sky and prayed for rain. They bowed 
 themselves low in the dust, beseeching 
 
 IO2
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 for rain. Yet there came no rain or 
 clouds around the mountain peaks, al- 
 though the settlers and the Indians were 
 dying. 
 
 At last the Padre, half despairing, spoke 
 these words : " Oh, my people, the Father 
 will not listen to our prayers. He has 
 turned away his face. We have sinned. 
 But the little children God will hear 
 the little children. Let us send them 
 to the vineyards to pray for mercy to 
 beg the Father to send us rain." 
 
 At twilight, when the Mission bells 
 were ringing, a long procession of little 
 children robed in purest white obeyed 
 the Padre's will. Straight to the vine- 
 yards went the little children, two by 
 two, and on their knees they sang the 
 harvest song. Then, folding their hands, 
 with upraised faces they prayed the 
 Heavenly Father to send them rain. 
 These were the beautiful children of long 
 ago. 
 
 Still rang the sweet-toned Mission bells 
 103
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 and while the children knelt so earnestly 
 praying " Oh, Father, send us rain," there 
 came a sudden breeze from off the sea. 
 Around the mountain peaks dark clouds 
 began to cluster and the waiting people 
 said, " The Father hears their prayer." 
 
 Swiftly came the darkness, but with it 
 fell the rain upon the dying valley and 
 the little Mission town. 
 
 Then the Padre in the chapel knelt and 
 all the people with him while they thanked 
 the pitying Father for the rain. Then 
 the little children sang again the harvest 
 song. 
 
 This is the legend Carlota's 
 mother told the children when the 
 Mission bells were ringing the 
 evening chimes. 
 
 104
 
 JIMMY IN DISGRACE 
 
 ONE day the Padre, intent 
 upon his sermon, forgot 
 about Jimmy's lessons, 
 and Jimmy, glad to es- 
 cape the lessons, began looking 
 around for something to do. With 
 both Mary Louise and the cat at 
 the neighbor's, there was no one 
 he could safely tease. 
 
 Wandering into the garden, 
 Jimmy discovered his Uncle Jack's 
 
 oldest, worst-looking sombrero lying 
 
 105
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 on the adobe wall. Instantly the 
 boy remembered that Uncle Jack 
 had arranged to meet Don Lisan- 
 dro at three o'clock that afternoon 
 to purchase a strip of land adjoin- 
 ing some property he had bought 
 for a future cattle ranch. Jimmy 
 grinned. 
 
 "Uncle Jack doesn't know 
 what's what or he would trim his 
 sombrero before he goes to meet 
 the great Don. How he will look 
 beside that gay Spanish gentleman! 
 Let me see, what can we do for 
 you, Uncle Jack? No jewels on 
 your sombrero ? Si, Senor, you 
 need help ! No sabe Americano 
 without jewels on his sombrero!" 
 
 The sun was bright and strong. 
 Jimmy picked up a bit of thick 
 glass, and, after some practice, 
 
 106
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 managed to focus the rays of light 
 to his satisfaction. At first he 
 burned scallops around the som- 
 brero's brim. 
 
 "Si, Senor," he chuckled, 
 "Americano muchacho make you 
 jewelled sombrero, sabe?" 
 
 Not content with scallops alone, 
 Jimmy burned into the sombrero 
 outlines of bears and other beasts 
 as well as suggestions of blazing 
 jewels. Next thing he knew 
 Uncle Jack appeared in search of 
 his hat. Jimmy hid outside the 
 adobe wall to hear Uncle Jack's 
 remarks. To the boy's surprise, 
 his uncle, seeming in great haste, 
 snatched his hat, jammed it on his 
 head, mounted his horse, and gal- 
 loped away to keep his engage- 
 ment with Don Lisandro. 
 107
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " The Senor did n't notice the 
 decorations," grumbled Jimmy, 
 climbing upon the adobe wall to 
 watch the retreating horse and 
 rider. " Don Lisandro will, 
 though, and then I wonder what 
 will happen ? I did n't think he 
 would wear that old sombrero this 
 afternoon, anyway." 
 
 An hour later Antonio Moreno 
 told Jimmy what happened and 
 advised him to keep out of his 
 Uncle Jack's sight for several days, 
 if possible. 
 
 "Si, Senor, he say, 'let me catch 
 that Jeemy. I feex him." 
 
 When Don Lisandro observed 
 the sombrero, he was sure the 
 American wore it as an insult. 
 He wished to fight. Uncle Jack 
 recognized J immy's work, explained
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 and apologized. The Don decided 
 not to kill Uncle Jack on the spot 
 but there was no land bought or 
 sold that day, and an angry man 
 searched the Mission grounds for 
 the penitent artist. 
 
 The American muchacho didn't 
 know where to hide and in attempt- 
 ing to keep out of his Uncle Jack's 
 sight he ran into Don Lisandro on 
 horseback. Grasping his riding 
 whip the Don sprang to the ground 
 and threatened dreadful things in 
 Spanish and English when he 
 should get his hands on Jimmy. 
 
 Like a flash of lightning Jimmy 
 climbed a slender eucalyptus tree 
 and the only thing Don Lisandro 
 could do was to remain below and 
 continue his remarks in two lan- 
 guages. At last, having exhausted 
 109
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 t 
 
 his vocabulary, the Don galloped 
 away and Jimmy began a hasty 
 descent. Fortunately, as it proved, 
 the boy fell and Antonio Moreno 
 picked him up, unconscious, and 
 carried him to the Mission. Jimmy 
 quickly revived, but looked so pale 
 and was so bruised and hurt, Uncle 
 Jack really couldn't give him the 
 promised thrashing. 
 
 When Mary Louise heard of 
 the accident, she bade her friends 
 good-by, took her cat and hastened 
 to the Mission, where she wept over 
 her injured brother. 
 
 "What you crying 'bout, silly?" 
 demanded Jimmy, the first minute 
 he and his sister were alone. " Don't 
 you know that was a lucky fall for 
 me ? I 'm not hurt, don't make 
 such a fuss. I could get up and 
 
 1 10
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 climb that eucalyptus tree again 
 to-night if I wanted to. I 'm just 
 staying in bed and looking sort of 
 sad so Uncle Jack won't get all 
 tired out giving me that lickin'. 
 Sabe, Senorita?"
 
 IN THE PADRE'S GARDEN 
 
 aARLOTA realized that 
 there was war in the land 
 when she saw her father 
 buckle on his sword and 
 pistols and ride away to join 
 Governor Pico's forces at Santa 
 Barbara. News came in July that 
 the United States flag had been 
 raised in Monterey and San Fran- 
 cisco and Don Lisandro waited to 
 hear no more. 
 
