The Ely miner., 1938-05-05
Mistress of Monterey
CHAPTER XXII-Continued

ing at his muffling fingers. The re-
bozo slipped around her neck, her
hair tumbled wildly over her shoul-
ders. But Pedro FACES clutched her
firmly, and at last threw her over
his shoulder, and lifted her to toss
her on to the horse.
AS soon as she touched the saddle
she began to scream, and started to
slide down. AS her feet touched the
earth at the side of the horse, FACES
pinned her to the side of his ami
NAL with one arm and looked at her
a moment.
"You let me alone!" she ex-
claimed stridently. 81 will not stay
another minute herel"
FACES lifted his hand and raped
a singing slap across Eulalia's s
jaws.
She put her hands to her face, and
her mouth fell open in pain and
surprise.
Nov, get on that horse" said
the Governor sternly.
strong hand that was usually her
mounting block, then scrambled
quickly into the saddle.
AS they passed the sentries at the
preside gates, she covered her head
and bent low. The sentries looked
after them with lively curiosity.
At the door of the mansion An
gustias' scared face met them. go
to bed," said the Governor shortly.
With gasp of understanding An
gustias scuttled away.
Eulalia cast herself on the bed,
trembling and fearful, but the Gov
ernor did not even look at her. She
rubbed her stinging cheek tenderly
a moment, then undressed, and
slipped beneath the covers. Still the
Governor did not speak, nor make
any move, only stood with folded
arms, looking at the floor.
At last, with a sigh, he stirred
himself, and sank, a detected dusty
figure, before the Madonna.
He reached for his rosary and be-
gan his prayers. But his thoughts
wandered from his devotions.
''Poor little thing. Poor little
thing. I had not dreamed she hated
California so. Hated me. Ave Ma
ria Purisima hates me! Al,
al, al! Who loves her so. Poor lit
tie thing. Ave Maria :"
He bowed his head still lower.
His wife's frightened, frantic face,
surrounded by her roughened
tresses, her wide wet eyes, and lit
tie sharp teeth barred by trembling
lips came into his mind again.
He groaned.
"Poor little thing like little
frightened animal caught in snare,
goaded into gnawing off foot, rath-
er than to be held in a trap. Ave
Maria!" He beat his breast softly,
despairingly. Then he slipped his
hand beneath his leather jerkin and
drew out the scapular made from
Junipero Serra's habit. Holding it
IN his hands was some comfort.
Timidly he lifted it to his lips and
kissed it.
''Poor little thing!" That was all
his thoughts could form. 81 under
stand. I, too, if I did not love this
strange California, would wish to
sail away. Even with my love, I
have loneliness, the wish for COM
panionship. Ave Maria! What shall
] do now? God help me, holy Mas
ter Jesus, help me, Santa Maria,
help me, holy Father Sierra, inter-
cede for me-"
He had crouched so long, lost in
prayer and bitterness, that when he
raised his head, he saw it was al
ready dawn. From the parade
ground there came the sound of a
bugle's notes, and of horses hoofs.
Sharply he remembered he had or
dered guard to accompany him
to the beach to witness the depar-
ture OF the French ships.
He pulled himself stiff1y to his
feet, and looked across at the bed.
Eulalia was asleep, one hand still
curved over her outraged cheek.
Tenderly he bent over her a mo-
ment then tiptoed out of the room.
On the beach blazed huge fire
of driftwood. The sand was marked
with the prints of many feet. There
were bits of refuse and scraps left
by the departing French sailors.
FACES looked about him. Here the
tent which was the laboratory had
stood, with its strange fascinating
instruments. Here were the black
ened cinders of the fire where the
balloon had risen.
FACES sighed and lifted his
glasses. 1t was thick morning.
Fog moved in so densely he could
scarcely see the water. He Won
dered if La Perouse could see the
beams of the fire he had built in
his honor.
He thought of LIE Pante Dagelet
=. . and dismissed him, once and
for all, from his thoughts.
He remembered what La Perouse
had said, that on leaving California
he must catch the Chinese monsoon
into Asiatic waters. "My imagina-
tion must always precede my YES
sci by two or three thousand
leagues" he had laughed. FACES en-
WED him with all his heart.
Suddenly a breeze moved, and
lifted the fog for a few moments
from the face of the waters.
Don Pedro and the watchers on
shore saw the spread sails and tow
ering masts of the Boussole and the
Astrolabe, nearer than it had
seemed they could be, putting out
of the bay into the open sea.
They cheered, moved by the sight
of the shadowy ships. From one of
them, the flagship, came a burst
of smoke, followed by mist-muf1ed
Il IL Al =.