Show MISTRESS of MON MONTEREY K VIRGINIA STIVERS BARTLETT virginia stivers bartlett service I 1 SYNOPSIS governed california of 1783 a conflict between church and state is represented by two friendly enemies frail old fray Juni gunipero pero serra franciscan missionary and don pedro fages civil governor after telling serra he Is tending sending to mexico tor for his wife and son whom he has not seen for eight years he refuses his aid toward founding the santa barbara kisslo in mexico city dona eulalia accompanied by her duenna angustias gust gus las arrives at the embassy in response to a letter from her husband don pedro she agrees to go to california don pedro sends tor for serra telling him that two priests are on their way from mexico with eulalia and young pedro and that he is leaving to met them fages engages a young indian girl Indi zuela as maid for eulalla eulalla sails from san blas bias it is a desolate trip CHAPTER IV continued i ha she said again sol this beautiful land sends a scourge of vermin to plague met very well I 1 shau not weep I 1 shall not weaken I 1 shall conquer this california or I 1 willdie aiu die she sh e summoned little pedro to her and I 1 all afternoon to the accompaniment of a dismal sand scattering breeze beguiled his imagination and comforted her desolation with stories that began when I 1 was a little girl in beautiful barcelona for several days the ancient capital of baja california stirred from its sun and sand smitten lethargy to prepare la gobernadora as they already called dona eulalia tor for her long journey to monterey in california alta aita but the troubles with stubborn indians trying to dispose of more stubborn burros the difficulty in finding and buying satisfactory riding and pack animals the labor of packing and provisioning food water and clothing tor for a trip that would endure for months con the lady not at all ail when at last the long caravan left loreto eulalla eulalia was fairly comfortable on a white spanish jennet it was a strange assortment of pilgrims which rode away from loreto that morning at sunrise la gobernadora herself hiding her trepidation beneath a demeanor carefully calm but unusually pale small pedro triumphant on a burro almost as small as himself angustias her brittle bones boring her flesh agonizingly before loreto was a mile behind holding chichi the monkey who was as afraid of the mule as the mule was of him at the head of the van rode one capitan canete serious troubled by his responsibility a seasoned traveler and admiring friend of pedro pages there were cooks mule water tenders vaqueros ros indian runners and bearers tortilla makers woodcutters wood cutters soldiers and stragglers A little to themselves heads withdrawn into the cowls of their franciscan robes two priests rode their presence in the expedition an answer to gunipero Juni pero serras prayers in the northern reaches of california alta a hurrying party of horsemen followed the flying horse of the governor of the Cali fornias spurred and lashed by his rider as the rider was spurred and lashed by hot impatience CHAPTER V leagues of eulaliah Eul Eu alias lallas journey lay behind many terrible leagues traversed doggedly day and night with heat dust thirst weariness and an awful numbing tear fear of the ahe unknown that robbed her of rest when at the end ot of a days travel eulalia lay on her pallet and felt sleep must come that the blessing of complete oblivion and release from suffering would at last requite her the blessing was denied always at the moment when she seemed slipping into unconsciousness a rude hand gripped her weary heart and shook it cruelly until her whole body trembled and sweat coldly during the first nights she would cry out and creep to little pedros pedro s side for comfort or summon angustias to her then she grew ashamed of her childishness and only lay the quieter when her tear fear specter haunted her sitting before her campfire one night at the end of a trying day she questioned herself why had she been persuaded to come on this journey she who was born to luxury soft cushions and luxurious coaches lifting her face she stared at the fire queen of the Californi Cali fornias ast she muttered bitterly angustias bustling into the circle of light broke into her rebellious musings the two priests are coming to call on you dona eulalla eulalia she announced noun ced eulalia did not move yes she questioned dully yes and I 1 think its about time do you know nina I 1 think there is A 11 xa J tu k 1 I see and are you enjoying this journey something queer about those two I 1 have heard eulalia sniffed as her duena with chichi in her arms hunched closer to the fire you would hear gossip on a desert isle and you the only soul on it she remarked bending her ear nev erth eless closer to her companion 1 I have heard beard continued angustias that there are two people on this journey who are being sent to C california alifornia as a punishment for their sins and I 1 wondered eulalia flung bung out her arms dramatically mati cally A punishment for their sins and I 1 am sent to reap a reward for my virtues A strange country this california to which at the same time people are sent for punishment and reward angustias nodded yes it is I 1 am wondering who will gt gel what sh h h here they come into the light of the fire two brown clad figures loomed out of the shadows greetings senora la gobernadora said a solemn voice 1 I am fray mariano and this is fray bartolome two poor brothers of the mendicant order of san francisco greetings to you good fathers replied eulalia will you not sit down by my fire they disposed themselves on the ground and stared fixedly at the lady then they exchanged a long look and nodded eulalia was in her turn studying them they were young for friars and looked strangely alike though one fray mariano looked slightly older their tonsures tonsured ton were quite black and their black eyes very much alive but fray marianos look was direct to the point of impudence and fray glances slid about indirectly both had sensual mouths but again with a difference the lips of one turned up in a sly grin the other turned down the corners of his mouth with a sanctimonious sneer they were silent and eulalia tried uncomfortably to open a conversation you resemble each other very much she said are you brothers ali ah no only brothers in god intoned fray Ma mariano my family name is rubi and fray name is gill gili 1 I see and are you enjoying this journey this started a long tirade from fray mariano they decidedly were not he complained of everything the escort the trails the food the tents provided for them their mules everything fray bartolome coughed slightly and gave his companion a nudge which the skeptical angustias observed the other stopped suddenly but we are resigned he intoned yes we are resigned it is gods will we should make this pilgrimage so we do not complain do you think we are complaining he asked eulalia anxiously if you do I 1 am sure it is with good cause she replied later after the two priests