 112
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Both Governor Pico and 
 General Castro had issued one 
 proclamation after another, urging 
 the Californians to rally for the 
 defence of their country. Ameri- 
 cans, particularly Fremont's men, 
 were called highwaymen and van- 
 dals. The vice-consul of Spain, 
 then in Santa Barbara, denounced 
 the invaders as an armed gang of 
 United States thieves. Through- 
 out California the feeling against 
 Americans was intense. 
 
 Jimmy Radcliffe listened to the 
 daily gossip at the barracks with 
 his mouth and eyes wide open ; 
 Mary Louise wept and trembled ; 
 but Carlota longed to avenge her 
 country's wrongs. When she heard 
 that the Mexican colors had been 
 
 hauled down at Monterey, the 
 
 8 113
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 American flag raised in its place, 
 and that Commodore Sloat de- 
 clared his intention of carrying the 
 Stars and Stripes throughout Cali- 
 fornia, she was furious. 
 
 "If I were a man I would go 
 to the war, too," she cried. " That 
 American commodore dared to say 
 in his proclamation that he comes 
 as a friend to the inhabitants of 
 California. Oh, I wish I were a 
 
 man." 
 
 Carlota was glad when the 
 governor appointed her father one 
 of the captains of militia known as 
 "defenders of national independ- 
 ence and of the laws," and tried 
 her childish best to induce Antonio 
 Moreno and other Mexicans to go 
 at once to Los Angeles without 
 
 waiting for the signal of alarm, 
 114
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 when every Californian between 
 the ages of fifteen and sixty would 
 be compelled to fight, according 
 to the proclamation of Governor 
 Pico, issued the last week in July. 
 Antonio Moreno did n't tell the 
 little Spanish girl that his sym- 
 pathies at that time were with the 
 Americans and that he and many of 
 his friends were tired of Mexican 
 rule. 
 
 Two months later an Indian 
 woman, one of the household ser- 
 vants, was taken ill ; and Carlota, 
 to please her, went for the Padre. 
 She found Mary Louise in the 
 garden. 
 
 " Where 's the Padre?" asked 
 Carlota. 
 
 "In his house," was the reply; 
 "he has a caller just now. I am 
 "5
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 so glad you came over. It's dread- 
 fully lonesome." 
 
 " But your mother is with you 
 now," suggested Carlota, " surely 
 you 're not lonesome when you 
 have your mother ? " 
 
 Mary Louise, resting her face 
 upon Yankee's head, began to cry. 
 " But I have just found out," she 
 sobbed, "that my father is in the 
 war and that Uncle Jack is fighting 
 the Desert Indians and watching 
 Castro's men on the San Bernar- 
 dino frontier. Oh, dear, dear. I 
 wish we 'd never left the United 
 States." 
 
 Carlota was sorry for Mary 
 Louise. She was wondering what 
 she could say to comfort her little 
 friend when the golden head was 
 lifted. Mary Louise dropped the 
 
 116
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 cat, rose to her feet, and wiped her 
 eyes. 
 
 " I 'd like to know," said she, 
 "what the Mexicans are thinking 
 about ? Why don't they know 
 enough to give up before any 
 more men are killed ? My father 
 may shoot your father before sun- 
 set to-night. Only think, Carlota, 
 how dreadful it is for General 
 Flores to hold out against the 
 United States after the Governor 
 and General Castro have fled." 
 
 " My father," was the reply, 
 "would shed his last drop of 
 blood, I tell you, in defence of his 
 country." 
 
 " Yes, but what kind of a country 
 is it?" inquired Mary Louise. " It 
 is n't like the United States." 
 
 "Glad of it. The Ameri- 
 117
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 cans are a lot of pirates," retorted 
 Carlota. 
 
 "They are not!" insisted Mary 
 Louise. " They are a nation of 
 brave men." 
 
 "Brave men!" echoed the 
 daughter of Spain. " My dear 
 Senorita, you don't know the 
 meaning of the word brave unless 
 you know about the Spanish pio- 
 neers and what they did in this 
 part of the world before anybody 
 ever heard of the United States! 
 Your history has no such stories." 
 
 Thoroughly angry, Carlota told 
 rapidly one tale after another of 
 Spanish heroism and conquest. 
 
 " Now, then," she concluded, 
 "who were your great men in the 
 old days ? Did ever a man take 
 such a walk as our De Vaca ? " 
 
 118
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " I don't know about walks," 
 sobbed Mary Louise, "but I do 
 know the Padre said you were a 
 sweet-tempered child, and and 
 you act worse 'n a grizzly bear." 
 
 " Yes, and your Uncle Jack said 
 you were a regular little saint," was 
 Carlota's remark. " Name your 
 great men, will you, name one if 
 you can ?" 
 
 " George Washington," was the 
 instant response. 
 
 ^ What did he do?" 
 
 "He he never told a lie." 
 
 " You baby. I would cry if I 
 were you," and Carlota walked 
 away, her head in the air. 
 
 In the meantime Yankee trotted 
 from one little girl to the other, 
 seeming uncertain whether to de- 
 clare in favor of the United States 
 119
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 I 
 
 or Mexico. At last he jumped 
 upon the adobe wall and washed 
 his face while Carlota went in 
 search of the Padre, and Mary 
 Louise sought her mother. 
 
 120
 
 ON LISANDRO GALLOPED INTO 
 HIS OWN COURTYARD, BRINGING 
 THE NEWS OF THE REVOLT'
 
 THE FANDANGO 
 
 ONE morning, early in 
 October, Don Lisandro 
 galloped into his own 
 courtyard, bringing the 
 news of the revolt in Los Angeles. 
 " The Americanos have been 
 forced to capitulate," said he, "and 
 our capital is once more in the 
 hands of Mexicans. Flores is 
 elected governor." 
 
 Little Spanish children never 
 interrupt their parents, and Carlota 
 
 121
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 waited half an hour before she 
 found an opportunity to ask her 
 father how General Flores hap- 
 pened to be fighting again, having 
 once been captured and given his 
 liberty on parole. 
 
 " I supposed when you are out 
 on parole," said she, " that you had 
 to promise not to bear arms against 
 the enemy. I thought General 
 Flores had honestly promised not 
 to fight against the United States." 
 
 " So he did, and many another 
 distinguished Californian," ob- 
 served Don Lisandro, "and if 
 captured they will be shot." 
 
 "But," persisted Carlota, "it 
 is n't honorable to break your word. 
 A good man would n't do it." 
 
