第10章
4。The-new-load-is-all-light-ee。
5。Thebay-lum-tlee-is-flesh-and-plitty。
Finally，whensheattemptedtointroducethesentence，"Aroundtheroughandruggedrocktheraggedrascalran，"HopYetrosehurriedly，remarking，"Alllightee；Igonomoreschooljus"now。Ilungetlunchee。"
Bellcamerunningdownthepathjustthen，andlinkingherarminPolly"ssaid，"Papahasthenicestplan。YouknowtheboysaresodisappointedthatColonelJacksondidn"taskthemovertothatrodeoathiscattleranch——thoughasummerrodeoisonlytosortoutfatcattletosell，anditisnotveryexciting；butpapapromisedtotellthemallabouttheold-fashionedkindsomenight，andhehasjustrememberedthatto-morrowisAdmissionDay，September9，soheproposesarealcelebrationroundthecamp-firetoamuseElsie。Shedoesn"tknowanythingaboutCaliforniaevenasitisnow，andnoneofusknowwhatitwasintheolddays。Don"tyouthinkitwillbefun?"
"Perfectlysplendid!"
"Andpapawantsuseachtocontributesomething。"
"Apicnic!——butIdon"tknowanything。"
"That"sjustwhatI"mcomingto。Ihavesuchabrightidea。Hesaidthatwemightlookinanyofhisbooks，butGeoffandJackareatthemalready，andI"dlikeasurprise。NowJuanCapistrano，anoldvaqueroofColonelJackson"s，isoverhere。Heisawonderfulrider；
papasaysthathecouldrideonacomet，ifhecouldgetachancetomount。Itwashewhotoldtheboysthattherodeowasover。NowI
proposethatwegoandinterviewPanchoandJuan，andgetthemtotellussomeoldCaliforniastories。Theyarebothasstupidastheycanbe，buttheymusthavehadsomeadventures，Isuppose，somewhere，sometime。I"lltranslateandwritethethingsdown，formypart，andyouandMargerycantellthem。"
"Lovely!Oh，ifwecanonlygetanexcitinggrizzlystory，sothatEveryone"sblooduponenditwillstand，Andthehairruncoldintheirveins!
AndwasDr。PauloutherewhenCaliforniawasadmittedintotheUnion——1850，wasn"tit?"
"Ofcourse；why，mychild，hewasoneofthedelegatescalledbyGeneralRiley，themilitarygovernor，tomeetinconventionatMontereyandmakeaStateconstitution。ThatwasSeptember，too——thefirstdayofSeptember1849。HewentbacktotheEastsometimeafterwards，andstayedtenorfifteenyears；buthewasarealpioneerand"forty-niner"allthesame。
Thenextnight，September9th，wassocoolthatthecamp-firewasmorethanordinarilydelightful；accordinglytheypiledonmorewoodthanusual，andpreparedforagrandblaze。Itwasalwaysbuiltdirectlyinfrontofthesitting-roomtent，sothatMrs。HowardandMrs。Winshipcouldsitthereiftheyliked；buttheyoungpeoplepreferredtolielazilyontheircushionsandsaddlesundertheoak-
tree，alittledistancefromtheblaze。Theclear，redfirelightdancedandflickered，andthesparksroseintothesombredarknessfantastically，whiletheruddyglowmadethegreatoakanenchantedpalace，intowhosehollowdometheynevertiredofgazing。Whenthelightstreamedhighest，thebronzegreenofthefoliagewasturnedintocrimson，and，asitdiednowandthen，thestarswinkedbrightlythroughthethousandtinywindowsformedbytheinterlacingbranches。
"Well，"saidthedoctor，bringinghisChineselounging-chairintothecircle，andlightinghispipesoastobethoroughlyhappyandcomfortable，"willyoubanishdistinctionsofageandallowmetositamongyouthisevening?"
"Certainly，"Margerysaid；"that"stheverypointofthecelebration。
ThisisAdmissionDay，youknow，andwhyshouldn"tweadmityou?"
"True；andhavingputmyselfintoaholidayhumourbydiningoffPancho"sdishofguisado(Isupposeto-nightofallnightswemustcallbeefandonionstewbyitslocalname)，Iwillproceedtobusiness，andwewilltalkaboutCalifornia。Bytheway，Ishallonlyconducttheexercises，forIfeelratherembarrassedbythefactthatI"veneverkilled，orbeenkilledby，abear，neverbeenbittenbyatarantula，poisonedbyarattlesnake，assaultedbyastage-
robber，noranythingofthatsort。Youhaveallreadmystoryofcrossingtheplains。Ievendidthatinacomparativelyeasyandunheroicfashion。Ionlywish，mydeargirlsandboys，thatwehadwithussomeoneofthebraveandenergeticmenandwomenwhomadethatterriblejourneyattheriskoftheirlives。ThehistoryoftheCaliforniaCrusaders，thethirtythousandormoreemigrantswhocrossedtheplainsin"48，morethanequalsthegreatmilitaryexpeditionsoftheMiddleAges，inmagnitude，peril，andadventure。
SomewentbywayofSantaFeandalongthehillsoftheGila；others，startingfromRedRiver，traversedtheGreatStakeDesertandwentfromElPasodelNortetoSonora；otherswentthroughMexico，and，afterspendingoverahundreddaysatsea，ranintoSanDiegoandgaveuptheirvessels；otherslandedexhaustedwiththeirsevenmonths"passageroundtheHorn；andsomereachedthespotonfootafterwalkingthewholelengthoftheCaliforniapeninsula。"
"Whatprivationstheymusthavesuffered!"saidMrs。Howard。"I
neverquiterealisedit。"
"Why，theamountofsufferingthatwasenduredinthosemountainpassesanddesertscanneverbetoldinwords。ThosewhowentbytheGreatDesertwestoftheColoradofoundastretchofburningsaltplains，ofshiftinghillsofsand，withbonesofanimalsandmenscatteredalongthetrails；ofterribleandghastlyodoursrisinginthehotairfromthebodiesofhundredsofmules，andhumancreaturestoo，thatlayhalf-buriedintheglaringwhitesand。Aterriblejourneyindeed；butifanyStateintheUnioncouldbefairenough，fertileenough，andrichenoughtorepaysuchalavishexpenditureofenergyandsuffering，Californiacertainlywasandistheone。Nowwhocantellussomethingofthename"California"?You，Geoffrey?"
