4。The-new-load-is-all-light-ee。
5。Thebay-lum-tlee-is-flesh-and-plitty。
Finally，whensheattemptedtointroducethesentence，'Aroundtheroughandruggedrocktheraggedrascalran，'HopYetrosehurriedly，remarking，'Alllightee；Igonomoreschooljus'now。Ilungetlunchee。'
Bellcamerunningdownthepathjustthen，andlinkingherarminPolly'ssaid，'Papahasthenicestplan。YouknowtheboysaresodisappointedthatColonelJacksondidn'taskthemovertothatrodeoathiscattleranch——thoughasummerrodeoisonlytosortoutfatcattletosell，anditisnotveryexciting；butpapapromisedtotellthemallabouttheold-fashionedkindsomenight，andhehasjustrememberedthatto-morrowisAdmissionDay，September9，soheproposesarealcelebrationroundthecamp-firetoamuseElsie。Shedoesn'tknowanythingaboutCaliforniaevenasitisnow，andnoneofusknowwhatitwasintheolddays。Don'tyouthinkitwillbefun?'
'Perfectlysplendid!'
'Andpapawantsuseachtocontributesomething。'
'Apicnic!——butIdon'tknowanything。'
'That'sjustwhatI'mcomingto。Ihavesuchabrightidea。Hesaidthatwemightlookinanyofhisbooks，butGeoffandJackareatthemalready，andI'dlikeasurprise。NowJuanCapistrano，anoldvaqueroofColonelJackson's，isoverhere。Heisawonderfulrider；
papasaysthathecouldrideonacomet，ifhecouldgetachancetomount。Itwashewhotoldtheboysthattherodeowasover。NowI
proposethatwegoandinterviewPanchoandJuan，andgetthemtotellussomeoldCaliforniastories。Theyarebothasstupidastheycanbe，buttheymusthavehadsomeadventures，Isuppose，somewhere，sometime。I'lltranslateandwritethethingsdown，formypart，andyouandMargerycantellthem。'
'Lovely!Oh，ifwecanonlygetanexcitinggrizzlystory，sothatEveryone'sblooduponenditwillstand，Andthehairruncoldintheirveins!
AndwasDr。PauloutherewhenCaliforniawasadmittedintotheUnion——1850，wasn'tit?'
'Ofcourse；why，mychild，hewasoneofthedelegatescalledbyGeneralRiley，themilitarygovernor，tomeetinconventionatMontereyandmakeaStateconstitution。ThatwasSeptember，too——thefirstdayofSeptember1849。HewentbacktotheEastsometimeafterwards，andstayedtenorfifteenyears；buthewasarealpioneerand"forty-niner"allthesame。
Thenextnight，September9th，wassocoolthatthecamp-firewasmorethanordinarilydelightful；accordinglytheypiledonmorewoodthanusual，andpreparedforagrandblaze。Itwasalwaysbuiltdirectlyinfrontofthesitting-roomtent，sothatMrs。HowardandMrs。Winshipcouldsitthereiftheyliked；buttheyoungpeoplepreferredtolielazilyontheircushionsandsaddlesundertheoak-
tree，alittledistancefromtheblaze。Theclear，redfirelightdancedandflickered，andthesparksroseintothesombredarknessfantastically，whiletheruddyglowmadethegreatoakanenchantedpalace，intowhosehollowdometheynevertiredofgazing。Whenthelightstreamedhighest，thebronzegreenofthefoliagewasturnedintocrimson，and，asitdiednowandthen，thestarswinkedbrightlythroughthethousandtinywindowsformedbytheinterlacingbranches。
'Well，'saidthedoctor，bringinghisChineselounging-chairintothecircle，andlightinghispipesoastobethoroughlyhappyandcomfortable，'willyoubanishdistinctionsofageandallowmetositamongyouthisevening?'
'Certainly，'Margerysaid；'that'stheverypointofthecelebration。
ThisisAdmissionDay，youknow，andwhyshouldn'tweadmityou?'