 " Children should not criticise 
 their elders, " said her father, some- 
 
 122
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 what sternly. " But since I know 
 you meant no disrespect I will try 
 to explain this to you. It is dis- 
 honorable for anyone to tell a lie, 
 and for a soldier to break his 
 parole is generally considered a 
 very mean lie. Neither your father 
 nor your Uncle Jose would fight 
 the Americanos again after hav- 
 ing been given their freedom on 
 parole. 
 
 " General Flores and some of 
 the others of our gallant soldiers, 
 however, believe that in this case 
 the end justifies the means, and 
 that it is right to make a sacrifice 
 of their personal honor in defence 
 of their country ; and they know 
 that their bravery cannot be ques- 
 tioned, for they take the terrible 
 
 risk of being shot without question 
 123
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 if they should be captured a second 
 
 time. 
 
 "Oh!" cried poor little Carlota, 
 not understanding exactly, but firm 
 in her faith in her father, " I am so 
 glad you and Uncle Jose will not 
 break parole if you are captured 
 and allowed to go ! " 
 
 Then Don Lisandro kissed his 
 brave little girl, and said : 
 
 "We will have a fandango and 
 forget war. Uncle Jose is coming 
 out to-night and a dozen officers 
 with him. We'll have carnival 
 merriment if you choose." 
 
 "Oh, may we have a cascarone 
 ball, even if it isn't carnival time?" 
 
 "If your mother is willing and 
 you and Chona wish to make the 
 cascarones." 
 
 "The Indian servants will help," 
 124
 
 j|[ 
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 said Carlota, as she ran to find her 
 mother. 
 
 War was forgotten until in the 
 midst of the preparations for the 
 dance in the great hall, Carlota 
 thought of Mary Louise. 
 
 " I must get on my pony and go 
 over to the Mission and invite 
 Jimmy and his sister and their 
 mother," said she. 
 
 "No one needs an invitation to 
 a dance in southern California," 
 suggested the Dona Ysabel. 
 " Surely those children know the 
 custom of the country; every one 
 comes from far and near to attend 
 a fandango." 
 
 " I imagine, though, that Mary 
 Louise needs a little coaxing," 
 observed Carlota, feeling thankful 
 
 that she was not obliged to explain 
 
 125
 
 1] CARLOTA H 
 
 why the little Americans must have 
 a special invitation. 
 
 The Padre persuaded Mary 
 Louise and her mother to attend 
 the ball. Jimmy couldn't be con- 
 vinced that he would enjoy that 
 particular fandango, nor did he 
 confess to his mother that he had 
 reasons for not wishing to meet 
 the owner of the jewelled sombrero. 
 The boy cheated himself out of a 
 jolly time by not understanding 
 that a Spanish gentleman would 
 never be rude to his worst enemy 
 if that enemy happened to be his 
 guest. More than that, it is doubt- 
 ful if Jimmy could have found an 
 entertainment more satisfactory 
 than a cascarone ball. 
 
 "You're a traitor to your 
 
 country;" he told Mary Louise, 
 126
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " a stand-by-your-flag American 
 would n't go to the party. Uncle 
 Sam will have a great opinion of 
 you." 
 
 " * This is n't a children's war,' ' 
 quoted Mary Louise, " that's what 
 Carlota said her mother told her 
 before she came over to invite us, 
 and, anyway, that it would do us 
 all good to forget it for one night." 
 
 "But, don't you see," Jimmy 
 resumed, " you might happen to 
 be right in a battle just the same. 
 Suppose Fremont's men should 
 march down and surround the Del 
 Villars' house. Suppose your 
 father should take Don Lisandro 
 prisoner to-night and find you there 
 at the enemies' party. Would n't 
 you feel proud ?" 
 
 "Now see here, Jimmy Rad- 
 
 127
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 cliff e," remarked Mary Louise 
 with unusual spirit, "you may go 
 out and sit in the burying ground 
 among the dead Indians if you 
 wish, but mamma and I are going 
 to the fandango/' 
 
 "All right, go on. But you just 
 remember that Belgium ball in the 
 fourth reader where they were 
 dancing just before the awful 
 battle." 
 
 "Nonsense," retorted Mary 
 Louise, "you '11 be the scared one. 
 Why, Jimmy, you '11 be almost 
 alone in the Mission; the Padre's 
 going with us. I don't want to 
 leave you here; you better come 
 too. You'll be afraid." 
 
 "Not I. Adios, Senorita, 
 American muchacho going over to 
 
 the guard-house." 
 128
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " Yes, but it 's the enemies' 
 guard-house," were the little sister's 
 parting words. 
 
 At first when Mary Louise 
 entered the great hall she saw 
 nothing but Mexican flags; but 
 the instant Carlota and Chona 
 greeted her with smiling faces and 
 outstretched arms and the military 
 band from Los Angeles began to 
 play, she saw lovely Spanish ladies 
 in gay costumes and handsome men 
 in jewel-trimmed coats. 
 
 " Do you see that tall officer over 
 there ? " whispered Carlota to Mary 
 Louise, " the one with gold lace 
 on his trousers and silver buttons 
 on a green velvet jacket ? Well, 
 he's my Uncle Jose, and he's 
 Governor Pico's cousin. I have 
 had such good times at his rancho 
 
 9 129
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 near San Juan Bautista. His little 
 girls look like our baby Rosita, so 
 you may know they are pretty. 
 Well, he 's the dearest uncle in the 
 world, and he loves fun. Now you 
 and Chona watch while I go and 
 break a cascarone on his head." 
 
 " What 's a cascarone ? Do tell 
 ii 
 me. 
 
 " Oh, don't you know ? It is 
 an egg shell filled with cologne, or 
 else gilt or any kind of fancy paper 
 cut in tiny, tiny pieces. The open- 
 ing in the egg shell is sealed with 
 wax. The game is to break one 
 on somebody's head when they 
 don't know it, and then just as 
 sure as anything you '11 get one 
 broken on your own head. In the 
 dining-room there 's a big Indian 
 
 basket full of them." 
 130
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " I wish Jimmy was here," re- 
 marked Mary Louise. "He'd like 
 that game, only I 'd be dripping all 
 the time." 
 
 Carlota laughed. " You watch me 
 fool Uncle Jos. But, Chona, why 
 don't you and Mary Louise come 
 and give him a good soaking too?" 
 
 " Wait, then," and Chona darted 
 across the hall to the dining-room, 
 returning in a minute with two 
 more egg shells. 
 
