LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 207 



tall, and as white as the snow on the sierras. Let them 

 come, say I ! " 



" Only hear the girl ! " cried another : " if these 

 savages come, then will they kill Pedrillo, and what 

 will Juanita say to lose her sweetheart ? " 



"Pedrillo!" sneered the latter; "what care I for 

 Pedrillo ? Soy, Mejicana, yo a Mexican girl am I, I'd 

 have you know, and don't demean me to look at a wild 

 Indian. Not I, indeed, by my salvation ! What I say 

 is, let the Norte Americanos come." 



At this juncture Fray Augustin called for a glass of 

 aguardiente, which Juanita was despatched to bring, 

 and, on presenting it, the churchman facetiously 

 inquired why she wished for the Americans, adding, 

 " Don't think they'll come here no, no : here we are 

 brave men, and have Don Antonio with us, a noble 

 fellow, well used to arms." As the words were on his 

 lips, the clattering of a horse's hoofs was heard rattling 

 across the loose stones and pebbles in the bed of the 

 river, and presently an Indian herder galloped up to 

 the door of the Mission, his horse covered with foam, 

 and its sides bleeding from spur-wounds. 



" Oh, padre mio ! " he cried, as soon as he caught 

 sight of his reverence, "vienen los Americanos the 

 Americans, the Americans are upon us. Ave Maria 

 purissima ! more than ten thousand are at my heels ! " 



Up started the priest and shouted for the Don. 



That hidalgo presently appeared, armed with the 

 sword that had graced his thigh in so many glorious 

 encounters the sword with which he had mowed down 



