The Ely miner., 1938-05-05


| you Sit down."
She sank on to the earth, and with
| little gesture seemed to become
| part of it. From swimming eyes
she looked up at him.
"Si, Senor?" she asked softly.
FACES clenched his hands. FRAY
Fermin has said," he blurted hasti-
ly, "that he wishes to arrange a
marriage for you with Pho. What do
you say?"
She looked at him mockingly,
| gravely.
"That old man should think of
other things than marriages. 1t is
not decent for his thoughts to dwell
on such things. So I have been
taught
do you want to marry Pio?" the
Governor asked hurriedly. "Do you
love him?"
ST have also been taught to tell
| the truth" She bent over and pat
| ted a handful of earth into a little
pile, and smoothed it as she spoke.
"I do not love Pho. / do not love
any of the Indian boys, nor any of
| the soldiers" She looked at the Gov
ernor, with head suddenly thrown
back.
She laughed. "You know. You
have always known, as have, that
I am for you. No one shall have
me but my lord, my beloved master.
I am his, to gather as he does the
grapes from his vineyard, and to
crush, as he crushes them"
FACES listened to the low voice
that seemed to blend with the buzz
ing of the bees. What she said
seemed natural, as though some
where, some time, he had heard it
before. AS though in spell he
spoke.
eyes," he said, in a voice not his
own.
The girl took a deep breath.
"When?" she asked simply.
| "Now? This is the vendimia."
The man trembled. He was un-
der spell. He must break it
quickly He looked about him in
a panic. The gatherers had fin
ished their tasks, and now were
clustered around the barbecue.
Their voices seemed to come from
a great distance. There was no one
| near. Heat shimmered from the
earth, but the Governor of Califor-
MIA shivered.
Yes, it was the vendimia. Why
not? She was his. So utterly his.
And he needed her so. Not only his
body, but his mind and spirit called
for the fulflment a blending with
her would bring. But he fought the
girls witchcraft, and she sensed it.
IT know. It is your woman. La
Gobernadora. Pah!" she spat.
"That white one. That cold cruel
Spaniard! Listen!" She leaned for
ward eagerly. ''I know what hap
| pened when the Frenchmen were
here! I know who brought La Cob
ernadora through the gates of the
preside the night before the
Frenchmen sailed! We can do away
with her!" She laughed triumphant
! ly. "Look!" She slipped her hand
in her bosom and brought out lit
tie sack of skin. It was dry and
something ratified in it.
Look! This is magic. got it
from a witch woman. 1t is strong
| medicine. If will I can make her
wither away and die and
then :"
The Governor unconsciously put
his hand beneath his leather jerkin.
"Junipero Sierra :" he muttered,
| feeling the scrap of sanctified cloth.
He closed his lids to shut out the
warm wonder of the Indian girls
eyes.
$50 away" he said gutturally.
"Please, Indizuela, if you love me,
go away"
The girl did not move. It was
the Governor who rose on unsteady
feet and staggered like a drunken
man toward the fiesta.
In spite of the priests NOV
ing about in their somber habits,
the vendimia seemed a pagan festi-
val. Beneath the ancient ive-oaks,
a crowd of merrymakers celebrated
the vintage in manner traditional.
Among them Don Pedro noticed
his guests from the Preside at San
Francisco and Santa Barbara, and
group of officers and sailors from
the San Carlos which lay in Monte
rey Bay. Their heads were
wreathed with vines, and they were
drinking wine from the last vintage,
singing, laughing, dancing; uttering
robust jokes, circling around the
barbecue pits where Shaving cooks
were lifting the savory roasted bull
and hacking it into pieces.
Near by was the great vat where
the grapes were poured to be
crushed. A little stream ran near
it, and there, all who wished to
tread the wine washed their feet,
then plunged into the purple pool
with jocund shouts.
| On a rough dais, beneath a ra-
mada, sat La Gobernadora sur
rounded by young laughing officers,
who We'd with one another in COM
posing fiattering toasts to her beau
ty, her wit, her distinguished posi-
ton as Queen of the CALIFORNIA;.
She was dressed in the Maja cos
tune, in her lap great basket of
grapes, and on her head wreath of
grape leaves. At her feet a soldier
sat, his head tied in scarlet hand
kerchief, and across his knees
guitar. He was singing song to
her, and she smiled, as Don Pedro
watched, and lifted her glass to the
| troubador.