 When Uncle Jos saw the three 
 conspirators approach, he smiled, 
 and gathering Carlota in his arms, 
 placed her on his shoulder. The 
 next minute the child broke an egg 
 shell on his head. Streams of 
 cologne water poured over the Cali- 
 fornian's face, rolling into his neck 
 and filling his ears. 
 131
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Putting Carlota on her feet and 
 bending forward to shake off the 
 cologne, the man felt another bump 
 on his head, and the laughing Chona 
 was urging Mary Louise to break 
 her cascarone quickly, that Uncle 
 Jose should have a double shower. 
 As Mary Louise hesitated, Carlota 
 snatched the missile and the third 
 cascarone poured its contents down 
 the back of Uncle Jose's neck. 
 
 "This is no way to take advan- 
 tage of a gentleman," complained 
 Uncle Josd, mopping the cologne 
 with a big handkerchief and shak- 
 ing his fist at the delighted chil- 
 dren. " N ice way to welcome your 
 uncle. The little doll girl here is 
 a lady she would n't behave so 
 
 badly. What 's your name, little 
 
 \ 
 one r 
 
 132
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " Her father is Senor Thomas 
 Radcliffe," whispered Carlota, 
 " and he's up north with Fremont's 
 
 men." 
 
 "Ah!" exclaimed Uncle Jos6. 
 " El Capitan Radcliffe. I Ve heard 
 of him." 
 
 Little did the Californian dream 
 when and under what circumstances 
 he would meet the father of Mary 
 Louise. 
 
 133
 
 THE ROBBER'S SASH 
 
 f w ' ATE in the evening Mary 
 
 f Louise entered into the 
 
 ^^ spirit of the cascarone 
 
 ball. Not once did the 
 
 little girl break an egg shell except 
 
 in self-defence, but lest some one 
 
 should give her an unexpected 
 
 drenching, she kept a cascarone 
 
 constantly in her hand. Twice a 
 
 handsome man showered her in 
 
 gilt paper and she had been unable 
 
 to get even with him. He seemed 
 
 134
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 to be a stranger and had a way of 
 keeping his face turned from the 
 crowd. The hall was warm, but 
 the man wore an immense serape 
 and didn't remove his pointed hat. 
 
 At last the stranger broke an 
 egg shell filled with cologne on 
 the child's head, when she followed 
 him to an outer porch, ready with 
 upraised hand to let him know 
 how it felt to be soaked in cologne, 
 if she should catch him. That was 
 the trouble. Try hard as she would 
 the stranger kept out of reach. Fi- 
 nally, as if he was tired of running, 
 the man sat down on a rustic seat 
 just outside a little summer house 
 leading into the rose garden. 
 
 " Better give up, little girl," he 
 called, laughing heartily as he 
 spoke. 
 
 135
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Mary Louise intended to go a 
 few steps nearer, throw the egg 
 shell in the man's face, and then 
 fly back to the hall. The next 
 second the man seized her and 
 placing one big hand over her 
 mouth said this : 
 
 " Tell me quickly where Don 
 Lisandro keeps his bags of gold. 
 Otherwise away you go to the 
 mountains to my cave. Listen. 
 My band is just outside. I '11 
 whistle and you '11 hear an answer 
 from twenty mounted men." 
 
 It was even as the robber said, 
 but it happened that Carlota was 
 searching for Mary Louise, and 
 coming on the porch, a candle held 
 above her head, she saw a figure 
 near the summer house, and ran in 
 
 that direction, calling to her guest 
 136
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 and saying, "Where are you, you 
 little Americano, where are you ? " 
 
 "Answer her," commanded the 
 robber, "say you chased me with 
 a cascarone. We '11 both return 
 to the hall, and if you tell one 
 word of what has happened you'll 
 be sorry/' 
 
 At first Carlota was satisfied : 
 but a bit of scarlet sash escaped 
 from the folds of the serape and 
 flashing her candle in the man's 
 face the child recognized her rob- 
 ber, and screamed. Mary Louise 
 fled. The robber started toward 
 the desert, but Carlota grabbed 
 at his sash and hung on, at the 
 same time calling for the help she 
 knew would come. 
 
 The man drew a long knife from 
 
 his legging, cut the sash and es- 
 
 137
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 caped. Carlota fell backward, the 
 scarlet sash fluttered to the ground, 
 and a band of horsemen galloped 
 toward the mountains. 
 
 If the United States army had 
 been camped outside the Casa Del 
 Villar that night, the ball would 
 have gone on without interruption 
 so long as the enemy remained 
 quiet. Finding Carlota safe and 
 rejoicing in the possession of the 
 costly sash, Don Lisandro and his 
 guests danced, until dawn revealed 
 the fact that every valuable saddle 
 had been stolen from the backs of 
 the waiting horses. 
 
 138
 
 JIMMY HELPS MAKE GUNPOWDER 
 
 OBLIGED to return to 
 Los Angeles the day fol- 
 lowing the fandango, Don 
 Lisandro sent his family 
 with five Indian servants to the 
 Mission. Mary Louise and her 
 mother were glad to welcome them 
 to the ruined apartments offered by 
 the Padre. 
 
 The Dona Ysabel and Mrs. 
 Radcliffe avoided the subject of 
 war, each thankful for the other's 
 139
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 company. Baby Rosita was a joy 
 during those dreary days. She 
 was always ready for a romp and 
 soon demanded much attention. 
 As for Jimmy, he missed his op- 
 portunity. Instead of teasing three 
 little girls who were at that time 
 allowed to play nowhere outside 
 the Mission grounds, he became 
 interested in the manufacture of 
 gunpowder. 
 
 The Californian army was 
 poorly equipped. Their principal 
 cannon, said to be the oldest in 
 the world, were of great historic 
 interest, having been brought from 
 Spain and used by Cortez in the 
 conquest of Mexico. Every old 
 pistol and musket in the country 
 was dragged from its hiding place, 
 
 and yet there were not enough to 
 140
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 supply the demand. Worst of all, 
 ammunition was lacking. 
 
 In the old days, gunpowder was 
 manufactured in San Gabriel. 
 Remembering this, Don Lisandro 
 ordered a large amount to be made 
 at the guard-house for the use of 
 the Californian army. 
 
 In the village of San Gabriel 
 there lived a man known among 
 the American settlers as that 
 "no-good Yankee." The women 
 called him " shiftless." He and 
 Jimmy became great friends after 
 Uncle Jack's departure. It seemed 
 to the boy that the "no-good 
 Yankee" could do anything he 
 tried ; but he was such a lazy, law- 
 less scamp Uncle Jack did n't con- 
 sider him fit company for a boy. 
 This " no-good Yankee " was also
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 popular among a certain class of 
 Mexicans, particularly the kind 
 who were usually to be found in 
 the vicinity of the barracks. 
 