"Geoffreyhascrammed!"exclaimedBell，maliciously。"Ibelievehe"sbeenreadingupalldayandtoldpapawhatquestiontoaskhim!"
"I"llpassitontoyouifyoulike，"laughedGeoffrey。
"No——you"dnevergetanotherthatyoucouldanswer!Goon!"
"In1534，oneHernandodeGrijalvawassentbyHernandoCorteztodiscoversomethingorother，anditwasprobablyhewhothensawthepeninsulaofCalifornia；butaquarterofacenturybeforethisaromancecalledEsplandianhadappearedinSpain，narratingtheadventuresofanAmazonianqueenwhobroughtalliesfrom"therighthandoftheIndies"toassisttheinfidelsintheirattackuponConstantinople——bythewayIforgottosaythatshewasapagan。
ThisqueenoftheAmazonswascalledCalafia，andherkingdom，richingoldandpreciousstones，wasnamedCalifornia。Thewriteroftheromancederivedthisname，perhaps，fromCalif，asuccessorofMohammed。Hesays:"KnowthatontherighthandoftheIndiesthereisanislandnamedCalifornia，veryclosetotheTerrestialParadise，anditwaspeopledbyblackwomenwithoutanymanamongthem，fortheylivedinthefashionoftheAmazonia。Theywereofstrongandhardybodies，ofardentcourage，andofgreatforce。Theirislandwasthestrongestinalltheworld，withitssteepcliffsandrockyshore。Theirarmswereallofgold，andsowastheharnessofthewildbeastswhichtheytamedandrode。Forinthewholeislandtherewasnometalbutgold。Theylivedincaveswroughtoutoftherockswithmuchlabour，andtheyhadmanyshipswithwhichtheysailedouttoothercountriestoobtainbooty。"CortezandGrijalvabelievedthattheywerenearthecoastofAsia，fortheyhadnoconceptionofthesizeoftheworldnorofthevastnessofthePacificOcean；andasthenewly-discoveredlandcorrespondedwiththecountrydescribedintheromance，theynamedthepeninsulaCalifornia。"
"Mybook，"saidPhilip，"declaredthatthederivationofthenamewasveryuncertain，andthatitwasfirstbestowedononeofthecoastbaysbyBernalDiaz。"
"Now，Philip!"exclaimedMargery，"doyousupposewearegoingtobelievethat，afterGeoff"slovelystory?"
"Certainlynot；IonlythoughtI"dpermityoutohearbothsides。I
knewofcoursethatyouwouldbelievetheprettierstoryofthetwo——
girlsalwaysdo!"
"Thatisn"ta"prettystory"——yourremark，Imean，sowewon"tbelieveit；willwe，girls?"askedBell。
"Now，Polly，youreyessparkleasifyoucouldn"twaitanotherminute；yourturnnext，"saidDr。Winship。
"IamonlyafraidthatIcan"tremembermycontribution，whichisreallyBell"sandstillmorereallyPancho"s，forhetoldittous，andBelltranslateditandmadeitintoastory。Wecallit"Valerio；or，TheMysteriousMountainCave。""
"Beginswell!"exclaimedJack。
"Now，Jack，youmustbenice。RememberthisisBell"sstory，andsheislettingmetellitsothatIcanbearmyshareintheentertainment。"
"Panchobelieveseverywordofit，"addedBell，"andsaysthathisfathertoldittohim；butasIhadtochangeitfrombadSpanishintogoodEnglish，Idon"tknowwhetherI"vecaughttheideaexactly。"
"Oh，itwilldoquitenicely，I"venodoubt，"saidJack，encouragingly。"We"veoftenheardyoudogoodEnglishintobadSpanish，andturnandturnaboutisonlyfairplay。Don"tmindme，Polly；Iwillbegentle!"