'True；andhavingputmyselfintoaholidayhumourbydiningoffPancho'sdishofguisadoIsupposeto-nightofallnightswemustcallbeefandonionstewbyitslocalname，Iwillproceedtobusiness，andwewilltalkaboutCalifornia。Bytheway，Ishallonlyconducttheexercises，forIfeelratherembarrassedbythefactthatI'veneverkilled，orbeenkilledby，abear，neverbeenbittenbyatarantula，poisonedbyarattlesnake，assaultedbyastage-
robber，noranythingofthatsort。Youhaveallreadmystoryofcrossingtheplains。Ievendidthatinacomparativelyeasyandunheroicfashion。Ionlywish，mydeargirlsandboys，thatwehadwithussomeoneofthebraveandenergeticmenandwomenwhomadethatterriblejourneyattheriskoftheirlives。ThehistoryoftheCaliforniaCrusaders，thethirtythousandormoreemigrantswhocrossedtheplainsin'48，morethanequalsthegreatmilitaryexpeditionsoftheMiddleAges，inmagnitude，peril，andadventure。
SomewentbywayofSantaFeandalongthehillsoftheGila；others，startingfromRedRiver，traversedtheGreatStakeDesertandwentfromElPasodelNortetoSonora；otherswentthroughMexico，and，afterspendingoverahundreddaysatsea，ranintoSanDiegoandgaveuptheirvessels；otherslandedexhaustedwiththeirsevenmonths'passageroundtheHorn；andsomereachedthespotonfootafterwalkingthewholelengthoftheCaliforniapeninsula。'
'Whatprivationstheymusthavesuffered!'saidMrs。Howard。'I
neverquiterealisedit。'
'Why，theamountofsufferingthatwasenduredinthosemountainpassesanddesertscanneverbetoldinwords。ThosewhowentbytheGreatDesertwestoftheColoradofoundastretchofburningsaltplains，ofshiftinghillsofsand，withbonesofanimalsandmenscatteredalongthetrails；ofterribleandghastlyodoursrisinginthehotairfromthebodiesofhundredsofmules，andhumancreaturestoo，thatlayhalf-buriedintheglaringwhitesand。Aterriblejourneyindeed；butifanyStateintheUnioncouldbefairenough，fertileenough，andrichenoughtorepaysuchalavishexpenditureofenergyandsuffering，Californiacertainlywasandistheone。Nowwhocantellussomethingofthename"California"?You，Geoffrey?'
'Geoffreyhascrammed!'exclaimedBell，maliciously。'Ibelievehe'sbeenreadingupalldayandtoldpapawhatquestiontoaskhim!'
'I'llpassitontoyouifyoulike，'laughedGeoffrey。
'No——you'dnevergetanotherthatyoucouldanswer!Goon!'
'In1534，oneHernandodeGrijalvawassentbyHernandoCorteztodiscoversomethingorother，anditwasprobablyhewhothensawthepeninsulaofCalifornia；butaquarterofacenturybeforethisaromancecalledEsplandianhadappearedinSpain，narratingtheadventuresofanAmazonianqueenwhobroughtalliesfrom"therighthandoftheIndies"toassisttheinfidelsintheirattackuponConstantinople——bythewayIforgottosaythatshewasapagan。
ThisqueenoftheAmazonswascalledCalafia，andherkingdom，richingoldandpreciousstones，wasnamedCalifornia。Thewriteroftheromancederivedthisname，perhaps，fromCalif，asuccessorofMohammed。Hesays:"KnowthatontherighthandoftheIndiesthereisanislandnamedCalifornia，veryclosetotheTerrestialParadise，anditwaspeopledbyblackwomenwithoutanymanamongthem，fortheylivedinthefashionoftheAmazonia。Theywereofstrongandhardybodies，ofardentcourage，andofgreatforce。Theirislandwasthestrongestinalltheworld，withitssteepcliffsandrockyshore。Theirarmswereallofgold，andsowastheharnessofthewildbeastswhichtheytamedandrode。Forinthewholeislandtherewasnometalbutgold。Theylivedincaveswroughtoutoftherockswithmuchlabour，andtheyhadmanyshipswithwhichtheysailedouttoothercountriestoobtainbooty。"CortezandGrijalvabelievedthattheywerenearthecoastofAsia，fortheyhadnoconceptionofthesizeoftheworldnorofthevastnessofthePacificOcean；andasthenewly-discoveredlandcorrespondedwiththecountrydescribedintheromance，theynamedthepeninsulaCalifornia。'
'Mybook，'saidPhilip，'declaredthatthederivationofthenamewasveryuncertain，andthatitwasfirstbestowedononeofthecoastbaysbyBernalDiaz。'
'Now，Philip!'exclaimedMargery，'doyousupposewearegoingtobelievethat，afterGeoff'slovelystory?'