departed and angustias was brushing her mistress hair she remarked 1 I dont know how it appears to yo you I 1 but th those ose do not seem true religious men to me they are strange I 1 can not understand der stand them angustias their eyell eyes and how they stare but they are franciscans after all and must be but I 1 dont understand them they make me feel uncomfortable for table angustias CHAPTER VI in the valley of compondu Comon du an oasis in the barren heart of baja california la gobernadora was entertained at mission san jose de co bondu beloved of all travelers soldiers and priests who made the dreary trip up and down the peninsula for days they rested there refreshed by the sparkling waters oi of an abundant stream and by figs pomegranates peaches and dates beneath the clashing fronds of giant palms there was a halt at santa rosalia de eulege on the vermillion sea where there was another old stone mission and fruitful gardens from there the cavalcade traveled over a horrible wilderness well named tierra del infierno hell country which quaked constantly as they traversed its barrenness by a broad flat camino built many years before by jesuit missionaries sion aries who had urged hundreds of indian neophytes to the colossal task by flogging them when they lagged they traveled to the mission san ignacio which stood in a fertile arroyo that opened in a barren mesa leaving there with water skins and casks bulging for the desert travel ahead they traveled northward skirting the eastern edge of the desert of a treacherous terrain at mission santa gertrudis in a great mountain girt amphitheater all gave thanks that they had arrived in safety though their water waler skins were lean and dry at santa gertrudis eulalia heard first rumors of the approach of her husband indians coming from the north reported fires that burned by night and a party of horsemen who traveled swiftly by day la Goberna gobernadora dorb still rode silently uncomplainingly it was only her p pride ride that kept her from flinging herself from her horse on to the ground and screaming until the tension that was holding her quivering nerves shattered in a satisfying hysteria at night in her tent or by the campfire she was subject to cna clanging nging moods sometimes gloomy silent Dro brooding sometimes bright with febrile gaiety angustias was watching her mistress doubtfully gauging her temper her experienced weather eye eve reading infallible signs that her ladys nerves were frayed to a breaking point and that a hurricane was due to break within a short time if she can only wait until we meet don pedro she prayed she needs her husband at a time like this the hurricane arrived before the governor one evening just before nightfall the storm broke they had been traveling tor for days among the lofty Cal malli mountains that stretch along the waist or narrowest part of the peninsula eulalia shivering as night came on for now the nights were as cold as the days were hot rode beside little pedro behind came angustias cuddling her monkey as they both dozed at the head of the van rode the capitan little pedro leaned closer to his mother and whispered eulalia eulail ia frowned on my soul child we can not stop now control yourself but the child would not be controlled troll ed he stopped his burro threw the reins toward angustias Angust las and disappeared in the brush angustias Angust las startled from her nap made a lunge at the reins missed them and brought her hand sharply against chichis face the terrified monkey in turn awakened rudely from his little sn oozing leaped straight for pedros burro and the burro bolted off the trail chichi screamed angustias Angust las trying to get from her clumsy sidesaddle chichi baby but the little burro and his detested frightened burden went careening away in the dusk capitan canete wheeled to eula lias ilas side just as angustias slipped on to the dusty trail screaming and crying my lady exclaimed the capitan what is the matter but eulalia only pointed after her fleeing companion will you help her she asked struggling for control will you help her to catch that fool little chichi he has eloped with pedros burro oh damn that a ape e and damn that ass oh pardon me senora but I 1 freyou are you all right my lady 11 yes yes of course oh here she comes out of the dusk came angustias trying to hold the monkey which struggled and clawed in furious panic it had pulled the womans comans gray hair in tatters over her face and she looked like a witch emerging from the night he know roe me he is mad from fright oh my little darling my sugarplum sugar plum you are safe in your mothers arms there there the capitan exploded by the holy bones of saint bartholomew tholo mew woman why you get the burro here you to an indian fetch back that animal grinning the indian loped away he hated bated and feared chichi as the rest of the natives did angustias climbed on to her hor horse e gain again soothing her weeping treasure the capitan heaved a sigh well he said are we all but suddenly a piercing shriek came from somewhere a long high wall wail that ended in ma a a amal eulalia slipped from her jennet pedro pedrol pedro what is it my god before the capitan could reach her she had met the child and had him clasped in her arms mama looka look camal mama f all ail I 1 am hurt at ai ai ai ail ai v what has happened what is fi do no cry speak to met me he held out his hands to her look cactus all the needles ran in me ouch a ai at ai ail ai the capitan took the child from his bis mother and set him on his own knee as he squatted on the trail yes yes what happened 1 I was back there in the bushes a big black something came after me and I 1 ran and stumbled into the cholla ouch ouch his face and arms were swelling from the hundreds of needles that had penetrated his skin stinging him to agony as he strove to scratch them out canete took firm hold of his wrists dont scratch dona angustias let down your hair I 1 1 i angustias put her hand to liftin hs scant gray locks in bewilderment CW coa but why she stammered because you must help this suffering child only long hair will draw out cactus thorns Quick quickly lyl but young pedro was already enveloped in a flood of black tresses as his mothers hair tumbled about him soothing his stings and drawing by some strange attraction the needles from his flesh at I 1 last ast his cries dropped to sobs and his sobs to whimpers then he sniveled softly in his mothers arms now my brave little man will you smile at mother poor darling poor little soldier 1 I want a drink of water whimpered pedro he wants a drink of water said ulalia eulalia to angustias he wants a drink of water said angustias to the capitan he wants a but by my life there is is no water no water exploded eulalia no water senora but we are not far from the spring of santa marita come let us get on our way before it grows darker come my lady eulalla eulalia grew very still canete leaned over her and touched her arm to assist her to arise dont touch me she said dangerously gerou sly TO BE CONTINUED |