"Jack，ifyoudon"tbehaveyourselfI"llsendyoutobed，"saidElsie；andheduckedhisheadobedientlyintoherlap，asPolly，withherhandsclaspingherknees，andwiththefirelightdancingoverherbrightface，leanedforwardandtoldtheLegendofVALERIO；OR，THEMYSTERIOUSMOUNTAINCAVE。
"Alongtimeago，beforethesettlementofSantaBarbarabythewhites，theMissionpadreshadagreatmanyIndiansundertheircontrol，whowereknownaspeons，orserfs。Theyweregivenenoughtoeat，werenotmolestedbytheoutsideIndians，andwereentirelypeaceable。ThereweresofewmountainpassesbywhichtoenterSantaBarbarathattheywereeasilyheld，andofcoursethepadreswereanxioustokeeptheirIndiansfromrunningaway，lesttheyshouldshowthewildertribesthewaytogetinandcommitdepredations。
ThesepeaceableIndianspaidtributetointermediarytribestoholdthepassesanddotheirfighting。ThoseabouttheMissiongavecornandcerealsandhidesandtheproductsofthesea，andgotinexchangepinones(pinenuts)。OneoftheseIndians，namedValerio，wasastrong，brave，handsomeyouth，whosehaughtyspiritrevoltedathisservitude，and，afterseekinganopportunityformanyweekshefinallyescapedtotheSantaYnezmountains，wherehefoundacaveinwhichhehidhimself，drawinghimselfupbyaropeandtakingitinafterhim。TheIndianshadunlimitedbeliefinValerio"smysteriousandwonderfulpowers。Panchosaysthathecouldmakehimselfinvisibleatwill，thatlocksandkeyswerepowerlessagainsthim；
andthatnoonecouldhinderhistakingmoney，horses，orfood。Allsortsofthingsdisappearedmysteriouslybydayandbynight，andtherobberieswereoneandalllaidtothedoorofValerio。ButafterawhileValeriogrewlonelyinhismountainretreat。Helongedforhumancompanionship，andatlength，becomingdesperate，hedescendedontheMissionsettlementandkidnappedayoungIndianboynamedChito，tookhimtohiscave，andadmittedhimintohiswildandlawlesslife。ButChitowasnotcontented。Helikedhomeandcomfortableslaverybetterthanthenew，strangelife；soheseizedthefirstopportunity，andbeingabright，daringlittlelad，andfleetoffoot，heescapedandmadehiswaytotheMission。ArrivingtherehetoldwonderfulstoriesofValerioandhislife；howhismarvellouswhitemareseemedtofly，ratherthangallop，andleapedfromrocktorocklikeachamois；andhowtheyliveduponwheat-
bread，cheeses，wine，andotherdelicaciesinsteadofthecoarsefareoftheIndians。Hetoldthemthelocationofthecaveanddescribedthewaythither；sotheAlcalde(hewasthemayororjudge，youknow，Elsie)，gotoutthetroopswiththeirmuskets，andthepadresgatheredtheMissionIndianswiththeirbowsandarrows，andtheyallstartedinpursuitoftheoutlaw。Amongthetroopsweretwohechiceros(wizardsormedicine-men)，whosebowedshouldersandgrizzledbeardsshowedthemtobemenofmanyyearsandmuchwisdom。
Whenaskedtogivetheiradvice，theydeclaredthatValeriocouldnotbekilledbyanyordinaryweapons，butthatspecialmeansmustbeusedtobeofanyavailagainsthissupernaturalpowers。
Accordingly，oneofthehechicerosbrokeofftheheadofhisarrow，castacharmoverit，andpredictedthatthiswoulddealthefatalblow。ThepartystartedoutwithChitoasaguide，and，aftermanymilesofwearisometravelupruggedmountainsidesandoversteepandalmostimpassablemountaintrails，theypausedatthebaseofacliff，andsaw，faruptheheight，themouthofValerio"scave，and，whatwasmore，Valeriohimselfsittinginthedoorwayfastasleep。
Alas!hehadbeendrinkingtooheavilyofhisstolenwine，orhewouldneverhavesoexposedhimselftotheenemy。Theyfiredavolleyathim。Oneshotonlytookeffect，andeventhiswouldnothavebeenpossiblesavethatthespellwasnotuponhimbecauseofhissleep；buttheoneshotwokehimand，halfrising，hestaggeredandfellfromthemouthofthecavetoaledgeofrocksbeneath。Hesprangtohisfeetinasecondandranlikeadeertowardsatreewherehiswhitemarewasfastened。Theyfiredanothervolley，but，thoughtheshotsflewineverydirection，Valeriopassedonunharmed；
butjustashewasdisappearingfromviewthehechiceroraisedhisbowandtheheadlessarrowwhizzedthroughspaceandpiercedhimthroughtheheart。Theyclamberedupthecliffswithshoutsoftriumphandsurroundedhimoneveryside，butpoorValeriohadsurrenderedtoamorepowerfulenemythanthey!Wonderfultorelate，hestillbreathed，thoughthewoundshouldhavebeeninstantlyfatal。
