New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-01-09
a Romance Of Los Angeles.

those which describe his adventures
during the days OF this contest. en-
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 one cannon, small one, tied by
ropes on a cart axle. Ite had but one
small key of powder which was good
for anything; all the rest was bad,
would merely go off .pouf, pouf,' the
down near the mouth OF the cannon.
With this bad powder he fired his first
shots. The Americans laughed; this is
child's play, they said, and pushed on
closer. Then c;ime good shot, with
the good powder, tearing 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. And if they
had only known it, the Californians
had only one more charge left of the
good powder, and the next minute it
would have been the Californians that
"OuAu AdtC uIA w I'LL away
selves. merrily laughed the sonora as
she told the tale.
''This captured flag, with important
papers, were intrusted to Don Antonio
to carry to the Mexican headquarters
at Sonora. He set off with an escort of
soldiers, his horse decked with silver
trappings,. his sword, pistols-all of the
finest: a proud beginning Of journey
destined to end in different fashion.
It was in winter time; cold rains were
falling; by night he was drenched to
the skin, and stopped at 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, 'Ameri-
canos! Americanos!' Almost in the
same second they were at the tents
door. AS they halted, Don Antonio,
clad only in his drawers and stockings
crawlcd out the back of the tent, and
creeping on all tours reached a tree up
which he climbed, and sat safe hidden
in the darkness among it's branches
listening, while his pursuers cross-ques-
toned the Indian, and at last rode
away with his horse. Luckily, he had
carried into the tent the precious pa
pers and the captured flag: these he en-
it being evidently of no use for him to
try to cross the country thus closely
pursued by his enemies.
''All night he lay hidden; the next
day he walked twelve miles across the
mountains to an Indian village where
he hoped to get horse. 1t was dark
when he reached it. Cautiously he
opened the door of the hut of one whom
he knew we'll. The Indian was pre-
pairing poisoned arrows: fixing one on
the string and aiming at the door, he
called out, angrily, Who is there?'
8: 1T is |, Antonio
Don't make sound whispered
the Indian, throwing down his arrow,
springing to the door, coming out and
closing it softly. He then proceeded
to tell him that the Americans had Of
fered reward for his head, and that
some of the Indians in the rancheria
were ready to betray or kill him.
While they were yet talking, again came
the sound of the Americans horses
hoofs galloping in the distance. This
time there seemed no escape. Sudden
ly Don Antonio, throwing himself on his
stomach, wriggled into cactus patch
near by. Only one who has seen Cali
fornia cactus thickets can realize the
desperateness of this act. But it sue
ceeded. The Indian threw over the
cactus plants an Old blanket and some
refuse stalks and reeds; and tlere once
more, within hearing of all his baffled
pursuers said, the hunted man lay, safe,
thanks to Indian friendship. The
crafty Indian assented to all the Amer
leans proposed, said tnat Don Antonio
would be sure to be caught in a few
days, advised them to search in 4 GER
tian ranchcria W, .ic.l he described, a
lew miles OF, ;;!,l RI IN opposite direc-
ton from the way in which he intended
to guide Don Antonio. AS soon as the
Americans had gone, he bound ur
Antonio's feet in stri ps OF raw hide
gave him blanket and an old battered
hat, the best his stores afforded, and
then led him by q long and difficult
trail to 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 trickline
from Antonio's feet and legs, and ht
was well-nigh fainting with fatigue ane
excitement. Tears rolled down thu
old women's cheeks when they saw
him. Some of them had been servant!
in his fathers house and loved him
One brought Cruel; another bathed his
| feet, others ran in search of healing
leaves of different sorts. Brusing these
in stone mortar, they rubbed him
from head to foot with the wet fiber
All his pain and WEAKNESS vanished as
by magic. His wounds healed, and ii
4 day he was ready to set off for home
There was but one pony in the OLE
women's camp. This was old, vicious
| blind of one eye, and with one ear crop
| ped short; but it looked to Don Antoni,
far more beautiful than the gay stee.
on which he had ridden away from
Los Angeles three days before, Their
was one pair OF ragged shoes of enor
nous size among the old women's pos
sessions. These were strapped on hi
feet by leathern thongs, and bit Q
old sheepskin was tied around the pony
body. Thus accoutered and mounted
shivering in his drawers under his sin
gle blanket, the captain and hag-beare
turned his face homeward. At tn
first friends house he reached he STOP
ped and begged for food. Some drie
meat was given to him, and stool o
the porch offered to him. 1t was tn
aouse of a dear friend, and the friend
lister was his sweetheart. As he sa
here eating his nett the women eye
i'm curiously. One said to the other
How much he looks like Anton o.
cat last the sweetheart, coming neal
er, asked him if he were amy relatio
OF Don Antonio?'
| No. he said. Just at that me
ment his friend rode I'D, gave on
lance at the p.liful beggar sitting 0
lis porch, shouted his name, dashe
oward him, and seized him in his arm!
ihen there was great laughing an