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The Russians were to call at the house of the Commandante on their way to the Mission, and Concha herself made the chocolate with which they were to be detained for another hour.
At this excellent reason the sergeant only laughed contemptuously. The young officer hurried away after the Commandante. Presently the adjutant of the castle came by. He was a truculent, raw-boned man in a ragged uniform. His spluttering voice issued out of a flat, yellow face. The sergeant learned from him that the condemned men would not be shot till sunset.
Artificer and "peon" are preparing a shelter for the lord of the grant. Donna Juanita waves her hand in fond adieu as the schooner glides across to Alameda. Here Commandante Miguel has a report of the arrival of his trains. From the Castros' home, Juanita rides out toward the San Joaquin. Great commotion enlivens the hacienda.
"Is there, then, some resemblance between Don Carlos and the brigand Cojuelo?" asked the Commandante. Momentarily nonplussed, Myra shook her head. "I cannot tell," she answered. "El Diablo Cojuelo always wore a cowl which disguised him." "Yes, that's right, sir," broke in Tony Standish from the background. "We never saw the blighter without his cowl.
Father Salvierderra himself had come from Mexico to Monterey in the same ship which had brought her father to be the commandante of the Santa Barbara Presidio; and her best-beloved uncle, her father's eldest brother, was at that time the Superior of the Santa Barbara Mission.
Patriot, pioneer, and leader, the Commandante travels from Sutter's Fort to Los Angeles. He goes away light-hearted. The young wife has a bright-eyed girl to fondle when the chief is in the saddle. Happiness fills the parents' hearts. The baptism occasions the greatest feast of Lagunitas. But, from the coast, as fall draws near, rumors of trouble disturb the San Joaquin.
'Never saw such a one-ideaed man! MRS. G. Well, why don't you? I daresay you would make some woman very happy. G. There's the Law and the Prophets, Jack. Never mind the Regiment. Make a woman happy. M. We'll see. I must be off to make a Troop Cook desperately unhappy. He's picking 'em off the matting and eating 'em. Here, Senor Commandante Don Grubbynose, come and talk to me.
He answers all the descriptions. He was dressed just so; green coat, red trousers, very torn and dirty head in bandage. This is the description. Is it not so?" he demanded of his lieutenants. They nodded vigorously. "Why a-yes, that is the man," the Commandante cried in triumph. "Last night he stabbed Jose Mendez in the Libertad Billiard Hall. He has wanted to murder him.
During this period, I was several times requested, then commanded, to go among the oaks and bring out my countrymen, and offer them their lives on giving up their rifles and persons. I at last offered to go and call them out, on condition that they should return to San Juan or go to Monterey, with their arms; this being refused, I told the commandante to go in and bring them out himself.
Presidios have since been established at Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and other places, dividing the country into large districts, each with its presidio, and governed by a commandante. The soldiers, for the most part, married civilized Indians; and thus, in the vicinity of each presidio, sprung up, gradually, small towns.
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