Theyliftedhimfromthegroundandtiedhimonhissnow-whitemare，hislonghairreachingalmosttotheground，hishandsomefaceaspaleasdeath，thebloodtricklingfromhiswound；butthemysteriouspowerthathepossessedseemedtokeephimaliveinspiteofhissuffering。Finallyoneofthehechicerosdecidedthatthespelllayinthebuckskincordthatheworeabouthisthroat——aroughsortofnecklacehungwithbears"clawsandsnakerattles——andthatheneverwoulddieuntilthemagiccordwascut。This，aftersomeconsultation，wasdone。Valeriodrewhislastbreathasitpartedasunder，andtheyborehisdeadbodyhomeintriumphtotheMission。
"Butheisnotforgotten。Storiesarestilltoldofhiswonderfuldeeds，andpeoplestillgoinsearchofmoneythatheissupposedtohavehiddeninhiscave。TheMexicanwomenwhotellsuertes，orfortunes，describethelocationofthemoney；but，assoonasanyonereachesthecave，heiswarnedawaybyalittleoldmanwhostandsinthedoorandprotectstheburiedtreasure。AnIndianlad，whowasridingoverthehillsonedaywithhishorseandhisdogs，dismountedtosearchforhismoccasin，whenhesuddenlynoticedthatthedogshadchasedsomethingintoacaveintherocks。Hefollowed，and，peeringintothedarkness，sawtwogleamingeyes。Hethrusthisknifebetweenthem，butstrucktheair；and，thoughhehadbeenstandingdirectlyinfrontoftheopening，sothatnothingcouldhavepassedhim，yetheheardtheclatterofhoofsandthetinkleofspurs，and，turning，sawamysterioushorseman，whosepalefaceandstreaminghairmeltedintothemountainmist，asitfloateddownfromthepurpleSantaYnezpeaksintothelapofthevine-coveredfoot-
hillsbelow。"
CHAPTERX:MORECAMP-FIRESTORIES
"Andstilltheywatchedtheflickeringoftheblaze，Andtalkedtogetherofthegoodolddays。"
"Brava!""Bravissima!""Splendid，Polly!"exclaimedtheboys。
"Bell，you"reagreatauthor!"
"Couldn"thavedonebettermyself——giveyoumyword!"criedJack，bowingprofoundlytoBellandPollyinturn，andpresentingthemwithbouquetsoffadedleaveshastilygatheredfromtheground。
"Pollycoveredherselfwithglory，"saidthedoctor；"andIamveryproudofyourpartinit，too，mylittledaughter。IhavesomeknowledgeofPancho"scapabilitiesasanarrator，andIthinkthe"StoryofValerio"owesagooddealtoyou。Now，whocomesnext?
Margery?"
"No，please，"saidMargery，"forIhaveanotherstory。Takeoneoftheboys，andlet"shavemorefacts。"
"Yes，somethinghistoricandprofound，outoftheencyclopaedia，fromJack，"saidPolly，saucily。
"Thanks，MissOliver。Withyouforanaudienceanymanmightbeinspired；but——"
"ButnotaBOY?"
"Mother，dear，removethatchildfrommysight，orIshallcertainlyshakeher!Phil，goon，justtokeepPollyquiet。"
"Verywell。BeingtheoldestCalifornianpresent，I——"
"WhataboutDr。Paul?"askedtheirrepressiblePolly。
"Hewasn"tbornhere，"respondedPhilip，dryly，"andIwas。"
"Ithinkthat"saquibble，"interruptedBell。"Papawasheretwentyyearsbeforeyouwere。"
"It"snotmyfaultthathecamefirst，"answeredPhilip。"MargeryandIarenotonlytheoldestCalifornianspresent，buttheonlyones。Isn"tthatso，sir?"
"Quitecorrect。"
"Oh，ifyoumeanthatway，Isupposeyouare；butstillpapahelpedframetheConstitution，andwashereonthefirstAdmissionDay，andwasoneoftheVigilantes——andIthinkthatmakeshimmoreofarealCalifornianthanyou。You"vejust"grownupwiththecountry。""
"Blessmysoul!WhatelsecouldIdo?IwouldhavebeengladtoframetheConstitution，admittheState，andserveontheVigilanceCommittee，iftheyhadonlywaitedforme；buttheywentstraightaheadwiththebusiness，andwhenIwasborntherewasnothingtodobutstandroundandcriticisewhattheyhaddone，or，asyouexpressit，"growupwiththecountry。"Well，asIwassayingwhenIwasinterrupted——"
"Begpardon。"
"Don"tmentionit。UncleDochasaskedmetotellMrs。HowardandElsiehowtheycarriedontherodeostenorfifteenyearsago。OfcourseIwasonlyalittlechap"——("VERYlittle，"murmuredhissister)——"butnevertoosmalltostickonahorse，andmyfatherusedoftentotakemealong。Therodeosnowadaysareneitherasgreatoccasions，norasexcitingones，astheyusedtobe；butthisisthewayarodeoismanaged。Whenthespringrainsaremostlyover，andthegrassisfine，——sayinApril——therancheroofacertainranchsendswordtoallhisneighboursthathewillholdarodeoonacertaindayordays。Ofcoursethecattleusedtostrayalloverthecountry，andgetbadlymixed，astherewerenofences；sotherodeowasheldforthepurposeofseparatingthecattleandbrandingthecalvesthathadneverbeenmarked。
"Theownersofthevariousranchesassemblethenightbefore，bringingtheirvaqueroswiththem。Theystartoutveryearlyinthemorning，havinghadacupofcoffee，andridetothe"rodeo-ground，"
whichisanyflat，convenientplacewherecanyonsconverge。Manyofthecattleonthehillsroundaboutknowtheplace，havingbeentherebefore，andthevaquerosstartafterthemanddrivethemtothespot。"
"Howmanyvaqueroswouldtherebe?"askedElsie。