 " Know a thing er two 'bout 
 gunpowder myself," suggested the 
 Yankee, winking at J immy. " Let 's 
 you 'n me give the Mexicanos a 
 helping hand ? " 
 
 That was the beginning of 
 Jimmy's interest in gunpowder. 
 
 "Don't you see, Jimmy, you'n 
 me ain 't doing the right thing by our 
 country's flag. You ought to be a 
 drummer boy in the ranks a-drum- 
 ming yourself to glory 'n immortal 
 fame, and I ought ter be a-facin' 
 the foe a-gettin' shot to pieces every 
 day and preparin' a pension f er my 
 old age and a chance to make 
 
 speeches to conventions." 
 142
 
 * 

 
 f 
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 "That 's what," laughed Jimmy. 
 
 "Well, then, Bub, see here:" 
 and the Yankee, looking as won- 
 drous wise as the man who jumped 
 into the bramble bush, leaned for- 
 ward and chuckled. 
 
 " You 'n me '11 have a hand in 
 the makin' of that gunpowder, and 
 it won't be the kind they used in 
 the battle of Bunker Hill. You 
 can bet on that ! Come a step 
 nearer, Bub, and I '11 explain." 
 
 Cautiously the Yankee unfolded 
 a scheme for tampering with the 
 gunpowder in a way to render it 
 practically useless. 
 
 One lovely day in November, 
 Jimmy overheard this conversation 
 between Carlota and his sister. 
 
 " How I wish we were living in 
 the good old Mission days," said 
 143
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Carlota, " before the time of revo- 
 lutions and cruel wars. This would 
 be such a perfect world to live in." 
 
 Mary Louise buried her face in 
 a rose and replied : " I believe I 
 should like to live here always, 
 where the birds sing every day and 
 there is no winter, if if California 
 belonged to the United States and 
 the soldiers would go away." 
 
 "If that happens," sighed Car- 
 lota, "and I 'm sure I hope it never 
 will, our family will have to go back 
 to Old Mexico or Spain. But I 
 don't believe this dreadful war will 
 ever end." 
 
 "Oh, yes, it will," Jimmy proph- 
 esied. "It'll end pretty quick. 
 Fizz biff don't be scared, girls, 
 no bang ! " 
 
 " How silly you act, Jimmy," re- 
 144
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 monstrated Mary Louise. " It 's 
 just because you 're always with 
 that Yankee." 
 
 " That 's all you know," was the 
 retort. " Maybe that sweet Yankee 
 and General James RadclifTe'll put 
 an end to the war before Christmas." 
 
 " Don't speak of Christmas," 
 begged Carlota. " Uncle Jose and 
 all his folks were coming to our 
 house for the holidays, and now, 
 who knows what will become of 
 Uncle Josd before Christmas. 
 You better not forget he 's out on 
 parole." 
 
 " If all the Mexicans were like 
 your father and your uncle," said 
 Mary Louise, slowly, " I wouldn't 
 mind being Spanish." 
 
 "And if all the men in the United 
 States were like your Uncle Jack," 
 
 10 I4S
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Carlota added quickly, " I 'd feel 
 different about the American flag." 
 " And if all the soldiers on both 
 sides were such softies as you, there 
 would n't be anything said 'bout the 
 importance of gunpowder. You 
 two just wait."
 
 TO SAVE A SPANISH GENTLEMAN 
 
 LACK BIRD returned to 
 the Mission one morning 
 in December bearing 
 dreadful news. Carlota 
 saw him as he dashed past the 
 barracks, leaped from his horse, 
 and ran into the chapel. 
 
 " Why, Blackbird," exclaimed the 
 child. " Blackbird, what can be the 
 trouble ! " 
 
 It required all her strength 
 to force the great doors open 
 
 H7
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 wide enough to admit her small 
 body, for Blackbird had closed 
 them the instant he gained an 
 entrance. 
 
 " Blackbird, where are you ? " 
 demanded Carlota, trying to ac- 
 custom her eyes to the dim interior. 
 
 " Hush, no noise, Senorita," whis- 
 pered Blackbird, when Carlota dis- 
 covered him hiding behind the 
 baptismal font in the small vault- 
 like room opening off the chapel. 
 " Come in. Shut the door." 
 
 Blackbird had always been con- 
 sidered harmless, but the wild ex- 
 pression of his face frightened 
 Carlota. Standing just inside 
 the room, in the deep hollow of the 
 stone floor, a hollow worn by the 
 feet of long forgotten Indians, she 
 
 said, " One minute, and then I will 
 148
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 go. Where have you been all 
 summer ? " 
 
 " San Juan Bautista. Blackbird 
 afraid to stay here. Big robbers 
 in the mountains. Americanos kill 
 everybody. Blackbird ran away." 
 
 "Were you on my uncle's 
 rancho ? " continued Carlota. 
 
 Terror overspread Blackbird's 
 face as he cowered closer to the 
 floor and nodded in reply to the 
 question. 
 
 " Blackbird, what is the matter ? 
 Tell me quickly." 
 
 " Fremont marching south," chat- 
 tered the Indian. " Americanos 
 kill us all. Blackbird afraid. Got 
 your Uncle Jos6 going to shoot 
 him!" 
 
 Carlota sprang forward, seized 
 
 Blackbird by the shoulders and 
 149
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 repeated, " They have my Uncle 
 Jos6 ! They 're going to shoot 
 him! When? Where? Tell me 
 quickly ? " 
 
 A dull look was the only answer as 
 the Indian muttered, " Americanos 
 catch Blackbird kill him sure." 
 
 Uncle Jos6 had been caught 
 inside the American lines in 
 civilian clothes seeking information 
 concerning General Fremont's 
 plans. He had been tried as a 
 spy and sentenced to be shot. 
 
 There was not a moment to 
 lose. Carlota gave the Indian a 
 shake and cried : " Tell my mother 
 I Ve gone to Los Angeles to see 
 my father. We must save Uncle 
 Jose. Do you hear?" 
 
 "No sabe. No sabe," grumbled 
 
 the Indian. 
 
 150
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " But you must listen to this," 
 cried Carlota. " Tell my mother 
 I Ve gone to Los Angeles to my 
 father." 
 
 "Americanos kill Carlota," 
 warned the Indian, but the child 
 flew from the chapel. 
 
 Chona's pony, Babita, was tied 
 to the pepper-tree beside the stair- 
 way leading to the choir loft. 
 Springing into the saddle Carlota 
 galloped away from the Mission 
 without a further word of explana- 
 tion or thought of personal danger. 
 
 " We can't save him, my child," 
 groaned Don Lisandro, when 
 Carlota found her father. 
 
