The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1883-12-07
A Romance of Los Angeles.

City of the Angels" in the December
Century contains the following romance:
"0fa all Don Antonio's graphic narratives
of the olden times none is more interest
ing than those which describe his adven-
lures during the c:ys of this contest. On
one of the first approaches made by the
Americans to Los Angeles he went out
with his little haphazard company Of
men and boys to meet them. He had
but cannon, a small one, tied by
ropes on a cart axle. He had but one
small key of powder which wa good for
anything; all The rest was bad, would
merely go off 'peuf, pouf the sonora said.
and the ball would pop down near the
mouth Of the With this bad
powder he fred his shots. The Amer
leans laughed: this is child's play, they
said, and pushed On closer. Then came
a good shot, with the good powder tear
ing into their ranks and knocking them
right and left; another and another
Then the Americans began TO think
these are no pouf balls; and
when a few more were killed, they ran
away and left their flag behind them.
anu Al bDCJ ll0A OAAA AVS III ONA
ifornians had only one more charge left
of the good powder, and the next min
ute it would have been the C~alifornians
that would have had to run away them
Selves merrily laughed the sonora, as
she told the tale.
This captured flag. with important pa
pers, were entrusted to Don Antonio to
carry to the Mexican headquarters at
Sonora. he set off with an escort of
soldiers, his horse decked with silver
tappings, his sword, pistols-all of the
finest; a proud beginning of a journey
destined to end in a different fashion.
1t was in winter time; cold rains were
falling; by night he was drenched to the
skin, and stopped at u friendly Indians
tent to change his clothes. Hardly had
he got them off when the sound of
horses hoofs was heard. The Indian
flung himself down, put his ear to the
ground, and exclaimed, 'Americanosl
Americanosp Almost at the same sec.
ond they were at the tents door. As
they halted, Don Antonio clad only in
his drawers and stockings, crawled out
at the back part of the tent, aud creep
ing on all fours reached a tree, up which
he climbed, and sat safe hidden in the
darkness among the branches listening
while his pursuerS cross questioned the
Indian and at last rode away with his
horse. Luckily he had carried into the
tent the precious papers and the cap
tured flag. These he entrusted to an
Indian to take to Sonora, it being evil
IDENTITY of no use for him to cross the
country thus closely pursued by his en-
emies.
'All night he lay hidden; the next
day he walked twelve miles across the
mountains to an Indials village where
he hoped to get a horse. 1t was dark
when he reached it. Cautiously he OPP
ened the door of the Int of one whom
he knew we'll. The Indian was prepar-
ing poisoned arrows; fixing one on a
string and aiming at the door, he called
out, angrlIy, VINO is there?'
"It is /, Antonio
".Dou't make a sound whispered
the Indian, throwing down his arrow,
springlng to the door, coming out and
closing it softly. He then proceeded to
tell him that the Americans had offered
a reward for his head, and that some OF
the Indians in the rancheria were ready
to hetray or kill him. While they were
vet talking, again came the sound ofthe
Americans horses hoofs galioping in
the distance. This time there seemed
no escape. Suddenly Don Antonio,
throwing himself on his stomach, wrig-
gled into a cactus patch near by. Only
one who has seen California cactus
thickets can realize the desperateness of
this act. But it succeeded. The indian
threw over the Gao us plants an old
blanket and some refuse stalks and
reeds; and there once more, within
hearing OF all his baffied pursuers said,
the hunted man lay, safe, thanks te
Indian friendship. The crafty Indian
assented to all the Americans proposed,
said that Don Antonio would be sure 10
be eau. ht III a few days, advised them
to search in q certain rancherla which
he described, q few miles of, and in an
opposite direction from the way
III which he intended to guide Don
Antonio. As soon as the Ameri-
cans had gone, he boun! up Antonio's
feet in strips Of raw hide, gave him a
blanket and an old tattered hat, the best
his stores afforded, and then led him by
a long and difficult trail to a spot high
up in the mountains where the old
women of the band were gathering
acorns. BY the time they reached this
place, blood was trickling down Anton
los feet and legs, and he was well nigh
fainting with fatigue and excitement.
Tears rolled down the old women's
CnCChb Wucn bllcy Saw nlul. OAO
brought Cruel; another bathed his feet;
others ran in search Of healing leaves of
different sorts. Bruising these in a
stone mortar, they rubbed him from
head to foot with the wet fiber. All his
pain and WEAKNESS vanished as by mag
ic. His wounds healed, and in a day he
was ready to set off for home. There
was but one pony In the old women's
camp. This was old, vicious, blind OF
n eye, and with one ear cropped
short; but it looked to Don Antonio far
more beautiful thar the gay steed or
which he had ridden away from
Los Angeles three days before.
There was one pair Of ragged shoes Of
enormous size among the old wo.nen's
possessions. These were strapped on