"Oh，nineorten，perhaps；andoftenfromonethousandtothreethousandcattle——itdependsonthenumberofranchesandcattlerepresented。Someofthevaquerosformacircleroundthecattlethattheyhavedriventotherodeo-ground，andholdthemtherewhileothersgobacktotheranchforbreakfastandfreshhorses。"
"Freshhorsessosoon?"saidMrs。Howard。"Ithoughtthemustangsweretough，hardylittlebeasts，thatwouldgoalldaywithoutdropping。"
"Yes，sotheyare；butyoualwayshavetobeginto"partout"thecattlewiththefreshestandbest-trainedhorsesyouhave。Theownersandtheirbestvaquerosnowgointotheimmensebandofcattle，andtrytogetthecowsandtheunbrandedcalvesseparatedfromtherest。Youcanimaginewhatskilfulengineeringthistakes，eventhoughyouneversawit。Twoworktogether；theystartacertaincowandcalfandworkthemthroughthebandofcattleuntiltheyneartheoutside，andthen"rush"themtoaplacethreeorfourhundredyardsbeyond，whereothervaquerosarestationedtoreceiveandholdthem。Ofcoursethecattledon"twanttoleavetheband，andofcoursetheydon"twanttostayinthespottowhichtheyaredriven。"
"Idon"tblamethem!"criedBellimpetuously。"Probablythecowsrememberthetimewhentheywerebrandedthemselves，andtheydon"twanttheirdearlittlebossiesputthroughthesameoperation。"
"Verylikely。Thenmorecowsandcalvesarestartedinthesameway；
thegreatestdifficultybeinghadwiththefirstlot，forthecattlealwaysstaymorecontentedlytogetherasthegroupgrowslarger。
Occasionallyone"breaks"andrunsoffonthehills，andavaquerostartsafterhim，throwsthereataandlassoshim，or"lass"s"him，astheCaliforniaboyssay。"
"Theremustbefrightfulaccidents，"saidMrs。Winship。
"Yes；butnotsomanyasyouwouldsuppose，forthehorsemanship，initsparticularway，issomethingwonderful。Whenanuglysteerislassoedandhefeelsthereataorlariatroundhisneck，hesometimesturnsand"makes"forthehorse，andunlessthevaqueroisparticularlyskilfulhewillbegoredandhishorsetoo；buthegivesadexterousturntothelariat，theanimalstepsoverit，getstangledandthrown。Frequentlyananimalbreaksahornoraleg。
Sometimesonefallisnotenough；thesteerjumpsupandpursuesthehorse。Thenthevaquerokeepsalittleaheadofhimandleadshimbacktotherodeo-ground，whereanothervaquerolassoshimbythehindlegsandthrowshim，whilethereataistakenoffhisneck。"
"Thereisanotherdanger，too，"addedDr。Winship。"Thevaquerowindsthereataverytightlyroundthepommelofhissaddletoholdthesteer，andheislikelytohavehisfingercaughtinthehair-
ropeandcutoff。"
"Yes，Iforgotthat。TwoorthreeofthefamousoldvaquerosaboutSantaBarbara——JoseMaria，JoseAntonio，andoldClemente——haveeachlostafinger。Well，thevaquerosatlengthforminacircleroundthebandofselectedcattle。Theranchownerwhogivestherodeotakeshisowncattlethathehasfound——theonesbearinghisbrand，youknow——anddrivestheminwiththeonestobebranded，leavingintherodeo-groundthecattlebearingthebrandsofalltheotherrancheros。Therehasbeenmuchdrinkingofaguardiente(brandy)andeverybodybythistimeisprettyreckless。
Thentheydrivethisselectedbandtothehomecorral，thevaquerosyelling，thecattle"calling，"andthereataswhizzingandwhistlingthroughtheair。Ifanyunfortunatetriestoescapehisfateheispursued，"lass"d，"andbroughtback。Bythistimethecattleareprettywellheatedandangry，andwhentheygetintothecrowdedcorraltheyhorneachotherandtrytogorethehorses。Afireisthenbuiltinonecornerofthecorralandthebranding-ironsareheated。"
"Oh!holdmyhand，Polly，ifthebrandingisgoingtobegin，Ihateitso，"exclaimedElsie。
"Iwon"tsaymuchaboutit，butit"snoworsethanathousandthingsthatpeoplehavetobeareveryyearoftheirlives。Animalsneverhavetohaveteethfilled，forinstance，norlimbsamputated——"
"Oh，justthinkofacalfwithawoodenleg，oracowwithfalseteeth!Wouldn"titbefunny?"laughedBell。
"Theydon"thaveathousandillsthathumanfleshisheirto，sotheymustbethankfultheygetoffsoeasy。Well!thebranding-ironsareheated，asIsay——eachcattle-ownerhavinghisspecialbrand，whichisproperlyrecorded，andwhichmaybeanydevicenotpreviouslyused。Twomennowcatchthecalves；onelassoingthembythehead，theotherbythelegs。Athirdmantakestheironfromthefireandbrandsthechosenletterorhieroglyphicontheanimal"shindquarter。"
"Sometimesontheforequarter，don"tthey?"askedBell。"I"veseenbrandsthere，——yourhorsehastwo，andourcowhasonealso。"