 " We must, we must," was the re- 
 ply. "We'll find General Fremont 
 and beg him to spare Uncle Jose. 
 If we only get there in time."
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 " I shall send an escort back to 
 the Mission with you," observed 
 Don Lisandro, " and start imme- 
 diately, although it is useless and 
 I shall be taken prisoner." 
 
 "Oh, but I must go too, I must, 
 I must ! " Carlota entreated, sobs 
 choking her words. 
 
 "It will be a terrible ride," ob- 
 jected her father, "all day, all night, 
 perhaps." 
 
 " It 's to save Uncle Jos6," urged 
 Carlota. "The general might 
 listen to me! I must go!" 
 
 Two fresh horses were saddled, 
 and father and daughter began the 
 perilous trip. 
 
 At dawn the following day, after 
 changing horses many times, they 
 reached Fremont's camp. 
 
 Jos6 Pico was to be shot at 
 152
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 noon. Gaining admittance to the 
 presence of the American chief, 
 Carlota and her father found him 
 besieged by relatives and friends 
 of the doomed man ; wife, children, 
 neighbors, all weeping, wringing 
 their hands, and begging for 
 mercy. 
 
 It was an agonizing scene. An 
 American officer, the man who cap- 
 tured Pico, who was standing be- 
 side Fremont, turned his face to 
 the wall when Carlota burst into 
 their midst, and throwing herself 
 at Fremont's feet, in grief-stricken 
 accents begged for her uncle's life. 
 A moment more, and Don Lisan- 
 dro, the proud, haughty enemy of 
 all Americans, fell upon his knees, 
 beseeching for mercy, and vowing 
 to offer no further resistance to the 
 153
 
 CARLQTA 
 
 conquerors if one Spanish gentle- 
 man might be spared to his family. 
 
 Fremont, unable to endure more, 
 pronounced the promise of pardon. 
 Despair was followed by tumultu- 
 ous joy. At a word from Fremont, 
 the American who was standing 
 beside him bowed, left the room, 
 and returned with the condemned 
 man. Calm, quiet, and composed, 
 Uncle Jose stood before his judge. 
 No shadow of emotion had crossed 
 his face in the presence of friend 
 or enemy since he had listened to 
 the sentence of death. 
 
 Breathless silence ensued, while 
 Fremont spoke the magic words 
 of pardon. It was then Uncle 
 Jose broke down and with his 
 little children clinging about his 
 neck, he, too, knelt at Fremont's 
 154
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 feet and promised never again to 
 bear arms against the United 
 States. 
 
 Later the American officer was 
 introduced to both Don Lisandro 
 and Uncle Jose. Carlota rejoiced 
 to learn that he was Jimmy's father. 
 
 "Americanos are brave, generous 
 men," she said to Don Lisandro, 
 when he told her that after a long 
 talk with Fremont he was con- 
 vinced that the best thing for his 
 unhappy country was to be under 
 the protection of the United States 
 government. 
 
 " I never used to let Mary Louise 
 know it," laughed Carlota, " but I 
 always have thought there could n't 
 be a prettier flag than the Stars and 
 Stripes.' 1 
 
 155
 
 BATTLE OF SAN GABRIEL 
 
 ON that day in the middle 
 of December, when Uncle 
 Jose was pardoned, Don 
 Lisandro resigned his 
 command and returned to the 
 Mission. The Americans were 
 marching upon Los Angeles. 
 General Kearny, after taking 
 possession of New Mexico, had 
 arrived with troops from the East. 
 The twenty-seventh of December, 
 
 Fremont, on his southward march, 
 
 156
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 entered Santa Barbara and two 
 days later forces under General 
 Kearny and Commodore Stockton 
 left San Diego with the purpose 
 of meeting Fremont at the capital. 
 These facts Carlota's father 
 learned from messengers sent by 
 friends who had agreed to keep 
 him informed of the movements 
 of the United States troops. There 
 was a rumor that the Mexicans 
 threatened to destroy the Mission 
 and to spare neither women nor 
 children. The Padre and Don 
 Lisandro were making prepara- 
 tions for the defence of those dear 
 to them when Uncle Jack arrived at 
 the head of a small force and 
 camped outside the walls. Jimmy 
 visited the camp, returning with 
 tales of war and bloodshed that 
 157
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 frightened the little girls until even 
 he was satisfied. 
 
 Carlota overheard many a 
 serious talk between her father 
 and the Padre. She gathered that 
 the cause of the Californians was 
 hopeless. If the United States 
 failed to take possession of the 
 country, then it would fall into the 
 hands of England or Russia ; but 
 there was no question of failure on 
 the part of the American troops 
 during those closing days of the 
 war. The Californians were few 
 in number and poorly equipped. 
 Their gunpowder had proved use- 
 less in many a recent fight. The 
 "no-good Yankee" had disap- 
 peared, and Jimmy avoided the 
 subject of gunpowder. 
 
 One day early in January, when 
 158
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 the troops were closing in upon 
 Los Angeles, Carlota sought the 
 Padre. 
 
 " You told my father last night 
 that you believe peace may have 
 been declared, and that war be- 
 tween the United States and 
 Mexico is at an end, that that 
 is the report." 
 
 " True, my daughter, war was 
 declared months before the news 
 reached the Pacific coast/' 
 
 "Well," continued the child, 
 " Mary Louise is crying all the 
 time, and worrying for fear her 
 father will be killed, and I don't 
 like to think that all our old 
 friends in Los Angeles may be 
 shot to pieces, and nobody knows 
 what will become of us here at the 
 Mission! My father says he won't 
 159
 
 || 
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 fight against his own flag unless 
 he is obliged to do so ; but, if they 
 come here and attack the Mission, 
 he will defend himself and his 
 family even against those who 
 were his best friends." 
 
 Carlota paused, shrugged her 
 shoulders, and went on rapidly, 
 " Now, what 's the use of it all ? 
 The Franciscans are peacemakers. 
 Won't you go to General Flores 
 and beg him to make peace? Oh, 
 dear ! When you know you may 
 be right in a battle any minute, you 
 begin to feel as if war is a dreadful 
 thing. I don't care if Jimmy does 
 say I 'm a coward. Won't you go 
 and talk with General Flores ? " 
 
 " I will," agreed the Padre. " I 
 have thought of it before. Flores 
 is an old friend of mine." 
 
 160
 
 jl CARLOTA ~~|ij 
 
 So it came about that General 
 Flores sent two men to meet the 
 American army on its march from 
 San Diego. These men bore a 
 letter asking for a cessation of hos- 
 tilities, and suggesting that as news 
 had been received from Old Mex- 
 ico to the effect that peace had 
 been declared between Mexico and 
 the United States, it might be well 
 to learn the terms of settlement 
 before shedding more blood. 
 
