IN THE OLD WEST 249 



mouth and nostrils. His face was of a golden 

 yellow color, relieved by arched and very black 

 eyebrows ; his shaven chin was of most respectable 

 duplicity — his corporation of orthodox dimen- 

 sions. Several Indians and half-bred Mexican 

 women were pounding Indian com on metates 

 near at hand ; whilst sundry beef-fed urchins of 

 whitey-brown complexion sported before the door, 

 exhibiting, as they passed Fray Augustin, a curi- 

 ous resemblance to the strongly-marked features 

 of that worthy padre. They were probably his 

 nieces and nephews — a class of relations often 

 possessed in numbers by priests and monks. 



The three remaining brothers were absent from 

 the Mission: Fray Bernardo, hunting elk in the 

 sierra ; Fray Jose, gallivanting at Puebla de los 

 Angeles, ten days' journey distant; Fray Cris- 

 toval, lassoing colts upon the plain. Augustin, 

 thus left to his own resources, had just eaten his 

 vespertine frijolitos and chile Colorado, and was 

 enjoying a post-coenal smoke of fragrant pouche 

 under the shadow of his own fig-tree. 



Whilst thus employed, an Indian dressed in 

 Mexican attire approached him hat in hand, and, 

 making a reverential bow, asked his directions 

 concerning domestic business of the Mission. 



" Hola ! friend Jose," cried Fray Augustin, in 

 a thick guttural voice, '* pensaba yo — I was 

 thinking that it was very nearly this time three 

 years ago when those malditos Americanos came 



