Show M Mistress Of Mont Man tere q 11 m Virginia Stivers Bartlett v. v Virginia 51 Stivers 13 Bartlett arl 11 eLL a Service M CHAPTER Continued 19 10 I She writhed and struggled clawIng clawIng claw claw- Ing at his muffling fingers The re- re bozo slipped around her neck her hair tumbled wildly over her ders But Pedro Fages clutched her firmly and at last threw her over his shoulder and lifted lilted her to toss her on to the horse As soon as she touched the saddle she began to scream and started to slide down As her feet teet touched the earth at the side of ot the horse Fages pinned her to the side of ot his animal animal ani ant mal with one arm and looked at her hera a moment You let me alone she exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- ex claimed stridently I will not stay another minute here Fages lifted his hand and rapped a stinging slap across Eulalia's s jaws She put her hands to her face and her mouth fell open in pain and surprise Now get on that horse said the Governor sternly She hesitated just n a second for the strong hand that was usually her mounting block then scrambled quickly into the s saddle As they passed the sentries at the thc presidio ga gates tes she covered her head and bent low The sentries looked after them w with th lively curiosity At the door of th the ma mansion slon Angustias' Angustias Angustias' Angustias Angustias' Angustias An- An sC scared face met them Goto Go to bed said the Governor shortly With a n gasp of understanding Ang Angustias Angustias An- An g scuttled away Eulalla Eulalia cast herself on the bed trembling and fearful but the Governor Governor Governor Gov Gov- did not even look at her She rubbed her stinging cheek check tenderly a moment then undressed and arid slipped beneath the covers Still the Governor did not speak nor make any move only stood with folded arms arms looking at the floor At last with a sigh he stirred himself and sank a dejected dusty figure before the Mador Madonna na He reached f for r his rosary and began began began be be- gan his prayers But his thoughts wandered fr from m his devotions de Poor little thing Poor little thing I had not dreamed she hated California so Hated me Ave Maria Maria Ma Ma- ria Purisima hates me Ai ai ai al Who loves her so Poor little littIe little lit lit- tle tIe thing Ave Maria He bowed his head still lower His wife's frightened frantic face surrounded by her roughened tresses her wide wet eyes ejes and little littie little lit lit- tle tie sharp teeth bared by trembling lips came into his mind again He groaned Poor little thing like a little frightened animal caught in a snare goaded into gnawing off ofT a foot rath rather er than to be held in a trap Ave AveMaria AveMaria Maria Marial He beat his breast softly despairingly Then he slipped his hand beneath his leather jerkin and anddrew anddrew anddrew drew out the scapular made from rom Serras Serra's habit Holding itin It Itin in his hands was some comfort Timidly he lifted It to his lips and kissed it Poor little thing That was all ali his thoughts could form I understand under under- stand I too if I did not love this strange California would wish to sail away Even with my love I have loneliness the wish for com corn Ave Maria Marial What shallI shall I 11 I do now God help me holy Master Master Master Mas ter Jesus help me Santa Maria help me holy Father Serra intercede intercede intercede inter inter- cede for me He had crouched so long lost In prayer and bitterness that when he raised his head he saw it was already already already al al- ready dawn From the parade parade- ground there came the sound of a a. bugles bugle's notes and nd of horses' horses hoofs Sharply he remembered he had hid ordered ordered ordered or- or or or- dered a guard to accompany him him to the beach to witness the departure departure departure depar depar- ture of the French ships I He pulled hims himself stiffly to his his feet and looked across at the bed Eulalia Eulalla was asleep one hand still curved over her outraged cheek Tenderly he bent over her a moment moment moment mo mo- ment then tiptoed out of the room On the beach blazed a huge fire of dri driftwood lwood The sand was marked with the prints of many feet There were bits of refuse and scraps left by the departing French sai sailors rs Fages looked about him Here the tent which was th the laboratory h had stood with its strange fascinating instruments Here were the black ened cued cinders of the fire where the r balloon had risen Fages sighed and arid lifted his glasses It was a thick morning Fog moved in n so densely he could scarcely see the wal water r. r He wondered wondered won won- on de dered red if it La Perouse could see the i beams o of f the fire he had bad built in his bis honor honor I He thought of Le Pante Dagele and dismissed him once and 1 for all from his thoughts He remembered what La Perouse e 1 I had said aid that on leaving California he must catch the Chinese monsoon I I into Asiatic waters My imagination tion must always precede my vessel vessel vessel ves ves- sel by two or three thousand t j leagues he had laughed Fages envied en en- vied him with all his heart I j Suddenly a breeze moved and lifted the fog for lor a feW lew moments i from the face of the waters Don Pedro and the watchers on onshore