"Yes，abrandontheforequartershowsthattheanimalhasbeensold，butitalwayshastheoriginalbrandonthehindquarter。Whenasaleiseffected，thenewbrandisputanywhereinfrontofthefifthrib，andthisconstituteswhattheycallaventa，orsale。Ifyounoticesomeofthelittle"plugs"riddenbySantaBarbaraboys，you"llseethattheybearhalfadozenbrands。Bytheway，iftherodeohasbeenaverylargeone，theyareseveraldaysbrandingthecattle，sotheyareturnedouttopastorearalittlewhileeachday。"
"Thebrandwasabsolutesignofownership，youknow，girls，"saidDr。
Winship；"andthoughtherewasthegreatestcareexercisedinchoosingandrecordingthebrands，therewasplentyofopportunityforcheating。Forinstance，amanwouldoftenseeunbrandedcattlewhenridingabout，andtherewasnothingtopreventhisdismounting，buildingafire，heatinghisiron，andputtinghisownbrandonthem。
Then，atthenextrodeo，theyweresimplyturnedovertohim，for，asIsay，thebrandwasabsoluteownership。"
"Whene"erItakemyridesabroad，HowmanycalvesIsee；
And，asIbrandthemproperly，Theyallbelongtome，"
saidBell。
"HowIshouldliketoseearodeo!"sighedElsie。"Ican"timaginehowthevaqueroscanflingthereatawhiletheyareridingatfullspeed。"
"Itisn"tsoverywonderful，"saidPolly，nonchalantly"themostordinarypeoplecanlearnit；why!yourbrotherJackcanlassoalmostaswellasaMexican。"
"AndIcan"lass"anystationaryobjectmyself，"criedBell；"ahitching-post，orevenadoor-knob；Icandoittwoorthreetimesoutoften。"
"Thatshowsimmenseskill，"answeredJack，"but，asthethingyouwantto"lass"neverdoesstaystill，andasitisabsolutelynecessarytocatchitmorethanthreetimesoutoften，youprobablywouldn"tmakeanameandfortuneasavaquero。JuanCapistrano，bytheway，usedtobefamouswiththelariat。IhadheardofhisadventurewithabullontheislandofSantaRosa，andIaskedhimaboutitto-day；buthehadsoexhaustedhimselftellingstoriestoBellthathehadveryfewwordsforme。Youseetherewasabull，onSantaRosaisland，sowildthattheywantedtokillhim；butnobodycoulddoit，thoughhewasaterrortoanyonewhoventuredontheisland。Theycalledhim"Antiguelo，"becauseofhislonghornsandlongtail。Hewassuchaterriblefighterthatallthevaqueroswereafraidtolass"him，forhealwaysbrokeawaywiththelariat。Youseeahorsethrowsabullbyskillandnotbystrength，ofcourse。
Youcanchokealmostanybull；butthisonewastoosmart!hewouldcrouchonhishaunchesandpullbackuntiltheropenearlychokedhimandthensuddenly"make"forthehorse。JuanCapistranohadasplendidhorse——youseeasmuchdependsonthehorseasthemaninsuchacase——andhecameuponAntigueloontheCerroNegroandlass"dhim。Well，didhefight?Iasked。"Si，Senor。"Well，whathappened?"Yolomate"(Ikilledhim)，hesaid，withashrugofhisshoulders，andthat"sallIcouldgetoutofJuanregardinghisadventure。"
"Butyouhaven"tdoneyourshare，youlazyboy，"objectedBell。"Youmusttellusmore。"
"Whatdoyouwanttohear?IamuponalltheanimalandvegetablelifeofSouthernCalifornia，fullofinterestinginformationconcerningitsoldcustoms，cangiveyouSpanishnamesforallthethingsthatcomeupinordinaryconversation，andamtheonlymanpresentwhocanmakearaw-hidereata，"saidJack，modestly。
"Goonandtellushow，Ogreatandwisereatero，"saidBell。
"I"lltellyouthatmyself，"saidElsie，"forI"veseenhimdoitdozensoftimes，whenheshouldhavebeenstudyinghislittlelessons。Hetakesabigpieceofrawhide，cutsacirclerightoutofthemiddle，andthencutsroundandroundthisuntilhehasonelongcontinuousstring，halfaninchwide。Hethenstretchesitandscrapesthehairoffwithaknifeorapieceofglass，getsitintofourstrands，andbraidsit"round。""
"Perhapsyouthinkbraiding"round"iseasytodo，"retortedJack，inaninjuredtone；"butIknowittookmesixmonthstolearntodoitwell。"
"Ifailtosee，"saidhismother，"howaknowledgeof"braidinground"andlassoingofwildcattleisgoingtoserveyouinyouruniversitylifeandfuturecareer。"
"Ohyes，itwill。IshallbetheBuffaloBillofHarvard，andI
shallgivecharminglittleentertainmentsinmyrooms，orinsomelittlegarden-plotsuitabletothepurpose。"
"Shallyoumakeapointofkeepingupwithyourclass?"askedMrs。
Winship。
"Ohyes，unlesstheygotoofast。Mysportswon"ttakeanymoretimethanrowingorbaseball。They"llbealittlemoreexpensive，becauseI"llhavetokeepsomewildcattleconstantlyonhand，andperhapsavaqueroortwo；butavaquerowon"tcostanymorethanavalet。"
"Ididn"tintendfurnishingyouwithavalet，"remarkedhismother。
"ButIshallbeself-supporting，motherdear。Ishallgiveexhibitionsonthecampus，andthegate-moneywillkeepmeinluxury。"
"Thisisallveryinteresting，"saidPolly，cuttingly；"butwhathasittodowithCalifornia，I"dliketoknow?"