'Certainlynot；IonlythoughtI'dpermityoutohearbothsides。I
knewofcoursethatyouwouldbelievetheprettierstoryofthetwo——
girlsalwaysdo!'
'Thatisn'ta"prettystory"——yourremark，Imean，sowewon'tbelieveit；willwe，girls?'askedBell。
'Now，Polly，youreyessparkleasifyoucouldn'twaitanotherminute；yourturnnext，'saidDr。Winship。
'IamonlyafraidthatIcan'tremembermycontribution，whichisreallyBell'sandstillmorereallyPancho's，forhetoldittous，andBelltranslateditandmadeitintoastory。Wecallit"Valerio；or，TheMysteriousMountainCave。"'
'Beginswell!'exclaimedJack。
'Now，Jack，youmustbenice。RememberthisisBell'sstory，andsheislettingmetellitsothatIcanbearmyshareintheentertainment。'
'Panchobelieveseverywordofit，'addedBell，'andsaysthathisfathertoldittohim；butasIhadtochangeitfrombadSpanishintogoodEnglish，Idon'tknowwhetherI'vecaughttheideaexactly。'
'Oh，itwilldoquitenicely，I'venodoubt，'saidJack，encouragingly。'We'veoftenheardyoudogoodEnglishintobadSpanish，andturnandturnaboutisonlyfairplay。Don'tmindme，Polly；Iwillbegentle!'
'Jack，ifyoudon'tbehaveyourselfI'llsendyoutobed，'saidElsie；andheduckedhisheadobedientlyintoherlap，asPolly，withherhandsclaspingherknees，andwiththefirelightdancingoverherbrightface，leanedforwardandtoldtheLegendofVALERIO；OR，THEMYSTERIOUSMOUNTAINCAVE。
'Alongtimeago，beforethesettlementofSantaBarbarabythewhites，theMissionpadreshadagreatmanyIndiansundertheircontrol，whowereknownaspeons，orserfs。Theyweregivenenoughtoeat，werenotmolestedbytheoutsideIndians，andwereentirelypeaceable。ThereweresofewmountainpassesbywhichtoenterSantaBarbarathattheywereeasilyheld，andofcoursethepadreswereanxioustokeeptheirIndiansfromrunningaway，lesttheyshouldshowthewildertribesthewaytogetinandcommitdepredations。
ThesepeaceableIndianspaidtributetointermediarytribestoholdthepassesanddotheirfighting。ThoseabouttheMissiongavecornandcerealsandhidesandtheproductsofthesea，andgotinexchangepinonespinenuts。OneoftheseIndians，namedValerio，wasastrong，brave，handsomeyouth，whosehaughtyspiritrevoltedathisservitude，and，afterseekinganopportunityformanyweekshefinallyescapedtotheSantaYnezmountains，wherehefoundacaveinwhichhehidhimself，drawinghimselfupbyaropeandtakingitinafterhim。TheIndianshadunlimitedbeliefinValerio'smysteriousandwonderfulpowers。Panchosaysthathecouldmakehimselfinvisibleatwill，thatlocksandkeyswerepowerlessagainsthim；
