268 IN THE OLD WEST 



" Siempre en el f rente — Ever in the van," he 

 said, " was the war-cry of the Truebas." 



But now a cloud of dust was seen approaching 

 from the plain, and presently a score of horsemen 

 dashed headlong towards the Mission. " El 

 enemigo!" shouted Fray Augustin; and, without 

 waiting to aim, he clapped his match to the touch- 

 hole of the gun, harmlessly pointed to the sky, and 

 crying out, " in el nomhre de Dios " — in God's 

 name — as he did so, was instantly knocked over 

 and over by the recoil of the piece, then was as 

 instantly seized by some of the Indian garrison, 

 and forced through the trap-door into the build- 

 ing; whilst the horsemen (who were his own scouts) 

 galloped up with the intelligence that the enemy 

 was at hand, and in overwhelming force. 



Thereupon the men were all mounted, and 

 formed in a body before the building, to the amount 

 of more than fifty, well armed with guns or bows 

 and arrows. Here the gallant Don harangued 

 them, and infusing into their hearts a little of his 

 own courage, they eagerly demanded to be led 

 against the enemy. Fray Augustin reappeared 

 on the roof, gave them his blessing, advised them 

 to give no quarter, and, with slight misgivings, 

 saw them ride off to the conflict. 



About a mile from the Mission, the plain grad- 

 ually ascended to a ridge of moderate elevation, 

 on which was a growth of dwarf oak and ilex. 

 To this point the eyes of the remaining inmates 



