The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-31
Copyright,
AT TIE MISSION OF SAN CARMEL
PROLOGUE.

IL was noon Of the 10th OF August 1888.
The monotonous coast line between Monterey
md San Diego had set its hard outlines against
the steady glare OF the Californian sky and the
metallic glitter OF the Pacific Ocean. Tho
weary succession OF rounded. domc-like hills
obtcratcd all sense OF distance: the rare
whaling vessel or still rarcr trader. drifting
rast saw no change in these rusty undula-
tons barren 81 distinguishing peak or hoad-
land and bald OF wooded crest or timbercd
rayinc. The withcrcd ranks OF wild oats gave
q duh procession OF uniform color to the hills.
nnbrokon by any relief OF shadow in their
smooth. round curves. As far as the eye could
reach sea and shore met In one bleak monoto-
ny ncckcd by no passing cloud. stirred by no
sign OF life nor motion. Even sound was NIB
sent: the Angelus runG from the invisible
Mission tower far inland, was driven back
again by the steady northwest trades that for
half the year hal swept the coast line. and loft
!. abradcd Of all umbrage and color
But oven this monotony soon gave way TO
change. and another monotony as uniform and
depressing. The western horizon, slowly con-
tracing before u wall OF vapor by O'Clock had
become a mere cold. steey strip Of sea, into
which gradually the northern trend OF the
coast faded and was lost. As the fog stole with
colt step southwark. all distance, space char
acter and locality again vanished tho hills
upon which the sun still shone bore the same
monotonous outlines az those just wiped into
space. Last OF ALL before the red sun sank
like the descending Host. ii cleaned upon the
sails OF trading vessel close in shore. II was
The last object visible. damp breath breathed
upon it. a soft hand passed over the slate. the
sharp pcnciling OF the picture faded and be-
came confused gray cloud.
Tho wind and waves. too, went down In the
fog. the now invisible and hushed breakers oe-
casionally sent the surf over the sand in q
quick whisper, with Gcavc intervals OF silence.
but with no continuous murmur rs before. In
a cuivng hight Of tho shore the crcaking Of
oars in their rowloeks began to DO distinctly
hoard, but tho boat itself. although apparently
only Its length from the sands wasin visible.
Steady. now; way enough Tho voice
came from the sea and was low. as II uncon-
soiously affected By the fog. "Siloneep'
Tho sound OF a keel grating the sand was fol-
lowed by tho order. stern all!' from the in
visible speaker.
Shall we beach her r. asked another vague
voice.
Not yet Hail again. and all together
"Ah hoy-oi-oi-oy!'
There were four voices but the hail appeared
weak and Intellectual. like a cry in n dream and
seemed to hardly reach beyond the surf before
II was sufotatcd in the creeping cloud.
elehc5 fOIoWel, no Te-ppu,e'
Its no use to beach her and 60 ashore until
we iinl the boat, said the first voice. graveiy:
and We'll do that if the current has brought
her hero. Are you sure you've got the right
bearings 2"
AS near "a man could of shore with not
n blasted pint to take his bearings by"
There was a long silence again, broken only
by the occasional dip Of oars Keeping the in
visible boat head to the sea.
Take my word for IT. lads. its the last We'll
zee ofthat boat again, or Of Jack Cranch or the
Captains baby
1T does look mighty queer that the painter
should slip Jack Cranrh amt the man to tie q
granny knot"
Silence' said the invisible leader. Listen"
A hail so faint and uncertain that 1t might
have been the long-deferrcd. far-oG echo Of
their own. came from the sea abreast Of them.
It's the Captain, He hasn't found ANYTHING
or he couldn't he so far north. Harkw
The hail WAS repeated again family, dreami-
Iy. To the seamsn's trained ears it seemed to
have IN intelligent significance, for the first
voice xrave!y responded. Aye nye" ana then
said. softly. Oars
Tho word was followed by a splash. The oars
clicked sharply and simultaneously in the row.
locke then more family. then still fainter, and
then passed out into the darkness
The Hence and sha low both fell together for
hours sea and shore were impenetrable. Yet
at times the air was softly moved and troubled
The surrounding gloom was family lightened
as with misty dawn. and then was dark again,
Then drowsy far-off cries and confused no ses
eeemed to grow out Of the silence and. when
they had attracted the weary ear sank away as
In a hooking dream and showed themselv
unreal. Nebulous gatherings in the fog SEEM
ed to indicate stationary objects that even as
DaZn1 moved the recurring Ian and
ripple on the single sometimes took upon it.
self the semblan CO OF faint articulate laughter
or spoke n words. But toward morning GER
tain monotonous grating on the sand, that had
for many minutes alternately cheated and
piQued the ear asserted itself more strongly
and a moving vacillatng shadow in the gloom
became an OPAQUE object on the shore.
With the first rays Of the morning light the
fog lifted As tho undraped hills one by one
barred their cold bosoms to the sun. the long
line OF coast struggled back to life again.
Everything was unchanged-except that a
stranded boat lay upon the sands, and in its
stern sheets sleeping child.
I.
The tenth OF August, 1852 brought little
change to the duh monotony Of wind. fog, and
treelcss coast line. Only the sea was occa-
eionally fecked with racing sails that out
stripped the old, slow creeping tr ader. or was
at times streaked and blurred with the trailing
smoke OF steamer. There were few strange
footprints on those virgin sands. and fresh
track tina led from the beach over the rounded
hills dropped into the bosky recess ses Of a hid
den valley beyond the coast range
1t was here that the refectory Windows Of the
Mission Of San Carmel had for years looked
upon the reverse Of that monotonous picture
presented to the sea- 1t was here that the
trade winds shorn OF their fury and strength In
the heated ovenlike air that rose from the
valley, lost their weary way in the tangled re-
cesses OF the wooded slopes and breathed their
last at the foot OF the stone cross before IT,.
Mission 1t was on the crest Of those slopes
that the log halted and walled in the sun
illumined plain below; it was in this plain that
l,mitless fields OF grain clothed the fat aiob'
soil; here the Mission garden smiled over IT,