"Poordear!Yourbrainissoweak。Can"tyouseethatwhenIamthefashioninCambridge，itwillbenoisedaboutthatIgainedmymarvellousskillinCalifornia?Thiswillincreaseemigration。I
don"tpretendtosayitwillswellthepopulationlikethediscoveryofgoldin"48，butitwillhaveaperceptibleeffect。"
"Youaremoremodestthanawholemossybankofviolets，"laughedDr。
Paul。"Now，Margery，willyougiveusyourlegend?"
"MineisthestoryofJuandeDios(literally，JuanofGod)，andI"msorrytosaythatithasahorseinit，likePolly"s；onlyherswasasnow-whitemare，andmineisacoal-blackcharger。Buttheywouldn"ttellusanyromanticlove-stories；theywereallabouthorses。"
STORYOFJUANDEDIOS。
"Inearlydays，whenAmericanswerecomingintoSantaBarbara，thereweremanycattle-buyersamongthem；andtherewerelargebandsofrobbersalloverthecountrywhowerereadytopounceonthesetravellersontheirwaytothegreatcattleranchos，killthem，andstealtheirmoneyandclothes，aswellastheirhorsesandtrappings。
Noonecouldunderstandhowtherobbersgotsuchaccurateinformationofthemovementsofthetravellers，unlesstheyhadaspysomewhereneartheMission，wheretheyoftenstoppedforrestandrefreshment。
"Now，therewasacertainyoungIndianvaquerointheemployofthepadresatLaMissiondelaPurisima。Hewasawonderfulhorseman，andgreatlylookeduptobyhisbrothervaqueros，becausehewassostrong，alert，andhandsome，andbecausehewasalwaysdressedelegantlyinricholdSpanishembroideriesandvelvets，giventohim，hesaid，bymenforwhomhehaddonegreatservices。
"Onedayacertaintraveller，aSpanishofficialofhighdegree，camefromMontereytowedhissweetheart，thedaughteroftherichestcattle-ownerinallthecountryround。Hisspursandbitandbridlewereofsolidsilver；hisjaquima(halter)wasmadeofahairropewhosestrandshadbeendyedinbrilliantcolours；histapaderos(frontofthestirrups)，mochilas(largeleathersaddleflaps)，andsudaderos(thinbitsofleathertoprotectthelegsfromsweat)，wereallbeautifullystampedinthefashionusedbytheMexicans；hissaddleblanketsandhishousingswereallsuperb，andheworeabroadsombreroencircledwithasilversnakeandtrimmedwithsilverlace。
"ThetravellerstayedatLaPurisimaallnight，andsetoutearlyinthemorningtoridethelastfortymilesthatseparatedhimfromhisbride。ButJuanandtwootherrobberswerelyinginwaitforhimbehindagreatrockthatstoodattheentranceofalonelycanyon。
Theyappearedonhorseback，onebehindtheunfortunatemanandtwoinfront，sothathecouldescapeneitherway。Theyfinallysucceededinlassoingthehorseandthrowinghimtothegroundwithhisrider，whodefendedhimselfbravelywithhisknife，butwasfinallykilledandrobbed，Juantakinghisclothesandtrappings，andtheothertwodividingthecontentsofhispurse。Theycouldnothaveburiedtheirvictimassuccessfullyasusual，orelsetheyweresurprised，andhadtoescape，forthebodywasfound；andJuan，whomthepadreshadbeguntoviewwithsuspicion，wasnowheretobefoundabouttheMission。Troopsweresentoutinpursuitofhim，forthisparticulartravellerwasahighofficial，anditwasnecessarythathisdeathshouldbeavenged。TheyatlastheardthatJuanhadbeenseengoingtowardsSantaYnezMission，and，pursuinghimthither，theycameuponhimashewasdrivingabandofhorsesintoacorral，andjustintheactofcatchinghisownhorse，anobleandpowerfulanimal，calledAzabache，becauseofhisjet-blackcolour。Themensurroundedthecorral，andorderedhimtosurrender。HebeggedthemtowaituntilhehadsaddledAzabache，andthentheymightshootthembothdowntogether。Heaskedpermissiontocallthreetimes(pegartresgritos)，andafterthethirdcalltheyweretoshoot。Hislastwishwasgranted。Hesaddledandmountedhissplendidhorse，calledonce——
twice——thrice，——butwhenthelastshoutfadedintheair，andthetroopsraisedtheirmusketstofire，behold，therewasnoJuandeDiostobeseen。Theyhadbeensurroundingthecorralsothatnoonecouldhaveriddenout；theylookedamongthehorses，butAsabachewasnowheretobefound。
