The San Francisco call., 1903-12-20
Et&THl{YN JARBOE

'ese-eoVered hillocks save for its open
o'Oiater1 where sepis shadows lay. save
tor itH oelfry tower that held alor+ n
Eaunt redwood cross. For many weak,
me north wind had blown incessantIv.
hufting across the land fine. brown.
lmpslpable powder that rose and fell N
the EhimmerinE heat waves. A rroun
o. feethery pepper trees. droopInz
SooVs an empty water tank. IanEufdlv
SHOOK their pendent leaves, but had not
toroe enough 10 free them from the
brown dust that covered them. Tbs
scarlet cactus nlants had showered
Their Naming petals upon the ground.
tnsir stark dust-begrined arms throw
Ing weird shadows on the mud walls.
a mock Of pigeons were huddled IN tbs
eaves OF Padre Antonio's door. their
DeGks vide open. their wings hanging
loose Above and over all brooded sui
lenly a dun, copper-colored sun, seem
ingiy as losth 10 shine upon the land a.
vas the land 70 receive its rays.
Stretched at full length on the beIfry
steps was Pedro. the PADRES boy. half
IN the shadow, half IN the sunlight. So
long had he been there motionless that
q brown lizard wss sleeping on his
naked foot. unmindful that the hot flesh
was not an integral part OF the hot
bricks.
Pedro was not asleep neither was he
awake. With indolent. half open eyes
ne was watching for the shadow Of the
cross on the ground outside the belfry
door. When the shadow appeared It
would be time TO ring the bell that
called the handful OF natives from their
hot. sun baked novels 10 worship on the
cool flags OF the mission chancel This
was the one labor OF the day that Pedro
loved. He neither knew nor cared that
the bell was cracked, that It sent forth,
over the valley. q yarring, tuneless
sound. He knew only that II was noise.
lawful. permissible noise and this he
loved. And he loved, too. his own i'm
portance in the act. Was It not he that
summoned the tagging worshipersf II
ne did not ring the ben could even
Padre Antonio, himself. call his congre-
cation to hear the services in the mis-
sion?
open eyes watched for the shadow OF
the cross they rested with indolent.
haIf-awakened curiosity on a spot fer
out under the caves II was not a long
crimson lizard. Pedro knew all the
lizards for miles about and not one Of
them was that color. II was not but
terry caught Ia the leathern thongs
that held the beams, not a blossom
blown there By the wind, not a red
winged blackbird resting from its labor
OF mercy.
Suddenly a long, rsd tongue flashed
him into TIE air and Pedro knew that
n wns nrai FIrS under the eavesi Fire
bursting from tha roof Of the sacr1styl
Fire snvslop8nR the wooden 3oistsl Fire
and not q drop OF wateri Fire and no
one but Father Antonio and him to
nRht ~
An But be. be eould summon them,
those othsrsi Not slowly, languidly 70
voruhip, but hurr4sdly, quickly, in
hssta 20 save the mission! The bell
rops hung By his side and he pulled it,
not Gl0vvly, rnethodically, as the padre
had taurht him. but clashing and
clanR4nr the iron tongue against the
sronns G16sa Of the bell.
Il
In In oau Padre Antonio had been
knsonzE almost as motonless as Pedro
on tha basfry steps. almost as unmind-
fui o1 Cha passing day. But his thoughts
wero net tAJs- He was waging q mad,
the to1G rosultless years, rebellinE
nguanSt tia long empty years to come.
In his ooose~Gtion TO the church he
had dreamed OF place and power, place
RnonE people. power IN the world And
he had found 'only isolation and OBJ
iivion. only q score OF Indian worship
en-. with two score Indian boys. II
was a one-sided battle. fought for the
thousandth time, and Fate would win
as she always had
The shadow OF the belfry cross was
creeping slowly down the belfry roof.
Padre Antonio knew that he soon would
hear the bell that would summon his
CONGREGATION. Even before he heard its
sound his nerves shivered in anticipa-
ton OF us cFhcAoos AoASA NUE. even
before he saw the congregation his soul
withdrew from the empty, sordid faces
II would nnd there. II he had made
but one step Of progress! If he could
but see one glimmer OF consciousness
OF aught else save gratitude for Great
ure comfort
Padre Antonio's head was bowed low
over his desk, when louder, harsher
than ever before the bell changed it's
. discords. deep groan from the
padres lips was its echo. For this
broken bell had grown 20 be the ex-
preston IN his mind Of HIS own broken
lie. Again and again IN hurried meas