 The Padre stayed in Los An- 
 geles several days before returning 
 to the Mission, but he sent word 
 by Antonio Moreno that Flores 
 had complied with his request. 
 
 " Oh, I hope it's all over now," 
 exclaimed Carlota, smiling at the 
 anxious mothers gathered on the 
 Padre's veranda. " I used to think 
 
 n 161
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 I was brave but my teeth chatter at 
 the very thought of a cannon ball 
 whizzing through the air." 
 
 "If General Flores has asked 
 the Americans to wait a while they 
 will do it," added Mary Louise, the 
 least ghost of a smile appearing on 
 her pale face. "I used to think, 
 too, that I wished I was at Bunker 
 Hill, but I didn't know what I was 
 talking about." 
 
 "I still wish it," remarked 
 J immy. 
 
 "Yes, you do," mocked his sis- 
 ter. "Why, Carlota, he's getting 
 thin he's so frightened. Wish you 
 had been at Bunker Hill, indeed!" 
 
 "I mean," explained Jimmy, " I 
 wish I were there now." 
 
 At that moment Blackbird ran 
 
 across the courtyard and hid behind 
 162
 
 CARLQTA 
 
 Carlota's mother, wrapping his head 
 in her skirts. 
 
 "Why, Blackbird, what's the 
 trouble now?" asked the Senora 
 Ysabel. 
 
 " They 're coming, they're com- 
 
 
 ing. 
 
 "Who are coming?" 
 
 "The Americanos." 
 
 Kvery face grew white. Were 
 the soldiers at the very gates? 
 How could it be? The Padre ap- 
 peared in time to prevent a panic. 
 
 " There is no immediate cause 
 for alarm," said he. "Commodore 
 Stockton refused to consider peace 
 because he once released Flores on 
 parole. We must be ready." 
 
 There was but little sleep at the 
 Mission that night. No one in 
 
 San Gabriel had dreamed that a 
 
 163
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 decisive battle would be fought al- 
 most under the shadow of the 
 chapel walls, and great was their 
 surprise when dawn revealed the 
 Californians in position on a bluff 
 above the river. They had mus- 
 tered their forces and there waited 
 the coming of the Americans. 
 
 All was confusion at the Mis- 
 sion. The women and children, 
 with the terrified Blackbird, hur- 
 ried to the chapel, although Jimmy 
 managed to escape unseen. It 
 seemed to the boy more horrible 
 to be imprisoned within those thick 
 walls during the din of battle than 
 to skulk around outside and watch 
 proceedings. The windows in the 
 chapel were high above reach. 
 
 When Mary Louise missed 
 
 Jimmy her grief was pitiful. Mrs. 
 
 164
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 Radcliffe was about to venture in 
 search of him when a big door 
 swung partly open and a small 
 body was thrown in by Antonio 
 Moreno, who accompanied the 
 action by vigorous speech to the 
 effect that Jimmy was a very foolish 
 boy. 
 
 " I don't want to stay here," ex- 
 claimed Jimmy, scrambling to his 
 feet in spite of bruises. " I guess 
 I know enough to keep out of 
 danger." 
 
 "Oh!" screamed Carlota, "he 
 has papa's jewelled sombrero ! Oh, 
 oh, oh! Has anything happened 
 to my father ? " 
 
 "Nope. He's all right," said 
 Jimmy. " My ! Is n't he brave, 
 though? He went right up to 
 General Flores and told him he
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 ought to surrender. Said the 
 Americanos were generous and 
 would pardon him for breaking his 
 parole if he did ; but even if he 
 was shot he ought to give up a 
 lost cause for the sake of his 
 countrymen. That made Flores 
 awful mad, and he drew a pistol 
 and shot right at your father. He 
 missed him, though, but the bullet 
 shot Don Lisandro's sombrero 
 right off his head ! Then your 
 father got on his horse and started 
 slowly away. Then they all began 
 to shoot at him, but he began to 
 gallop then, and they could n't hit 
 him. Now he 's safe with Uncle 
 Jack and his men. He must have 
 felt awfully sad, though, because 
 he was crying like a baby. But 
 he was n't scared of them a bit ! 
 
 166
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 I sneaked out and got the som- 
 brero before the jewels were lost. 
 I tell you, Carlota, it was quiet as 
 Sunday in Mexico by that time, 
 where your father had galloped by; 
 but Antonio came along just then, 
 looking for him, I guess, and he 
 must have been pretty mad when 
 he saw me, the way he jerked me 
 into his saddle and threw me in 
 here. I Ve had enough of war, 
 though." 
 
 " So have we all," shuddered 
 Carlota. 
 
 A moment later a wounded man 
 was brought into the chapel. It 
 was Antonio Moreno, who proved 
 to be not seriously injured and was 
 angry at the thought of having 
 fainted in his saddle. Carlota's 
 
 mother and Mrs. Radcliffe 
 
 167
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 wouldn't allow him to leave the 
 chapel. 
 
 " Tell us what 's going on ? " 
 begged J immy. " Anybody getting 
 killed?" 
 
 Bit by bit Antonio told the little 
 he knew. El Capitan Radcliffe 
 had been sent ahead with a de- 
 tachment just in time for the 
 battle. The Americans escaped 
 destruction when crossing the 
 nearly dry river-bed only because 
 the Californians resisted their ad- 
 vance with gunpowder that was 
 worthless. It carried cannon balls 
 a little way and then let them 
 drop. 
 
 Soon a number of slightly 
 wounded men were brought into 
 the chapel. Even the children 
 helped to care for them. Sounds 
 
 1 68
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 of battle came nearer and nearer 
 the Mission. Jimmy discovered 
 a perilous way to climb into the 
 choir loft where, reaching a small 
 window, he watched the scene be- 
 low. Carlota scrambled after the 
 boy, but turned away satisfied with 
 one glimpse through the window. 
 "Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy, come 
 down," she begged. "It is awful." 
 
 [69
 
 THE AMERICAN FLAG 
 
 *W ^ ALF an hour later Jimmy 
 
 j^ shouted, "The Americans 
 
 ^ F are coming straight on and 
 
 the Californians are falling 
 
 back! We're sure to come out 
 
 ahead ! 1 1 's our victory ! Our side 
 
 will win it has won ! " 
 
 Climbing down from the choir 
 loft the boy ran to Carlota. 
 
 " Do you' s'pose there's an 
 American flag in this place ? " said 
 
 he. 
 
 170
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 An American flag in the chapel 
 of San Gabriel Mission! A 
 wounded soldier, one who had 
 come overland from Massachusetts 
 to settle in California, grinned at 
 the remark. 
 
