The San Francisco call., 1910-04-23
by ARTHUR L., PRICE
CHAPTER |

HOattng stump In a small stream
in the Sonoma valley on an after
noon in June, 1876. The boy
with fair hair had just invented a
game, and, although his dark compan-
ion, with almost black hair and eyes.
could not comprehend the spirit or the
play, he had been forced to enter into
it. For the fair haired boy had knaclS
of domineering and getting his own
way. Then. of course, his sister all
ways supported him,
The game was Boston tea party"
and Pedro was the tea. 1t was little
fun to be tea under those conditions
but Lucian said that his mother had
told him all about the Boston tea
party, and it was the most patriotic
game which he could invent that day.
Rose had agreed with her brother as
usual, and SO Pedro had submitted The
little creek became Boston harbor and
Lucian and Rose were the patriots dis
guised as Indians who hurled the hate
fn cargo into the stream
But l look more like Iniun," Pedro
had protested very truthfully
That is why you can't be an In
dian" Lucian insisted The men who
looked like Indians were not Indians.
They were Boston men, just like my
father Is and like my mother would
be il she were man instead OF being
lady. SO you have to be the tea and
over you go. Pedro
Lucian gave hoist and the two boys
wrestled for moment and Pedro. the
tea, fell into the water. But this time
the tea dragged in the patriot, and
there was a double splash, while Rose
danced up and down on the float and
called loudly to the brother to swim
ashore
you don't know how tea acts" Lu-
clan asserted when he and Pedro had
pulled themselves out of the water and
were seated in the sun.
Now after the tea party came the
war" Lucian continued I'VE shall
fight that What is that procession
coming. a regular parade. Hide, Rose,
while Pedro and I look and see what it
is Maybe it is the war"
The little pioneer girl of 12, won
derfully obedient to the word of her
brother, who was two years older than
she, slipped into a clump of willows,
and Lucian and Pedro hurried up the
bank to see what was approaching.
1t was large party of horsemen
driving a bunch of 200 horses
Lucian had seen many bands of
horses as large as the drove which was
now trotting toward him. but he had
never seen such horsemen. There were
a dozen riders in the party, caballeros,
and each one had a sword and a gun
and a pair of pistols. Each wore a
leathern jacket, laced in front with
stout cord, and one or two had a glis-
tening armor or cuirass over his leath-
er jacket. At the head of the column
rode a handsome young man with a
wonderful broad hat, trimmed with sill
yer ornaments His saddle seemed a
mass of silver and his bride was heav-
lily mounted in silver and gold. AS he
rode along he continually twisted the
ends of his mustache.
1T is a real army" yelled Lucian
excitedly, and ne and Pedro dashed
from their cover toward the advancing
line of horsemen and horses.
The roads of that day in the Sono-
ma valley-although it was not more
than GA years ago--were little better
than trails. AS the troop approached
the water they herded the horses into
thinner column. But the young of
fcer, tWirling his mustaches, always
kept to the front He reached the ford
a the same time the two boys scram-
bled up out of the creek bottom.
Both lads were well nigh out OF
breath, but Lucian was able first to
talk. He had lived in California for
a year and In that time had learned