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 vienel " he cried out, " now, now 

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

 rifle of a mountaineer, one of the Califomians 

 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 Indio — 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 Califomians (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- 



