New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-05

you to enter into explanations"
Much Of explanation W.T. thou ses Viz ito fupy
"barbarians that you are-ySu Callfornans sav
ages like the Indians you herd with, YET curing
to interpose yourself in the affairs OF genie ne
razonl Explanations, indeed, from me rake
that for your explanations" ana no caagnS W
one Of the muskets stacked IN corner ana lunseu
at llidalgo with the bayonet so MERGER! tndo aie
able Ayuntamiento OF the PueDio Oh Nuesei"
Sonora 10 Reina de Los Angeles without preSi-
dent
Rnt Don Mariano-even now, in his seventy
fifth year as nimbe as an urchin-stepped nghtiy
aside and two other men who were present. caugnt
and held fast the arms of Norega' 10 "hoin n,S
host addressed few brief words OF stern upDrald,
ing for the treachery which, he said, nc woulu
chastse at fitting opportunity, since he coliu hoO
outrage his own roof by q breach OF hospitality. ,
Now. the alcade had learned that Noriegas
trysts with Francisquta Vedapulse were appointed
by messages, summoning the girl to meeting Dy
the river near the family dwelling; and that night,
when Noriega had sped away on his GRAND the laa
who called the GIRL he felt hand laid lightly ouJ
firmly on his shoulder, and turned to meet the
delicate face and flashing eyes Of Mariana Hldalgo'
Now draw thy blade and defend thee, IN
solente thou hast yet to learn how californian
barbarian can punish an affront We are no
longer beneath the roof whose sacredness protecS
thee Draw; senior. migrate and coward!"
1t was not lengthy combat that waSed there
under the rustling sycamores. The young aicalde
had true eye, steady hand, and no inconsfuer-
able knowledge of swordsmanship; ana before unc
whirring owls had had time TO decide II this was
aught TO alright them his Toledan blade had dealt
so good and fair blow TO NOrega's longer weapon
that it spun, broken in twain, to lodge In tange
Of brars.
Then, Sheathe. senior. sheathe!" cried Noriega
"yOn see that | am defenceless !"
=" see have disarmed you of your sword sald
Mariana HidalgO, dryly; but who ehail swear
you have not pair Of pistols or ponlard? you
preSdards usually hold in reserve some such loyal
little plaything. Yet will take the chances and
chastise you like froward school-boy. Nay
never take that tone, between buster and whlmper
your life is safe-it is only spanking will give
you" And, true TO the word, he laid upon the
dignifed and less vital parts of Noriegas person;
it is true. but with so much muscular goodwin
and swiftness that the soldier was well-nigh bat
tered TO bits when he let of by his assallant,
with the recommendation to betalIe himself home
and dress his bruises with balsams.
BY this time the Grand lad had come back TO his
master. who was glad enough to help IN mounting
and leaving; but Noriega did not know, nor
Iidago, until long years after, that Francisco had
obeyed her summons so promptly that she had wit
messed the cas1gaton TO thus Circumstances S
long thereafter. was due, no doubt. her subse-
quent procedure.
The next morning the pueblo was in an uproar
Noriega had called his comrades about him, and
with fanfaronade and buster melted them against
the beggarly Californians, who dared to set them
selves up against their betters and masters. To
his chief, he prepared formal complaint, full OF
braggadoco, affected sentiment and professional!
swagger setting forth that the civilians deied and
Knocked the power of the military, and that, owing
to the vile and sefintereSted Vaccinations Of one
Of these presumptuous varlets. his-Noriega's-be-
trothed. Dona Francisco Vedapulse was unlawfully
immured and restrained of her liberty in the house
Of her father wherefore he, the fond and devoted
lover, called upon the authorities to release and
restore her
Urged and goaded by his officers Micheltorena
had recourse to the old Spanish law, which pro-
vdes that maiden restrained Of her liberty, on
appeal of who claims TO be her accepted sutton,
shall, by virtue Of an ordinance. not greatly
dssimilar to that Of habeas corpus be produced
before the court which shall then .confidc her to
or deposit with" some family Of acknowledged
rank or standing. pending the time her lover
shall show cause why. both parties coDsenting and
he being duly qualified, they shall be permitted
TO marry.
But-lo and behold! when the necessary papers
were sent for service upon Don Jose Vedapulse,
they found an empty house, and the neghbors
being duly questioned gave notice that Don Jose
Vedapulse had rallied his Sinsmen to the number
Of twenty thirty. Torn and discovered by
personal Grudges contentious. they nevertheless
recognized blood as so much thicker than water,
that, at the summons Of their cheftain, they had
tween one day and that which followed. they had
taken horse, loaded pack-mules, and with their
henchmen and myrmidons had made off to tho
Rancho Santiago dc Santa Ana tableau
General MicheltOrena sent for Mariana Hidolgo,
and held grave conference upon this matter.
IT is impossible he said, that this affair
should rest here. That were to set at naught
far too much inclined TO independence and de-
fiance. | am in a serious quandary. BY the two
fold virtue of my Offices as governor and com
mandant | must consider ana pacate both foe
tions-the military and the civil--and each is
sure TO come buzzng about my ears like hornets,
at the faintest fanced sign of favor to the other
Don Mariana, YOU must assist me. They say your
influence is paramount with Don Jose Vedapuse,
and what your influence has done, It can undo
You must have them bring back FranciSQuia to
the pueblo
Senior general answered the other. "you
attribute to me greater part than have played
in this matter. AS | am in no position to marry.
it would ill become me to enact the dog in the
manger and keen the girl from another. True it
is that ! deem N0riega an uniting husband, re-
garding him as n scOundrel. But her shoes and
her husband must a woman choose for herself,
since hers will be their dscomforts AS the
representative Of the civil powers. it is at once
my duty and my good pleasure to help you In
restoring peace and order"
Thus armed with the twofold authorization OF
Mlchelt0rena and empowered TO employ force, II
necessary, the alcalde took his own familiar ser
want, and rode out to the Rancho Santiago &c
Santa Ana, domain OF the Vedapulses. The
ranchO-hOuSe itself was closed and solitary: not
even Vaquero was visible about 1t. Illdalgo
rode on. to a rugged mountain canon Of his knowl-
edge, III whose picturesque deileS the owners
had ere now more than once taken refuge, when
the Indians were at war, or while the Manilas were
He had proceeded not far into the gorge when
iialta ANA rang out from behind q powder,
where ne presently deserted peep9s forth an old
ance, and behind that the eyes Of Don Juan
Estrada, the grandsire of Francisco. The alcalde
dismounted, sat down on a wayside rock, rolled
o cigarette of corn-husk, and called parley: Don
Juan came out of his ambush took pull at a
profered flask, and swore by all the heather gods
and all the saints IN the calendar that Hidalgo
must carry his quest further. Mariana was
Intelligent and clever; he had winning tongue,
and well he knew that it is less the force aud
justice of an argument than the manner Of its
presentation which convinces Half an hour later
he was jogging up the canon with the old gentle
man, and thus insured against the shots that
might else have battered around him, notwith-
standing. his long and intimate friendship with
the family.
At last they reached Shef-like level, where
were gathered a score of the VedapulSe clan, armed
and sulen of aspect, and here ensued another
long and tedious discussion, so heated that more
than once the, pacific ambassador was clearly in
peril. But once again his tact and perslStency