onshore I shore saw the spread sails and towering towering towering tow tow- ering masts n lla of the and the Astrolabe nearer than it had seemed they could be putting out of the bay into the open sea They cheered moved by the sight of the shadowy ships From one of them the ship flag ship came a burst of ot smoke followed by a muffled mist salute The soldiers of ot the presidio guard fired a volley in reply Then as the fog log moved down again they were lost to sight and the fog tog did not lift lilt again It was years later that the Viceroy of Mexico learned by dispatches sent from Europe that the and the Astrolabe had made the Sandwich Islands and there deposited deposited de de- de posited with the captain of a home home- ward-bound ward English ship all of the findings of the Count Jean Francois de La Perouse concerning his expedition and his visit to California Cali- Cali fornia ornia the fortitude of the Governor Don Pedro Fages the kindness and p piety ty of Pere Fermin Lasuen and the he hospitality of them both From rom the Sandwich Isles the frenchmen had sailed away had been jeen seen once again by men men In New ew Zealand then di disappeared The Astrolabe be the the Count de La Perouse Monsieur de dc deLangle deLangle Langle Le Lc Pante the thc scholars schol schol- ars scientists sailors sailors' and Iov lovers rs the he the delicate instruments the botanical botanical botanical botan botan- ical and zoological specimens which had been picked up hi in in the French French- by Ny N if J th r I i f I 1 V II x i t Watched Sauntering Toward Him mens men's expedition were all lost inthe in inthe inthe the Pacific And the manner of their disaster remained for ever a mys my tery CHAPTER Now I will sing t to my well beloved a song of ot my beloved touching his vineyard My well beloved hath a vineyard i hi Iii hia 1 a very fruitful hill hill hill- Fray Fermin Lasuen sitting beside beside beside be be- side the Governor on the hot earth beneath a great oak ak on top iop of a ahill ahill hill repeated the words of Is Isaiah iah as they watched the Indians ns picking the ripe grapes that burdened the gnarled and twisted t vines It was the last day of the ven- ven The fruit truit had been allowed wed to hang beneath the burning sun until until until un un- un- un til the last possible minute when rich j juices ces would strain the purple skins to the utmost without beginning beginning begin begin- ning to dry Only a few s remained In the vineyard The fi fiesta fiesta fl fi- esta de la was already starting as a bustle and stir sUr in the direction of ot the the barbecue pits shouts and nd songs from the workers attested Fray Fermin who had come over from Carmelo to bless the vintage watched the Indian girl as she passed them a great basket of grapes on her head I I want vant to speak to you of that little one he said She is no longer long er a savage child but a w well trained little Christian woman fit to be a good wife to some man man- manIt it It Is time for her to wed wed And because she is your pro you should know v 1 I have it in my heart to arrange a marriage for foz h her wi with young young- Plo An Indi Indian b exclaimed the Gov I ern or Why n not t He Is a a. a good Christian Christian Christian Chris Chris- Chris Chris- tian and since his beloved masters master's death death he he has been so bereft I feel he needs something happy in hi his life Sever Several l times you you know he he has run away to join his savage brethren and 1 I t tam am afraid we ve will wilI lose him entirely Fages mused n lo looking after the graceful figure of the girl I suppose you are arc right Padre But she still seems a child to me And I had rather thought she would marry when when the time came one of the Kings King's soldiers Do you want me to speak with her I will The father rose to his feet Th Then n do it now my my myson soai son I I I will go down downto to see how the fiesta is progress progress- ing He stretched In the thc bright sun sUn light blinking as ns he faced the sun How h Ah he breathed good is this sun and warm air airl I Iam Iam Iam am happy your Excellency Very happy I shall go now in a few lew days to Santa Barbara to begin preparations preparations for lor founding the Mission Santa Barbara Yes Father I am happy also about that as you can well under under- stand If II only Fray were here to be with us Ah Au JI well I doubt not he knows well what is going forward It seems most fitting to be beginning these preparations ions during the season sea season sea sea- son of the vintage For I am planning plan ning to plant for my beloved my Master another vineyard and I pray the hill will be very fruitful as yours is He smiled and Fages ages ages' watched him walk away his Ws old face lace lit with exalted smiles Then he turned and watched Indi Indi- zuela sauntering toward him her basket empty Her hands were pur pitre stained stained and her lips for forshe she had filched the most luscious grapes here and there as she picked Her eyes are black black I as a n starry night thought Fages As she came c came me toward him she smiled suddenly and the flash of white teeth in hi her ber dark face tace was startling She was dark dark as the earth and from rom her rose an aura of fruitfulness fruitfulness fruitfulness fruit- fruit of ancient mysteries