Show 1 C A K M 0 F TH E KAN H 9 V CHAPTER X continued 10 1 I welcome the chance senor to lay your honorable words before carmen and I 1 shall dare to say dona maria spoke the words with gracious charm 1 I trust the matter may have a happy ending carmen is going to monterey Mon tomorrow to do some shopping she means to ask you to take her it will be best now to send pedro with her sol bo senor for two or three days pa patience encel bowie remained with some of his vaqueros ros along the river nearly all that day then to kiu kill time through the rancho supper hour he rode over to santa clara and visited with padre martinez who poor man had more trouble to face than his young visitor had though it did not so seem to bowie this government exclaimed the padre mildly they want to confiscate secularize they call it every mission in california what senor bowie becomes of my poor indians 7 bowie had little use for any mexican government it is too bad padre but no honest man ever came in contact with that bunch of grafters drafters gr without getting robbed I 1 only wish it were in my power to help you but I 1 am a foreigner an americano they call me I 1 insist I 1 am a 1 he supped cupped with the padre and rode home later he escaped seeing carmen in this way and next morning took his saddle very early after giving pedro particular instructions for insuring the safety of his charge for the trip to monterey in the end bowie told pedro to take sanchez along with him but I 1 cant find sanchez said pedro he has been missing for a day missing what do you mean pedro could offer no explanation he rode into the hills yesterday morning he has not returned no matter said bowie take one of the other boys the senorita must be carefully escorted of what had taken place at guadalupe the day before bowie knew nothing though its events concerned him vitally carmen was caught wholly by surprise she listened carefully but her cheeks mantled and her eyes revealed that she was startled she caught her breath imperceptibly for a moment she could not speak of course dearest itis a surprise continued her mother though not perhaps as great a one to us as it is to you As her first surprise died away caimens Car mens expression grew grave you no doubt will want time to think this over ever my child her mother went on sleep over it tonight oh my mother exclaimed carmen that is not necessary not necessary Is your mind so soon made up the girls face set in a fixed resolve what senor bowie asks is quite impossible mother dear I 1 will never under any circumstances marry an americano I 1 do not wish to wound him unnecessarily say to him that carmen has no thought of marriage that she thanks him for his offer that she feels honored by it but as to marriage no she spoke rapidly and as if de ter mined to brook no discussion yet her mother who perhaps unconsciously ly inclined toward the bronzed frontiersman persisted far be it from me dearest to seek to influence your decision yet the ground of it does surprise me such unions not infrequently occur among us perhaps it is so and perhaps they turn out well admitted carmen but with my feelings against them as brutal interlopers interlope rs their cold blooded murder of the only man I 1 would have married had he lived oh these people are a re intolerable 1 though I 1 have nothing personally against senor senoi bowie yet he too is brutal I 1 saw it the other day where he would have dragged that drunken fremont marauder to death dona maria perceived it was useless to argue As you will carmen dear it Is your future and you are well able to decide the question kiss me good night in the morning bowie was in the saddle early carmen was on her way to monterey when he got back to the ranch house and dona maria sent for him oh senor bowie she began carmen will not think of marriage she insists she is too young I 1 remind her that her mother was married younger younge r than she where do girls nowadays get their ideas I 1 cant understand it but she seems determined not to marry believe me dear senor bowie I 1 did my best tor for both don ramon and I 1 hold you in high esteem her decision was so hasty I 1 told her so but she has grieved deeply over the murder of her sweetheart senor de haro at the hands of ameri canes canos she feels bitterly toward all americanos but give her a 11 little atle time senor young girls change do not lose their minds so easily t courage try as the kindly dona maria would to soften the verdict she saw how bitter a blow it was f the texan he made no comment but as hie he rose hat bat in hand and in a few by FRANK H SPEAR SPEARMAN N 9 words thanked dona maria for her kindness she thought there was in his h is demeanor despite his rough garb a silent dignity that would move any woman to the respect from which affection must stem CHAPTER XI about a week later caimens Car mens aunt ysabel appeared at the rancho for a visit one evening just before dinner she carmen and bowie became involved in a rather sharp conversation ysabelo Ys abels sharp tongue had pricked the texans sensibilities she said exactly what she pleased and had positive opinions some of these bowie disliked but made little effort to oppose his mind was filled with other reflections once or twice indeed he did openly disagree with her his objections