Show Mistress of q Virginia Slivers Stivers licit Bartlett Seale TER Continued Continued 19 19 She writhed and struggled claw ing at his mu muffling lIng fingers fingen The re re- bozo bow slipped around her neck her hair tumbled wildly over her ders tiers But Dut Pedro Fages clutched her firmly and at last threw her over his hll shoulder and lifted her to toss her on to the horse As soon as she touched the saddle the she began to scream and started to slide Elide down As AI her feet teet touched the earth at al the side of ot the horse Fages pinned her to the side aide of ot his animal animal animal ani ani- mal with one arm and looked at her hera a moment You let me alone she exclaimed exclaimed ex claimed stridently I will not stay Itay another minute here herel Fages lifted his hand and rapped a stinging slap across Eulalia's jaws She put her hands to her face and her mouth fell teU open In pain and surprise Now get on that horse said the Governor sternly She hesitated just a second for tor the strong hand that was usually her mounting block then scrambled quickly into the saddle As they passed the sentries at the presidio gates she covered her head and bent low The sentries looked after them with lively curiosity At the door of ot the mansion Angustias An An- scared face met them Go Goto to bed said the Die Governor shortly With a gasp of ot understanding An An- scuttled away Eulalia cast herself on the bed trembling and fearful tearful but the Governor Governor Gov did not even look at her She rubbed her stinging cheek tenderly a moment then undressed and slipped beneath benea th the covers Still the Governor Go did not speak nor make any move only stood with folded arms looking at the floor At last with a sigh he stirred himself and sank a dejected dusty figure before the Madonna I He lie reached for his rosary and be be- 1 I gan his prayers But his thoughts wandered from his devotions Poor little thing Poor little thing I had not dreamed she hated I California so Hated me Ave Maria Maria Ma Ma- ria Purisima hates mel Ai al al art all Who loves her ber so Poor little little lit lit- tle tie thing Ave Maria Marla He bowed his head heat still lower His wife's frightened frantic face tace surrounded by her roughened d tresses her wide wet eyes and littie little 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 a foot rather ratty rath er than to be held In a trap AveMaria Ave AveMaria Maria He beat his breast softly despairingly Then he slipped hi his hand beneath his leather Jerkin and anddrew anddrew anddrew drew out the scapular made from Serras Serra's habit Holding Itin it itin itin in his hands was some comfort Timidly he lifted It to his lips and kissed it Poor little thing That was all his thoughts could form I under I stand I too if it I not did love this strange California would wish to toI I sail uil away Even with my love I have loneliness the wish for companionship com com- Ave Maria Marial What shall shallI I do now God help me holy Master MasI Master Mas Mas- I ter Jesus help me Santa Maria Marla I help me holy Father Serra Intercede Inter cede for me 1 He had crouched so long lost in pra prayer er and nd bitterness that when he raised his head he saw it was alI already already al al- I ready dawn From the parade ground there came the sound of a bugles bugle's notes and of horses' horses hoofs Sharply he remembered he had ordered ordered or or- dered a guard to accompany him to the beach to witness the departure departure depar ture of the French ships He pulled himself stiffly to his feet and looked across at the bed Eulalia was asleep one hand still stil curved over her outraged cheek Tenderly he bent over her a moment mo mo- ment then tiptoed out of ot the room On the beach blazed a huge fire of driftwood The sand was marked I with the prints of many feet There were bits of refuse and scraps left let by the departing French sailors Fages looked about him Here the I tent which was the laboratory had hac I stood with its strange fascinating I instruments Here were the blackened black I ened cinders of the fire where the I I balloon had risen I Fages Fagel sighed and lifted lilted his glasses It was a thick morning Fog moved In so densely he could scarcely see the water He lie wondered wondered won won- dered if it La Perouse could see the beams of the fire he had built 1 in his Lis honor He thought of Le Pante and dismissed him once and for all from his thoughts lie He remembered what La Perouse had said that on leaving California he must catch the Chinese monsoon I into Asiatic waters My Imagination tion turn must always precede my vessel vessel ves ves- sel by two or three thousand th leagues he had laughed Fages envied envied en en- vied him with all his heart Suddenly a breeze moved and lifted the fog for tor a few moments i from the face tace of ot the waters Don Pedro and the watchers on onI onshore shore aw taw the spread sails and towI tow tow- I t cring waits of th 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 ot of f the shadowy ships From