andthatnoonecouldhinderhistakingmoney，horses，orfood。Allsortsofthingsdisappearedmysteriouslybydayandbynight，andtherobberieswereoneandalllaidtothedoorofValerio。ButafterawhileValeriogrewlonelyinhismountainretreat。Helongedforhumancompanionship，andatlength，becomingdesperate，hedescendedontheMissionsettlementandkidnappedayoungIndianboynamedChito，tookhimtohiscave，andadmittedhimintohiswildandlawlesslife。ButChitowasnotcontented。Helikedhomeandcomfortableslaverybetterthanthenew，strangelife；soheseizedthefirstopportunity，andbeingabright，daringlittlelad，andfleetoffoot，heescapedandmadehiswaytotheMission。ArrivingtherehetoldwonderfulstoriesofValerioandhislife；howhismarvellouswhitemareseemedtofly，ratherthangallop，andleapedfromrocktorocklikeachamois；andhowtheyliveduponwheat-
bread，cheeses，wine，andotherdelicaciesinsteadofthecoarsefareoftheIndians。Hetoldthemthelocationofthecaveanddescribedthewaythither；sotheAlcaldehewasthemayororjudge，youknow，Elsie，gotoutthetroopswiththeirmuskets，andthepadresgatheredtheMissionIndianswiththeirbowsandarrows，andtheyallstartedinpursuitoftheoutlaw。Amongthetroopsweretwohechiceroswizardsormedicine-men，whosebowedshouldersandgrizzledbeardsshowedthemtobemenofmanyyearsandmuchwisdom。
Whenaskedtogivetheiradvice，theydeclaredthatValeriocouldnotbekilledbyanyordinaryweapons，butthatspecialmeansmustbeusedtobeofanyavailagainsthissupernaturalpowers。
Accordingly，oneofthehechicerosbrokeofftheheadofhisarrow，castacharmoverit，andpredictedthatthiswoulddealthefatalblow。ThepartystartedoutwithChitoasaguide，and，aftermanymilesofwearisometravelupruggedmountainsidesandoversteepandalmostimpassablemountaintrails，theypausedatthebaseofacliff，andsaw，faruptheheight，themouthofValerio'scave，and，whatwasmore，Valeriohimselfsittinginthedoorwayfastasleep。
Alas!hehadbeendrinkingtooheavilyofhisstolenwine，orhewouldneverhavesoexposedhimselftotheenemy。Theyfiredavolleyathim。Oneshotonlytookeffect，andeventhiswouldnothavebeenpossiblesavethatthespellwasnotuponhimbecauseofhissleep；buttheoneshotwokehimand，halfrising，hestaggeredandfellfromthemouthofthecavetoaledgeofrocksbeneath。Hesprangtohisfeetinasecondandranlikeadeertowardsatreewherehiswhitemarewasfastened。Theyfiredanothervolley，but，thoughtheshotsflewineverydirection，Valeriopassedonunharmed；
butjustashewasdisappearingfromviewthehechiceroraisedhisbowandtheheadlessarrowwhizzedthroughspaceandpiercedhimthroughtheheart。Theyclamberedupthecliffswithshoutsoftriumphandsurroundedhimoneveryside，butpoorValeriohadsurrenderedtoamorepowerfulenemythanthey!Wonderfultorelate，hestillbreathed，thoughthewoundshouldhavebeeninstantlyfatal。