precipitated a lively discussion between the two once when this seemed to threaten the peace of the trio carmen intervened on bowies side this resulted in a pointed reprimand from tia ysabel who objected to a callow girls expressing views on any subie ct both carmen and bowie laughed this off he noticed how pleas pleasant ant it was to be laughing with her then he hardened his heart carmen too found something agreeable in siding with her rejected suitor after all it was just a thought perhaps she had decided rather quickly following dinner the embers of the fires of the conversation flamed in the living room after mild efforts on the part of the peaceable host and hostess to check the heat of auntie they gave up and tia ysabel held forth senor bowie and I 1 were talking about mexico and texas this afternoon said ysabel to don ramon 1 I hope you agreed on everything responded her brother peacefully if you said disagreed senor bowie and I 1 could agree on one point at least he is a very courteous antagonist and I 1 admire his sin sincerity eerily but I 1 tell him he is so much younger than I 1 that he has some things to learn this republic of texas do you know what is behind it all don ramon no and to tell the truth dear sister I 1 am not vitally interested to know but you should bet bel bristled tia ysabel 1 I have been told that that republic has even sent emissaries to california to suggest that we join the cannou can you imagine bowie who had lighted a cigarette gazed innocently and thoughtfully into the fire behind that texas rebellion is this continued the fast tongued spinster A junta of american politicians cooked up a scheme to set up a slavery empire in the south taking in texas and cuba mind you and splitting away from the united states spanish laws are so old fashioned and degrading that they forbid human slavery hence these high minded texas patriots struck off the base shackles of mexico and spanish law so they could have a nice little slavery empire of their wn own I 1 well senor bowie knew nothing of all this but it is the truth his heroes have clay feet bowie sat unmoved most heroes have he said calmly dona ysabel states the mexican side well but it is only one side the americans could say something too but would anybody believe them look at their record they robbed everyone they co could uld lay their hands on she exclaimed biting off her words the poor indians how they been plundered look at poor mexico I 1 robbed of texas now they try to lay hands on mexican Califor california nial 1 heaven forbid they will carrupt our people and ruin our civilization Ysa ysabell belf protested don bramon amon with dignity spare us Y YI seem to forget the presence of catir r own americano bowie raised his hand rardon pardon don ramon he interpose lazily if you refer by chance to r it I 1 am not an american A cestr rind ned but growing emphasis marked I 1 is words as he added 1 I am a aja T idano no a citizen of th the e republic of T texas exas something quite different different snapped tia ti ysabel but no better A land of rebels texas she exclaimed c bously i bowie was hard to ruffle 0 outwardly ut rebels it if you vill ill he retorted evenly but at t ie e worst rebels against a vil vile government rement our tezanos should have marched on mexico city and hors whipped every member of the disreputable dis junta I 1 would except or 01 ly sante santa ana he be hors whipped he should be torn to piece i i by wild horses I 1 beg don rai n that I 1 may be excused he added coolly 1 I have orders to give for the roundup tomorrow his withdrawal left bana ona ysabel somewhat nonplused nonplus ed but her resourcefulness did not desert her certainly she wai magisterially abe the young bas has spirit you have hurt him ysabel remonstrated don ramon H hurt urt him echoed his sister no more than he has hurt me he is positively abusive he certainly does not need anyone to salve his wounds I 1 should say hi he is quite able abl to take care of himself himsel ft I 1 frank H spearman service A fortnight later with a good part of the tallow and hides marketed and normal days resumed at guadalupe bowie spoke to don ramon in the office ive wanted for some time to take a trip up to fort I 1 have some old friends up there I 1 met a couple of them once at yerba buena and I 1 promised before I 1 came to guadalupe to pay them a visit of course senor whenever you like and stay as long as you like though we shall be very glad indeed to welcome you back my stay will be indefinite don ramon I 1 do not plan to come back not come back bowie shuffled a bit there was a tone of amazement and reproach in don ramons words that made it hard for him to proceed not at least for the present don ramon don ramon pleaded but without eff effect act he sought his wife in in consternation ster nation dona maria listened but explained all before don ramon had done it is carmen she said nodding hodding regretfully no man most of all a man like senor bowie could sit at the table day after day with a senorita he loved after she had refused him ramon you 11 carmen will not think ot of marriage expect it it is too badior bad for us but you argue with him in vain the final words somehow or other held themselves back until bowie halted at the door ready to ride away don ramon with cordial