The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-03-03
CHAPTER XIII
10

erlng the Royal Preside or San Car
los de Monterey, and the Mission
San Carlos Borromeo in a damp
clinging blanket. It hung in wisps
from the pines and expresses, and
muffled the sounds of the horses
boots as the Governor and his party
travelled the two leagues of the Via
Cruces from the preside to the mis-
sion.
La Gobernadora, riding in a lit
ter, watched the gray tatters lift
for a revealing moment, showing
odd tortured shapes of gnarled cy-
press. Then breeze from the sea
would blow, hiding everything again
in gray wells. She could hear the
ocean, whispering, signing, break
ing into crashing cries as the waves
met Illustration against rocky crags
where the cypress hung precarious-
~.
Shivering, she pulled her velvet
mantle around her, burying her
chin in the robe of supple otter
skins. Her Indian bearers trotted
along the narrow road with an even
lope, half = naked, glistening with
moisture. At one side of her rode
the Governor in such gravity as be-
came the Governor of the Califor-
MAS on his way to mass.
At the other side of La Goberna-,
dora rode Pedro the Younger, his
small face serious. Following the
Governors party came the entire
population of the presidio, riding in
order of their rank: the officers,
their wives, children and servants;
the soldiers, their women, children;
the storekeeper, the blacksmith and
other artisans.
It was Eulalia's first visit to the
Mission San Carlos. She was curl
GUS about the place, eager to hear
Padre Junipero; he who spoke
words of flame with a tongue of
gold. She had not seen the Padre
Presidente since her arrival at Mon
terey, but had pondered deeply upon
the strange man of God, and sought
to discuss him with the Governor.
To him she had expressed herself
with an admiration for the monk
which, in its heartineSS, was for
eign to her usual expressions of re-
gard for others. Silently in her own
mind, she was building great hopes.
Sierra was strong, the strongest
man in California except her hus-
band, and sometimes she wondered
If he were not stronger than the
Governor himself.
But he was the man she needed.
And her need was greater than the
guilty fear of him which assailed her
at times. Then there was Captain
Nicolas Soler. He was an ally of
different caliber. But with the two
of them on her side-Serra, bringing
his fanatic belief and strength in
his holy convictions to bear on the
Governor, and Soler, with his per-
sonal ambitions and desires to wor-
ny and harry Don Pedro-her own
hopes of leaving the province she
hated might be realized.
She stirred impatiently in the lit
ter.
The Governor turned to her with
q smile.
"Are you comfortable, my soul?"
he asked tenderly. She nodded in
differently, and he spoke again.
ST am sorry for your sake that it
is foggy for your first trip to the
mission. For myself, like the fog
as well as the sun. 1t is all one
to me, whether the air be hot and
dry, or cold and damp, just so it is
the air of California"
The bell sounded suddenly closer,
and then Eulalia saw the white
washed walls of the mission.
Through a great gate in a palisad-
ed wall, the people from the pre-
sidio passed, by low buildings and
conical Indian huts-jacals-to the
door of the little church.
At the entrance a priest, in his
ceremonial vestments, met them,
swinging an aspersorium that sprin-
kled holy water on them, while two
little Indian neophyte acolytes
swung censers that smoked with
burning copal.
AS they bowed their heads for
the priests blessing, Pho of the yell
low umbrella, now in spotless white
trousers and shirt, his head encir-
cled in a red handkerchief, spoke
to the Governor. Don Pedro ex-
cused himself and followed Pho, as
La Gobernadora entered the church.
The Governor followed Pho into
the sacristy. Standing upright in
the center of the small apartment
that was almost filled by a great
chest of drawers sent from Spain
to hold the priestly vestments, Fray