Theyliftedhimfromthegroundandtiedhimonhissnow-whitemare，hislonghairreachingalmosttotheground，hishandsomefaceaspaleasdeath，thebloodtricklingfromhiswound；butthemysteriouspowerthathepossessedseemedtokeephimaliveinspiteofhissuffering。Finallyoneofthehechicerosdecidedthatthespelllayinthebuckskincordthatheworeabouthisthroat——aroughsortofnecklacehungwithbears'clawsandsnakerattles——andthatheneverwoulddieuntilthemagiccordwascut。This，aftersomeconsultation，wasdone。Valeriodrewhislastbreathasitpartedasunder，andtheyborehisdeadbodyhomeintriumphtotheMission。
'Butheisnotforgotten。Storiesarestilltoldofhiswonderfuldeeds，andpeoplestillgoinsearchofmoneythatheissupposedtohavehiddeninhiscave。TheMexicanwomenwhotellsuertes，orfortunes，describethelocationofthemoney；but，assoonasanyonereachesthecave，heiswarnedawaybyalittleoldmanwhostandsinthedoorandprotectstheburiedtreasure。AnIndianlad，whowasridingoverthehillsonedaywithhishorseandhisdogs，dismountedtosearchforhismoccasin，whenhesuddenlynoticedthatthedogshadchasedsomethingintoacaveintherocks。Hefollowed，and，peeringintothedarkness，sawtwogleamingeyes。Hethrusthisknifebetweenthem，butstrucktheair；and，thoughhehadbeenstandingdirectlyinfrontoftheopening，sothatnothingcouldhavepassedhim，yetheheardtheclatterofhoofsandthetinkleofspurs，and，turning，sawamysterioushorseman，whosepalefaceandstreaminghairmeltedintothemountainmist，asitfloateddownfromthepurpleSantaYnezpeaksintothelapofthevine-coveredfoot-
hillsbelow。'
CHAPTERX:MORECAMP-FIRESTORIES
'Andstilltheywatchedtheflickeringoftheblaze，Andtalkedtogetherofthegoodolddays。'
'Brava!''Bravissima!''Splendid，Polly!'exclaimedtheboys。
'Bell，you'reagreatauthor!'
'Couldn'thavedonebettermyself——giveyoumyword!'criedJack，bowingprofoundlytoBellandPollyinturn，andpresentingthemwithbouquetsoffadedleaveshastilygatheredfromtheground。
'Pollycoveredherselfwithglory，'saidthedoctor；'andIamveryproudofyourpartinit，too，mylittledaughter。IhavesomeknowledgeofPancho'scapabilitiesasanarrator，andIthinkthe"StoryofValerio"owesagooddealtoyou。Now，whocomesnext?
Margery?'
'No，please，'saidMargery，'forIhaveanotherstory。Takeoneoftheboys，andlet'shavemorefacts。'
'Yes，somethinghistoricandprofound，outoftheencyclopaedia，fromJack，'saidPolly，saucily。
'Thanks，MissOliver。Withyouforanaudienceanymanmightbeinspired；but——'
'ButnotaBOY?'
'Mother，dear，removethatchildfrommysight，orIshallcertainlyshakeher!Phil，goon，justtokeepPollyquiet。'
'Verywell。BeingtheoldestCalifornianpresent，I——'
'WhataboutDr。Paul?'askedtheirrepressiblePolly。
'Hewasn'tbornhere，'respondedPhilip，dryly，'andIwas。'
'Ithinkthat'saquibble，'interruptedBell。'Papawasheretwentyyearsbeforeyouwere。'
'It'snotmyfaultthathecamefirst，'answeredPhilip。'MargeryandIarenotonlytheoldestCalifornianspresent，buttheonlyones。Isn'tthatso，sir?'