 " Shades of brown Padres and 
 glory of old Spain ! " he chuckled. 
 "An American flag here!" 
 
 "Of course there isn't one!" 
 answered Carlota. " Six weeks 
 ago I should have torn an Amer- 
 ican flag in rags with my own 
 hands if any one had dared wave it 
 here! But what shall we do? We 
 need a flag! My father and Uncle 
 Jose say that they think California 
 will be better off under the Stars 
 and Stripes, and they know what 
 is right." 
 
 " Too bad you tore up this here 
 
 171
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 red bandana of mine," suggested a 
 Yankee with bandaged head and 
 arm in a sling, "you could have 
 used it fer the red stripes, and 
 Mikey Malone's countenance over 
 there 'd a-answered fer the blue, 
 and the Spanish lady's head rig- 
 ging would do fer the white/' 
 
 " Oh," cried Carlota, " I know 
 what we '11 do, we '11 make a flag, 
 of course. I '11 give the robber's 
 sash for the red, mamma's scarf 
 for the white" 
 
 " And I I I don't you 
 see my dress is blue!" offered Mary 
 Louise. 
 
 "Yank her off," commented 
 Jimmy. 
 
 " But the robber's sash is in the 
 room where Chona and I sleep," 
 
 objected Carlota, "and I 'm afraid 
 
 172
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 * 
 
 to go alone with bullets whistling 
 around." 
 
 " I '11 go with you," said Mrs. 
 Radcliffe; "there's a doorway 
 back of the altar leading into the 
 Padre's rooms and we can go all 
 the way under shelter." 
 
 " Oh, don't go, don't go!" wailed 
 Mary Louise, clinging to her 
 mother's skirts. 
 
 "Shut up! can't you?" roared 
 Jimmy. The minute his mother's 
 back was turned he said to Mary 
 Louise: " All you Ve got to do in 
 the conquest of California is to keep 
 your mouth shut and you won't do 
 that ! What have you done for 
 your country, I 'd like to know? 
 Did you help make gunpowder?" 
 
 "You did that for the Mexicans," 
 retorted Mary Louise, shuddering 
 173
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 as the adobe walls of the chapel 
 were shaken by a crash. 
 
 " Mary Louise, that 's all you 
 know! That Yankee and I and 
 some other fellers spoiled that 
 powder, do you sabe ? " 
 
 "How did you dare?" asked 
 Jimmy's sister. 
 
 "It was risky," admitted the 
 boy, thrusting his hands in his 
 pockets and giving his cap a back- 
 ward tip. " I Ve done my part for 
 Uncle Sam." 
 
 "And I 'm going to give up this 
 pretty blue dress that Aunt Martha 
 sent me from Philadelphia," added 
 Mary Louise, " and that 's some- 
 thing." 
 
 Mrs. Radcliffe and Car lota 
 quickly returned, the red sash 
 
 trailing through the air behind 
 
 174
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 them as Carlota lifted it above 
 her head and ran toward the 
 children. 
 
 "I brought all the needles, 
 scissors, and thread I could find, so 
 every woman and child here may 
 work," said Mrs. Radcliffe, at the 
 same time taking off her little girl's 
 blue dress and slipping on a fresh 
 white one. 
 
 Carlota's mother removed the 
 beautiful scarf she had been wear- 
 ing on her head, giving Jimmy a 
 chance to show his skill in cutting 
 stars. 
 
 Time passed more quickly after 
 work was begun on the American 
 flag, although the fingers that 
 threaded needles were unsteady. 
 When it seemed to Carlota and 
 Mary Louise that they could be 
 175
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 patient no longer, Uncle Jose burst 
 into the chapel announcing that 
 the Californians were in full re- 
 treat and out of range of the 
 enemy's guns. 
 
 " El Capitan Radcliffe is safe/' 
 he declared, bowing to Mrs. Rad- 
 cliffe, the only American woman 
 in the chapel. 
 
 "And and papa?" questioned 
 Carlota. 
 
 " Is all right," was the reply. 
 "He has gone after Flores to 
 advise him to hasten north to San 
 Fernando to meet Fremont and 
 surrender to him. Stockton 
 threatens to shoot every Mexican 
 who has broken his parole you 
 know what that means." 
 
 " Death to many of our friends," 
 
 groaned the Senora Ysabel. 
 176
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 "Won't the American troops over- 
 take Flores? Is there any chance 
 for them to escape ? And is n't my 
 husband in danger from Flores ? " 
 
 "I am sure not," said Don Jose. 
 "He is calmer by now, and un- 
 doubtedly sorry for shooting at 
 your husband in a moment of 
 passion. He will warn them of 
 their danger in time," he added, 
 " and by avoiding Los Angeles 
 they are saved. Stockton proposes 
 to camp here on the battle-field for 
 the rest of the day and to-night. 
 To-morrow morning we will march 
 in and take possession of the cap- 
 ital. Listen, children, the Ameri- 
 can band is playing." 
 
 "Oh, it's ' Hail Columbia, Happy 
 Land,'" shouted Mary Louise, 
 while the wounded soldiers, Jimmy,
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 and Mrs. Radcliffe took up the 
 refrain. 
 
 Antonio Moreno struggled to 
 his feet, and threw wide open the 
 chapel doors. Nearer and nearer 
 came the stirring music, while 
 every one who could stand or crawl 
 rushed outside, shouting and sing- 
 ing in excitement. 
 
 Seizing the completed flag, Car- 
 lota ran with it up the old stone 
 stairway, and tied it swiftly and 
 firmly to the iron railing at the top. 
 A breeze from the sea caught the 
 flag and waved it triumphantly over 
 the old Mission. 
 
 The crowd below, for a crowd 
 had gathered, saw the flag, and gave 
 cheer upon cheer, tossing their hats 
 in the air and embracing one an- 
 other. An instant later a salute 
 178
 
 mmsnam 
 
 IED IT SWIFTLY AND FIRM- 
 LY TO THE IRON RAILING"
 
 CARLOTA 
 
 was fired from the battle-field. The 
 soldiers had seen the scarlet stripes 
 and white stars. 
 
 The band was playing " Three 
 Cheers for the Red, White, and 
 Blue/' when Carlota climbed upon 
 the adobe wall beside the children 
 who were watching the brave bit 
 of color floating out against the 
 blue sky. Yankee was with them, 
 purring proudly as became an 
 American cat. 
 
 "It's my flag now," exclaimed 
 Carlota, "my our beautiful flag." 
 
 179
 
 
 4 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 MAR 3 1952 
 
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