protestations te had said goodby good by dona maria came out on the porch and down the steps toward bowie he slipped instantly from his saddle and stood before her hat in hand 1 I know why you go senor dona maria said simply 1 I regret it more than I 1 am saying wherever you go 90 you will have warm hearts at guadalupe interested in your welfare and prayers will go up chere here a 1 long ong time for your safety you are much too kind dear dona maria replied bowie steadily the happiest days of my life chave been spent under your gracious roof and it if you ever feel a dire need which god forbid for my presence here I 1 shall come ii if I 1 am alive bowie left guadalupe stonyhearted his impulse was to put as many miles as possible between himself and the scene of his one great failure with his three ponies that being as many as don ramon could persuade him to take he rode to monterey to talk to larkin the latter was in yerba buena bowie rode on up the peninsula to find him the town was not so large as to make it difficult to happen on the american he encountered him at vio via gets and with him was a nervous and active young man who spoke with a foreign accent captain john A sutter sutter looked at bowie with the interest with which old frederick william of prussia would regard a likely recruit for his regiment of phenomenally tall grenadiers grena diers in bowie he saw precisely the type of frontiersman he wanted for his grandiose enterprise up the sacramento river youth strength and a poise that promised resource under pressure the three men adjourned to a rear room where sutter ordered heidsieck and the three sipped and chatted nearly the whole afternoon bowie tried two or three times to break away but could not larkin despite bowies efforts to shut him off told sutter about bowies indian affairs the stories of which had long ago reached monterey after this disclosure sutter clung to bowie like mustard to a nothing would do but that bowie must come up to the fort the texan refused all offers of an immediate contract but unable to escape otherwise gave the magnetic adventurer I 1 a promise that he would visit him upriver within a few weeks sutter had in his mind the apprehension I 1 that bowie in passing fre monts camp which lay en route might be coaxed into joining his bis scouts but larkin later assured him that his alarm was groundless since bowie had no love either tor for fremont or his expedition it did in fact come about that bowie visited the fremont camp on his way to the fort sutter suiter had ingeniously ly made as sure as he could of bowies visit by taking the extra ponies up the river on his supply boat when bowie appeared at arc monts quarters he was promptly arrested as a spy which did not increase his affection for the sensational adventurer the guard that detained him attempted to disarm him this proving embarrassing to his captors they led him to fre monts quarter fremont busy as usual about nothing of importance had no time to interview the spy but while bowie stood outside the tent an armed guard on each side two of the generals scouts came up one of these was stopped by the sergeant of the guard who poured a story into his ear about the captive who is he asked the scout looking at the prisoner what I 1 dont know but I 1 su suspect hes one of general Cli castros spies the count rys full of em cm he says hes from texas he gave up his rifle but when I 1 tried to take his pistol and his knife he got ugly I 1 want no shooting round headquarters so I 1 let him keep em cm the scout eyed the spy closely well if hes the man I 1 think he is I 1 want any shooting with him either he stepped forward and put out his hand for the spy to take IH henry enry bowie what you doin here better teu tell me kit carson what youre doing here with this fool outfit shake hands you old desert rat this man explained carson to the crestfallen sergeant is a texan why man hes from the staked plain hes no spy get him his rifle you bum henry he rin ran on 1 I heard you was out this way kind of lookin to run into you sometime somewhere well what you doin for yourself huntin I 1 reckon no matter what youre doin coin henry I 1 got a better job for you and say I 1 heard youre toting one of them newfangled new six sho otin pistols you hear that kit on the trail sommers dont know where lets see the contraption henry it was the first revolver carson had ever been seen he looked listened listene d and examined the new farea firearm rm w while hile men crowded around the two scouts wild to see the new gun and get it actually in their own hands the upshot of the meeting was that carson insisted on bowies waiting to meet fremont he had already gone into the tent with a word for the generals ear to acquaint him with the newcomer 1 I knowel that scout when he was a little shaver everybody in texas knows the bowies my brother mose and this boy grew up together you might say hates and greasers like aizen it if you can get him to trail south with us hes worth a troop 0 cavalry knows the country the folks well liked and fights like a wildcat hold him growled F remont fremont ill get him outside when carson rejoined bowie the talk went on carson talked eloquently of the importance of Fr emonts campaign to califor nia and its people and of the determination mi nation of |