266 IN THE OLD WEST 



panions, with whom he had quaffed many a quar- 

 tillo of Californian wine. Great was the grief, 

 and violent the sobbing, when all the giris in the 

 Mission surrounded Juanita to bid her adieu, as 

 she, seated en cavalier on an easy-pacing mule, be- 

 queathed her late companions to the keeping of 

 every saint in the calendar, and particularly to 

 the great St. Ferdinand himself, under whose espe- 

 cial tutelage all those in the Mission were sup- 

 posed to live. Pedrillo — poor forsaken Pedrillo 

 — a sullen sulky half-breed, was overcome, not 

 with grief, but with anger at the slight put upon 

 him, and vowed revenge. He of the sangre regu- 

 lar, having not a particle of enmity in his heart, 

 waved his arm — that arm with which he had 



mowed down the enemies of Carlos Quinto and 



requested the mountaineers, if ever fate should 

 carry them to Spain, not to fail to visit his quinta 

 in the vega of Genii, which, with all in it, he placed 

 at their worship's disposal — con muchissima 

 franqueza. 



Fat Fray Augustin likewise waved his arm, but 

 groaned in spirit as he beheld the noble band of 

 mules and horses throwing back clouds of dust on 

 the plain where they had been bred. One noble 

 roan stallion seemed averse to leave his accus- 

 tomed pasture, and again and again broke away 

 from the band. Luckily old Walker had taken 

 the precaution to secure the bell-mare of the herd, 

 and mounted on her rode ahead, the animals all 



