TRAVELS IN THE CALIFORNIAS. 
185 
patience, firmness and labor, does he bring the mission of San 
Juan Baptista into form, and its Indians under his control 
And not these only ; but going many miles into the woods 
and the breaches of the mountains, he gathers in the wan¬ 
dering, feeds and clothes them, and teaches them to till the 
ground and live like men. At last he succeeds in humaniz¬ 
ing the greater portion of these rude people. They call him 
Padre, follow him to the labor of the field, and gather about 
the altar in his humble church to worship. All are industri¬ 
ous, well-fed, well-clad, and happy. 
As the Padre, however, is felicitating himself on these 
results of his labors, an accident occurs which well nigh ruins 
all. He is called to baptize a sick woman, with whom he 
finds an old sorcerer employed according to their ancient cus¬ 
toms. The Padre bids him depart, administers extreme unc¬ 
tion to the woman, remains with her till death, buries her 
according to the forms of the church, and after reprimanding 
severely the converts who have lent their sanction to the jug¬ 
gler, dismisses them with much indignation. This severity of 
the Padre rouses the sullen fierceness of the Indians to such 
extent that, instigated by the disgraced sorcerer, they form 
the design of murdering him. They use the utmost secrecy, 
and make death the penalty of divulging their purpose. The 
Padre always has a boy sleeping in his apartment; and when 
at length the night of the massacre comes, this boy desires 
that he may be allowed to spend it with his friends, the Indi¬ 
ans. The Padre objects ! The boy urges! The Padre in¬ 
quires the reason; and the boy, after much hesitation, tells 
him, “ Because, father, this night they are going to kill you !” 
On hearing this, he sends for some of the chief ones, and 
with a resolute and dauntless air tells them, “ I know you 
have formed the design to kill me this night. But remember! 
With this musket I will, when you come, slaughter you all.” 
Having said this, he quickly leaves them full of consterna¬ 
tion at what they have heard. 
Oppressed with fear, they retire to their associates in the 
