White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1938-07-22
CHAPTER x


road indeed, as the Governors par
ty travelled northward. 1t wound
from mission to mission, around roll
ing hills, along the sea, or veered
deeply inland to cross cienagas
where willow-b ordered streams sped
to the sea through groves of live.
oaks and sycamores.
La Primavera, the Springtime,
flew before them, strewing the way
with such myriads of wild-fowers
that the fields and hills seemed
aflame.
Golden peoples, purple lupin and
i1yacinth, wild cyclamen, lavender
and white, tiny wild blossoms
splotched with gold and blue, spread
the earth like a rich carpet woven
on Persian loom.
The soldiers slipped flowers be.
meath their hats, over one ear.
Pedro the Younger decked the head.
stall of his burro with clusters that
nodded like plumes on a knights
charger. Often the Governor him
self would stop the whole caval.
cade to gather posy for La Gober.
MADEIRA; lupin and wild roses, or
tiny yellow violets. She would smile,
and tuck them in the bosom of her
dress or in her hair.
Eulalia had struggled against the
spell that La Primavera wove round
her, fought against succumbing to
it's drugging influence. But gradu-
ally the sweetness, the peace, the
sheer beauty overcame her, and she
found herself riding in a state of
relaxed comfort. not happiness, not
unhappiness.
Sometimes at night, at their SUM-
down camping-places, they would
share a spring with wild deer;
mountain lions would lie prone
along the branches above them; or
great grizzly bears crash through
the brush, rear on startled hind
legs, and 60 clumsily and swiftly
away.
This was blissful Eden to the Gov.
ernor of California. To him each
day was a perfect jewel, polished,
complete; rich with every color of
the rainbow, sparkling, radiant in
setting of FURNISHED golden SUM-
shine. Every morning he breathed
the fresh beauty, and every night
vowed that, even if the sun should
never rise again, the beauty of the
day that was passing had been suf-
ficient for all time.
He grieved a little at each days
passing, for the next brought him a
day nearer to the cares and worries
that awaited him at Monterey. The
characters of Fray Mariana Rubi,
and Fray Bartolome Gill grew even
less impressive as the journey con-
tinued, and Don Pedro was forced
to the conclusion that the founding
of the Mission Santa Barbara would
have to be abandoned.
The inevitable conflict with Juni-
pero Sierra troubled him deeply. At
each Of the missions, San Juan Cap
istrano and San Gabriel Arcangel,
where they had stopped he had been
told that the Padre Presidente, trav-
cling alone except for the patient
Pho, had made visitation. At San
Gabriel he had been grievously i'll,
at Deaths door. But he had raj.
lied, and gone limping on his way.
This alarmed, annoyed the Gov
ernor. He had issued an edict that
the missionaries should not travel
alone, that they should have at least
one soldier for escort. This order
the Reverend Father had evidently
seen fit to overlook. That would be
another disagreeable problem to
discuss with Fray Junipero.
Pedro FACES sighed, and tugged
at his beard as he apprehended
the endless discussions, evasions
and bitterness he was bound to en-.
counter.
Ambling slowly along, deep in
zzS:la4:o~ H. Co~,or~or x,,oc stow