one of them hem the flag flagship ship came a burst of ot smoke followed by a muffled mist-muffled salute The soldiers of the presidio guard fired a volley in reply Then as 81 the fog tog moved down again they were lost to sight and the fog did not lift again It was years later that the Viceroy of Mexico learned by dispatches sent lent from tram Europe that the and the Astrolabe had made the Sandwich Islands and there deposited deposited de de- posited with the captain of ot a homeward home home- ward ward bound bound English ship all of ot the findings of the Count Jean Francois de La Perouse concerning his its expedition and his visit to Call Cali- ornia fornia the fortitude of the Governor Don Pedro Fages the kindness avid ard piety of Pere Fermin Lasuen and the hospitality of them both From rom the Sandwich Isles the Frenchmen had sailed away had been jeen seen once again by men in New Zealand then disappeared The Astrolabe the the Count de La Perouse Monsieur de deLangle deLangle deLangle Langle Le Pante the scholars scholars schol schol- ars scientists sailors and lovers the he delicate instruments the botanical botanical botanical botan botan- ical and zoological specimens which had been picked up in the French French- IM p Y lu I r jS i 4 1 II 1 i fl Watched Sauntering Toward Him mens men's expedition were all lost lr II the Pacific And the manner of their thelt disaster remained for ever a mys rays tery lery CHAPTER Now I will sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard My well beloved hath a vineyard Ina in ina ina a very fruitful hill hill Fray Fermin Lasuen sitting beside beside beside be be- side the Governor on the hot earth beneath a great oak on top of ahill a ahill hill repeated the words of ot Isaiah as they watched the Indians picking the ripe grapes that burdened the gnarled and twisted vines It was the last day of the ven ven- dimla The fruit had been allowed to hang beneath the burning sun until un un- until til the last possible minute when rich juices would strain the purple skins to the utmost without beginning begin begin- ning to dry Only a few stragglers remained in the vineyard The fl fl flesta est esta a de la was already starting as a bustle and stir sUr in the direction of the barbecue pits shouts and 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 want to speak to you of that tha little one he said She is no longer long long- well well trained trained er a savage child but a little Christian woman fit to be a good wife to some man It is time for her to wed And because she I Is your you should know I 1 have it in my heart to arrange a marriage for her with young Pio An Indian exclaimed the Governor Gov Gov- Why not not He lie is a good Chris Chris- Christan tan flan and since his beloved masters master's dea death th he has been so eu u bereft I feel fee he needs something happy in his life Several times you know he has run rum away to join his savage brethren and I 1 am afraid we will wil lose him entirely Fages mused looking after the graceful figure of the girl I 1 suppose you are right Padre But sh she still seems a child to me And I had ra rather ther thought she would marry when the time came one o othe of the Kings King's soldiers Do you wan want me to speak with her I will The fa lather father ther rose to his feet Then do it now my son I will go down downto to see how the fiesta is progress ing He lie stretched in the bright sun light blinking as 81 he faced the sun hl h he breathed How good Is this sun and warm air I Iam Iam am happy your Excellency Very happy I shall go now in a few days daYI to o Santa Barbara to begin preparations preparations prepare prepare- ions for tor founding the Mission Santa Barbara Darbara Yes Father I am happy also about that as you can well understand under- under stand tand If It only Fray were here to be with us Ah well I doubt not he knows well what is going forward It seems most fitting to be beginning these preparations during the season season season sea sea- son of the vintage For I am planning planning plan- plan ning ling to plant for tor my beloved my Master faster another vineyard and I pray the hill will be very fruitful as 81 yours your ours is He smiled and Fages watched him walk away his old face tace lit with exalted smiles o Then he turned and watched zuela sauntering toward him her basket asket empty Her hands were pur- pur stained ile and her lips for she had lad filched the most luscious grapes here and there as she picked Her eyes are black black as a starry night thought Fages As she came toward him she smiled suddenly and the flash of white teeth in her dark face was startling She was dark dark as the earth and from her rose an aura of fruitfulness fruit fruit- of ancient mysteries earth-mysteries hidden lidden savage impenetrable Pedro Fages' Fages blood pounded His throat felt choked A temple vein rose and pulsed suddenly His Ills I eyes swam and his knees felt weak he be called but his voice broke suddenly He lie cleared his throat as the girl looked at him still