The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-10-04

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preached, Bowie began to wonder
whether he should catch a final
glimpse of the young girl who had
occupied his thoughts so much since
coming to the rancho. She had been
visiting in Monterey and came home
the night before Bowie and his
scouts took their departure.
The scene in the morning as the
trio made ready to mount their
horses was a lovely one. The sun
had broken into flame above the
eastern Sierras and flung its pillows
of gold over the land. They livened
the spreading green Of the pepper
trees and frightened the pink tips Of
the burgeoning oaks.
The family were grouped together.
After good-bys to Don Ramon and
the Dona, Carmen came forward,
with her cousin Francisco for in
terpreter, to thank Bowie for the
claws. Bowie yielded to an i'm
pulse and stepped up to Carmen to
thank her for the Canton Jar. "Since
I can't take it with me, I have left
1t in the car of Don Francisco" he
explained. "It was most kind of
you, senorita," he said, while Don
Francisco translated, "to think of
the stranger within the gates. ]
shall not forget it"
He watched her narrowly as Don
Francisco repeated his words, but
her manner was reserved, her smile
cool. Yet at the end as he turned
away he thought, perhaps imagined,
that faint flush crept unwelcomed
into her cheeks.
'If ever I am happy enough to
revisit Guadalupe ;" remarked
Bowie, soliloquizing, as he rode
away, II shall certainly have
learned to speak Spanish. In fact,
I won't come back till ! can"
He kept his word. They heard
from him at Guadalupe. For months
after the Texan had ridden away
there came from upriver, almost
regularly, choice bits of game from
Bowie-saddles of venison and elk;
Canadian geese, mallard ducks and,
not infrequently, pelts, from the
north, of the silver-tipped fox. OF
these there were always two, soft
tanned and deep piled, for the Dona
and her daughter.
"The Texan has the instincts of a
gentleman" observed Don Ramon
at dinner, one evening, "since he
exaggerates in his mind the slight
hospitality we have been able to ex-
! tend to him and his men. Nor does
he forget Padre Martinez, for Pc
dro tells me that Santa Clara re-
| ceives much courtesy from him-not
alone in gifts Of compliment, but
so Pedro says-he and his men have
helped the padres recover horses
and sometimes cattle, driven off by
thieving Indians"
''The Indians are growing con-
stantly holder, Don Ramon" said
his nephew Indignantly. 81 hear it
on every hand. They raid our neigh
bors already. Soon they will be
after our horses. Yosco and Stani-
slaus long ago taught them rebel
lion. They need to be driven out Of
these mountains"
''Don't undertake it yourself, Don
Francisco" remarked his uncle,
who knew his fiery disposition.
Nevertheless, my uncle, you win
see them give us trouble if they are
not taught a lesson"
Don Francisco proved too good a
prophet. The horse-stealing Indians
| did grow bolder. Their depredations
increased, and they raided the big
ranches with less fear Of conse-
quences. Every young Californian
along the foothills was angry. They
| demanded something be done by the
soldiers at the mission or the pre-
| sidio.
But the authorities were indolent.
Following minor depredations at
Rancho Pinole, the Indians, embold-
ened, ran off, one dark night, every
saddle horse on the place. Don Jose
Martinez and his son had to bor-
row horses from Don Ramon at
Guadalupe.
The neighbors were infuriated.
They organized party and set out
to recover the horses and chastise
the thieves. Don Francisco of Quad
alupe was chosen captain. ~
The posse was in the saddle early
next morning, and two vaqueros
tracked the marauders through the
hills to a canyon in the mountains
where, toward evening, they charged
the Indians in a surprise attack.
It was made too hastily, and the
red men, scattering at the onslaught
i of the rancheros, sent back a cloud
of arrows at their pursuers. Pedro
and his vaqueros took advantage Of
the sudden confusion of the warriors
to run the stolen horses out Of the
canyon and head them downhill for
home. For time the brush was
fast; but there were too many In
dams. Don Francisco called re-
treat, and the Californians slowly
retired from the field.
AS the leader of his little band,
| H.. E,roro,con xxyoc %l,<. nc< r., vxyh a al