"Justthenajoyousshoutwasheard，soringingandtriumphantthateverymanturnedinthedirectionfromwhichitcame。There，gallopingupthehillside，nearlyhalfamiledistant，wasJuandeDios，mountedonhiscoal-blackAzabache!Butitwasnocommonsunshinethatdeepenedthegorgeouscoloursofhistrappingsanddanceduponhissilverspurstilltheyglistenedliketwogreatstars!Itwasabroad，glitteringstreamoflightsuchasnomortalhadeverseenbeforeandwhichalmostblindedtheeyes；andoverthisradiantpathofgoldensunbeamsgallopedJuandeDios，untilhedisappearedoverthecrestofthemountain。Thenthelightfaded；
thepadrescrossedthemselvesinsilenceandwenthometotheirMission!andJuandeDiosneverwasheardofmore。"
ModestlittleMargerywashailedwithsuchcheersthatyoucouldnothaveseenhercheeksfortheblushes；and，justasthepartybegantothinkofforsakingthefascinatingcamp-fireforbed，Belljumpedupimpetuouslyandcried，"Here，Philip，givemethecastanets，please。
PollyandJack，youplay"LasPalomas"forme，andI"llsingandshowyouthedanceofthatprettyMexicangirlwhomIsawattheballgivenundertheBigGrapeVine。WaittillItakeoffmyhairribbon。
Lendmeyourscarf，mamma。Nowbegin!"
LASPALOMAS。{2}
(THEDOVES。)
Cua-tropa-lo-mi-tasblan-casquevie-
nendepora——lla。U-nasalaso-trasdi-cennohaya-morcomoeldea-ca。
Itisbarelypossible，butnotlikely，thatanythingprettierthanBell"sMexicandanzawastobeseenunderthelightoftheSeptemberstarsthatnight；althoughtheyweredoubtlessshiningdownuponathousandlovelythings。Withallthebrightnessofherloosenedhairrisingandfallingwiththemotionofherswayingfigure——withhertwinklingfeet，hercrimsoncheeksandpartedlips，shelookedtheveryspiritofthedance，andherenraptured——audienceonlyallowedhertostopwhenshewasabsolutelybreathless。
"Ohwhatabeautifulevening!"exclaimedElsie，whenthecelebrationwasfinallyover。"Wasthereeversuchadear，dearcanyonwithsuchdearpeopleinit!Ifitonlywouldn"trainandwecouldlivehereforever!"
"Rain，rain，stayaway!
Comeagainanotherday，LittleElsiewantstoplay，"
recitedPolly，andtheneverybodywenttotheirstrawbeds。
CHAPTERXI:BREAKINGCAMP
"Thethirstyearthsoaksuptherain，Anddrinksandgapesfordrinkagain；
Theplantssuckintheearthandare，Withconstantdrinking，freshandfair。"
Butitdidrain；anditdidn"twaituntiltheywereoutofthecanyoneither。Itbeganlongbeforethepropertime，anditbynomeansconfineditselftoashower，butopenedthewinterseasonfullyamonthbeforetherewasanyneedofit，andbehavedaltogetherinamostheartlessandinconsideratemanner，likeaveryspoil-sportofarain。
Itbeganafterdark，soastobejustasdisagreeableaspossible，andunderthetooslightcoveroftheirtentsthecamperscouldheartherushandtheroarofitlikethetrampingofmyriadfeetontheleaves。PanchoandthetwoChinamenhuddledunderthebroadsycamoresintheirrubberblankets，andweredryandcomfortable；butallthewaterprooftentsleaked，saveElsie"s。
Butwhenitwasdawn，theSun，havingheardnothingapparentlyofanyprojectedchangeintheweather，roseattheusualtimeinthemostresplendentfashion——brighter，rosier，andmoregloriously，ifyouwillbelieveme，thanhehadrisenthatwholelongsunshinysummer!
Andhereallymusthavefeltpaidforgettingupatsuchanunearthlyhourinthemorning，when，afterhehadclamberedoverthegreymountainpeaks，helookeddownuponLasFloresCanyon，bathedinthelightofhisowngoldenbeams。
IfheknewanythingaboutAncientHistoryandBiblicalGeography——andifhedidn"tIdon"tknowwhoshould，inasmuchashehadbeenpresentfromthebeginningoftime——hemusthavethoughtitasfairastheGardenofEden；forNature"sfacesimplyshonewithcleanliness，likethatofasmilingchildjustfreshfromitsbath，andeveryleafofeverytreeglistenedashebeameduponit，andshookoffitscrystaldropsthathemightturnthemintodiamonds。
"Itwasonlyashower，"saidDr。Winship，asheseatedhimselfonadampboardandpartookofamoistbreakfast，"andwiththissunthetentswillbedrybeforenight；Elsiehascaughtnocold，thedustwillbelaid，andwecanstayanotherweekwithsafety。"