smiling with a subtle understanding under standing look in her eyes 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 of it From swimming eyes she looked up at him Si Senor she asked softly Fages clenched his hands Fray Fermin has said he blurted hastily hastily hasti hash ly that he be wishes to arrange a marriage for you with Plo Pio What do you say She looked at him him mockingly gravely That old man should think of other things than marriages It hnot is h not decent for his thoughts to dwell on such things So I have been taught Do you want to marry Plo Pio the Governor asked hurriedly Do you love him I have also been taught to tell the truth She bent over and patted patted patted pat pat- ted a 8 handful of ot earth Into a little pile and smoothed it as she spoke I do not love Pio Plo I do not love loveI I any of the Indian boys nor any of the soldiers She looked at the Governor Governor Gov Gov- with head suddenly thrown back She laughed You know You have always known as I have that thai I am for you No one shall have me but my lord my beloved master I am his to gather as he does the grapes from his vineyard and to crush as he crushes them Fages listened to the low voice that seemed to blend with the buzzIng buzzing buzzing buzz buzz- ing of the bees What she said seemed natural as though somewhere somewhere some some- where some time he had heard it before As though in a spell he spoke Yes he said in a voice not his own The girl took a deep breath When she asked simply Now This is th th The man ed ad lie He was tinder un tin- under der a break it quickly lIe He looked about him in ina ina a panic The gatherers had 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 Neat Heat shimmered from the earth but the Governor of California Califor Califor- nia ata shivered Yes It was the Why not She was his So utterly his And he be needed her so Not only his body ody but his mind end and spirit called for or the fulfilment a blending with her ler would bring But Bit he fought the girls girl's witchcraft and she sensed itI itI it itI I know It Is 11 your Jour woman La Gobernadora Pah Pahl she spat Ipat That white one That cold cruel Spaniard Listen She leaned forward for tor- ward eagerly I know what happened happened hap hap- when the Frenchmen were here herel I know who brought La Gobernadora Gobernadora Gobernadora Gob- Gob through the gates of ot the presidio the night before the Frenchmen sailed We can do away with her herl She laughed triumphant triumphant- ly Look She slipped her hand handIn In her bosom and brought out a little little lit lit- tle tie sack of ot skin It was dry and something rattled In It Look I This is 11 magic I got It from a witch woman It Is strong medicine If It I will I can make her wither away and die and then The Governor unconsciously put his hand beneath his leather jerkin Serra he muttered feeling the scrap of ot sanctified cloth He lie closed his lids to shut out the warm wonder of the Indian girls girl's eyes Go away he said gutturally Please if you love me go away 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 their somber habits the seemed a pagan festi festi- val Beneath the ancient oaks live a crowd of merrymakers celebrated the vintage In manner traditional Among them Don Pedro I his guests from the Presidio at San I Francisco and Santa Barbara Darbara and a group of ot officers and sailors from the San Carlos which lay in Monterey Monterey Monte Monte- rey Bay Day Their heads were wreathed with vines and they were drinking wine from the last vintage singing laughing dancing uttering robust jokes circling around the barbecue pits where slaving cooks were lifting the savory roasted bulland bull bulland bulland and hacking It Into pieces Near by was the great vat where the grapes grapel were poured to be crushed A little stream ran near it and there all who wished to tread the wine washed their feet teet then plunged into the purple pool with jocund shouts On a rough dais beneath a 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 Battering toasts to her beauty beauty beauty beau beau- ty her wit her distinguished position position tion as Queen of the She was dressed in the Maja costume costume cos coso tume in her lap a great basket of grapes and on her head a wreath of grape leaves At her feet a soldier sat his head tied in a scarlet handkerchief handkerchief hand hand- kerchief and across his knees a guitar He was singing a song to her and she smiled d as Don Pedro watched and lifted her glass to the Ue Don Pedro stared at Eulalia curiously curl curi as tho though gh he had never seen her before She seemed happy This was what she loved craved after all flattery t admiration adulation lie He stopped uncertainly For a moment moment moment mo mo- ment he thought he would turn and go back to the brown ardent Indian girl who still waited for him beneath beneath beneath be be- neath the quiet sheltering tree But young Pedro watching the carving of the bull meat saw him There he Is 1 he shouted Now we can have the feast So the |