168 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



was a long linen shirt, reaching to his knees, and lately procured 

 from Puebla de los Angeles, as a sacerdotal garment. Boots, 

 stockings, or unmentionables, he had none. A cigarito, of tobacco 

 rolled in corn shuck, was occasionally placed between his lips ; 

 whereupon huge clouds of smoke rushed in columns from his 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 dimensions. 

 Several Indians and half-breed Mexican won^en were pounding 

 Indian corn on metates near at hand ; while sundry beef-fed 

 urchins of whitey-brown complexion sported before the door, ex- 

 hibiting, as they passed Fray Augustin, a curious resemblance to 

 the strongly marked features of that worthy padre. They were 

 probably his nieces and nephews — a class of relations often pos- 

 sessed 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 Cristo- 

 val, 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. 



While 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 I 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 by 

 here and ran off with so many of our cavallada." 



"True, reverend father," answered the administrador, "just 

 three years ago, all but fifteen days : I remember it well. Malditos 

 sean — curse them !" 



" How many did we kill, Jose ?" 



