The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1894-03-08
MERCEDES.
The Story Of a Brave Little Mexi-
can Girl.

It is midwinter, yet the sun blazes
down upon Santa Catalina with June
time warmth, and lush grasses stand
tall by every water course.
The soft air scarce stirs the leaves of
the stately eucalyptus; no sound breaks
the silence save the humming of bright
winged insects darting hither and thith-
er and the murmur of breakers along
the shore.
Across the restless expanse of waters
the Californian coast line is dimly seen,
like a gray cloud upon the horizon, and
nearer CLEANS the white sail of ship
outward bound.
Down where the sand has formed in
drifts, high heaped by the action of the
tide, child stretched prone in the sun
shine, is watching the course of a fish
ing smack that is making for the har-
Dor below. At her feet lies basket
filled with treasures that the incoming
tide has brought.
This is one Of Mercedes daily tasks,
to roam the beach, gathering up
feathery sea MOSES and the curious,
many-tinted shells. to be carried with
Pachecos catch of fish or load of game
shared in the canyons to the distant
mainland.
When she is so fortunate as to find
rare specimens the tourists at San
Pedro are often pleased 10 give her a
bit for the pretty souvenirs.
keep it, Carita, and buy a bright
ribbon for yourself" the father says
when she would tender him her mite.
She is the only daughter among seven
lusty lads, but that alone is not the
reason they are SO gentle with her.
lowered richly with beauty of the
dark, Spanish type, eyes soft, velvety,
appealing, cheeks the vivid hue of the
pomegranate blossom, a form slenderly
graceful-the hating step alone be-
trays her pitiful condition, for she is a
cripple.
During the summer months Santa
catalina is astir with merry campers
out at this season the island is seldom
VISITED, except now and then by stray
tourist, who, intent on viewing the
beauties of this picturesque retreat
braves the discomforts of rough pas
sage IN the unwieldy fishing boats.
1t was in this manner that we
party OF five, including myself-made
the voyage from San Pedro, landing al
avalon hamlet on the eastern coast
OF the island, the latter part of De
cember.
mad just recovered from lingering
Illness, and having received marching
oraers from the good old doctor
joined gang of surveyors bound fol
.ne islands The crisp, salt air seemed
70 put new life into me at once, anc
when during our passage the wint
uieo out OF our sails, l took my turn a.
'ne car with the rest of them.
That was toughish pull" sale
boyee, the foreman, as our boat kee
grated on the shingle. "Twould mos
give fellow an appetite for tomale
eh, boys?"
There may be hotel in the place,
hazarded Perhaps we can get bite
" s1ay our stomachs before we begin
y: u:nioading'-a proposition enthusias
.,eaiiy received. At this moment a lit
We Mexican girl who had been watch
,ns our awkward management of the
"Os' with wondering eyes drew near
saa shyly proffered the desired informa
''Vr ,rr, IN pretty, broken English.
Inc hotel, senior? You have only
70 walk a very short way beyond,
polnung where, rising above an inter
s'n1g ssaing bluff, the steep roof of tha
A. .ruliolng was visible. "Shall l show
the senior the path?"
90, falling in her wake. we scrambled
Wy the sloping, pebble-strewn beach
"a @ arms weighted with fishing tackl.
e. a eundry portions of a camping outfit
"a o. We were going to explore the length
u t -. breadth of this rocky islet, former
tue possession of powerful India1
n ~, ana the rendezvous of smuggler
N olden time.
&c latter fact l learned in subse
~ u. - chats with our new-found friend
rao as Mexican girl Mercedes, who wa.
ho.S ~ IN island lore, as her father wa
csaa ,u and bred in the place, and Mer
seaes se herself had never left it save O,
%'e VISITS to the mainland