IN THE OLD WEST 267 



following their well-known leader. As the roan 

 galloped back, the padre was in ecstasy. It was 

 a favorite steed, and one he would have gladly ran- 

 somed at any price. 



" Ya viene, ya viene! " he cried out, " now, now 

 it's coming 1 hurrah for the roan ! " but, under the 

 rifle of a mountaineer, one of the Californians 

 dashed at it, a lasso whirling round his head, and 

 turning and twisting like a doubling hare, as the 

 horse tried to avoid him, at last threw the open 

 coil over the animal's head, and led him back in 

 triumph to the band. 



" Maldito sea aquel India curse that In- 

 dian ! " quoth the padre, and turned away. 



And now our sturdy band less two who had 

 gone under were fairly on their way. They 

 passed the body of their comrade who had been 

 killed in the fight before the Mission; the wolves, 

 or Indian dogs, had picked it to the bones ; but a 

 mound near by, surmounted by a rude cross, 

 showed where the Californians (seven of whom 

 were killed) had been interred the pile of stones 

 at the foot of the cross testifying that many an 

 ave maria had already been said by the poor In- 

 dians, to save the souls of their slaughtered com- 

 panions from the pangs of purgatory. 



For the first few days progress was slow and 

 tedious. The confusion attendant upon driving 

 so large a number of animals over a country with- 

 out trail or track of any description, was suf- 