earth-mysteries hidden bidden savage impenetrable Pedro Fages' Fages blood pounded His throat felt choked A temple vein rose and pulsed suddenly His eyes swam and his knees felt weak he be called but his Ws voice broke suddenly He cleared his throat as ns the girl looked at hi him still smiling with a subtle understanding understanding understanding under under- standing look in hi her eyes I I I want to speak with you you Sit down She sank on to the earth and with witha a little gesture seemed to become a part ri of it t. t From swimming s Ji m ng eyes she looked up at him Si Senor she asked softly Fages clenched his hands Fray Fermin has said he blurted hastily hastily hastily hasti hasti- ly that he wishes wished to arrange a marriage with Pio What do yo you say She looked at him mockingly gravely That old man should think of other things than marriages It is not decent for fori his thoughts to dwell on such things So I have been taught Do you ou want to marry Pio Pia the Governor asked hurriedly Do you love him I have also been taught to tell the truth She bent over and patted patted pat pat- ted a handful of earth into a little pile and smoothed it as she spoke I do not love Pio I do not love any of he Indian boys nor any of thes She looked at the Gov Governor with heat head he d suddenly thrown hack back She laughed You know You have always known as I have that I Iam I am for you No one shall have me but my lord my beloved master I am his to o ga gather ther as he does docs the grapes from his vineyard and nd to crush as he crushes them Fages Pages listened to the low voice that seemed to blend with the buz buzzing buzz buzz- ing lag of the bees 1 What she said se seemed me i natural as though somewhere some some- where some time he had he had heard It before before As though In in a spell he spoke poke t p i v t tYe Y Ye s he said in a v voice ice not his own v k The girl took a deep breath When she asked simply Now This is the The man trembled He was under under un un- der a spell He must must break it quickly He looked about him In Ina ina ina a panic The gatherers had finIshed finished finished fin fin- their tasks and now were clustered around the barbecue Their voices seemed to come from froma a great distance There was no one near Heat shimmered from the earth but the Governor of California California Califor Califor- nia shivered Yes it was the Why not S She e was his Ws So utterly his And he needed her so Not only his body but his mind and spirit called for lor the fulfilment a blending with h her r would bring But he fought the girls girl's witchcraft and she sensed it itI itI it I know It is 15 your woman La Gobernadora Pah Pahl sh she spat That white one That cold old cruel Spaniard Listen She leaned forward forward for for- ward eagerly I know what happened hap hap- happened happened hap hap- when the Frenchmen were here I know who brought La Gobernadora Gobernadora Gob Gob- through the gates of the presidio the night before the Frenchmen sailed We can do away with her She laughed trIumphantlY triumphant trIumphant- ly Look She slipped her hand handin in her bosom and brought out a little little little lit lit- tle sack of skin It was dry and something rattled in it Look I This is magic I got it from froma a witch woman It is strong medicine If I will I can m make ke her wither wilber away and die and then The Governor unconsciously put his hand beneath his leather jerkin Serra Serra he muttered feeling the scrap of sanctified cloth He closed his lids to shut out the warm wonder of the Indian girls girl's eyes Go away he said gutturally Please l if you love me me go a away way The girl did not move It was the Governor who rose on unsteady feet and staggered like a drunken man toward the fiesta In spite of the priests moving moving moving ing about in hi their somber habits the seemed a pagan festi festi- val Bene Beneath th the ancient oaks live-oaks a n crowd of merrymakers celebrated the vintage in manner traditional Among them Don Pedro noticed his guests from the Presidio at San Francisco and S Santa B Barbara and a group of officers and sailors from the San Carlos which lay in Monterey Monterey Monterey Monte Monte- rey Bay Their heads were wreathed with vines and they were drinking wine from the last vintage singing laughing dancing uttering robust jokes circling around the b barbecue pits where slaving cooks were lifting the savory roasted bulland bulland bull bulland and hacking it into pieces Ne Near r by was the great vat where the grapes were poured to be crushed A little stream ran near it and there all nIl who wished to tread the wine washed their feet then plunged into the purple pool with jocund shouts On a rough dais beneath benen th a ramada ramada ramada ra- ra mada sat La Gobernadora surrounded surrounded surrounded sur sur- rounded by young laughing officers who vied with one another in composing composing composing com com- posing flattering toasts to her beauty beauty beauty beau beau- ty her wit her distinguished position position position tion as Queen of the She was dressed in the Maja costume costume costume cos cos- tume in her lap a great basket of grapes and on her head a wreath of ot grape leaves At her feet a soldier sat his head tied in a scarlet handkerchief handkerchief handkerchief hand |