'Quitecorrect。'
'Oh，ifyoumeanthatway，Isupposeyouare；butstillpapahelpedframetheConstitution，andwashereonthefirstAdmissionDay，andwasoneoftheVigilantes——andIthinkthatmakeshimmoreofarealCalifornianthanyou。You'vejust"grownupwiththecountry。"'
'Blessmysoul!WhatelsecouldIdo?IwouldhavebeengladtoframetheConstitution，admittheState，andserveontheVigilanceCommittee，iftheyhadonlywaitedforme；buttheywentstraightaheadwiththebusiness，andwhenIwasborntherewasnothingtodobutstandroundandcriticisewhattheyhaddone，or，asyouexpressit，"growupwiththecountry。"Well，asIwassayingwhenIwasinterrupted——'
'Begpardon。'
'Don'tmentionit。UncleDochasaskedmetotellMrs。HowardandElsiehowtheycarriedontherodeostenorfifteenyearsago。OfcourseIwasonlyalittlechap'——'VERYlittle，'murmuredhissister——'butnevertoosmalltostickonahorse，andmyfatherusedoftentotakemealong。Therodeosnowadaysareneitherasgreatoccasions，norasexcitingones，astheyusedtobe；butthisisthewayarodeoismanaged。Whenthespringrainsaremostlyover，andthegrassisfine，——sayinApril——therancheroofacertainranchsendswordtoallhisneighboursthathewillholdarodeoonacertaindayordays。Ofcoursethecattleusedtostrayalloverthecountry，andgetbadlymixed，astherewerenofences；sotherodeowasheldforthepurposeofseparatingthecattleandbrandingthecalvesthathadneverbeenmarked。
'Theownersofthevariousranchesassemblethenightbefore，bringingtheirvaqueroswiththem。Theystartoutveryearlyinthemorning，havinghadacupofcoffee，andridetothe"rodeo-ground，"
whichisanyflat，convenientplacewherecanyonsconverge。Manyofthecattleonthehillsroundaboutknowtheplace，havingbeentherebefore，andthevaquerosstartafterthemanddrivethemtothespot。'
'Howmanyvaqueroswouldtherebe?'askedElsie。
'Oh，nineorten，perhaps；andoftenfromonethousandtothreethousandcattle——itdependsonthenumberofranchesandcattlerepresented。Someofthevaquerosformacircleroundthecattlethattheyhavedriventotherodeo-ground，andholdthemtherewhileothersgobacktotheranchforbreakfastandfreshhorses。'
'Freshhorsessosoon?'saidMrs。Howard。'Ithoughtthemustangsweretough，hardylittlebeasts，thatwouldgoalldaywithoutdropping。'
'Yes，sotheyare；butyoualwayshavetobeginto"partout"thecattlewiththefreshestandbest-trainedhorsesyouhave。Theownersandtheirbestvaquerosnowgointotheimmensebandofcattle，andtrytogetthecowsandtheunbrandedcalvesseparatedfromtherest。Youcanimaginewhatskilfulengineeringthistakes，eventhoughyouneversawit。Twoworktogether；theystartacertaincowandcalfandworkthemthroughthebandofcattleuntiltheyneartheoutside，andthen"rush"themtoaplacethreeorfourhundredyardsbeyond，whereothervaquerosarestationedtoreceiveandholdthem。Ofcoursethecattledon'twanttoleavetheband，andofcoursetheydon'twanttostayinthespottowhichtheyaredriven。'
'Idon'tblamethem!'criedBellimpetuously。'Probablythecowsrememberthetimewhentheywerebrandedthemselves，andtheydon'twanttheirdearlittlebossiesputthroughthesameoperation。'
'Verylikely。Thenmorecowsandcalvesarestartedinthesameway；
thegreatestdifficultybeinghadwiththefirstlot，forthecattlealwaysstaymorecontentedlytogetherasthegroupgrowslarger。
Occasionallyone"breaks"andrunsoffonthehills，andavaquerostartsafterhim，throwsthereataandlassoshim，or"lass's"him，astheCaliforniaboyssay。'
'Theremustbefrightfulaccidents，'saidMrs。Winship。
'Yes；butnotsomanyasyouwouldsuppose，forthehorsemanship，initsparticularway，issomethingwonderful。Whenanuglysteerislassoedandhefeelsthereataorlariatroundhisneck，hesometimesturnsand"makes"forthehorse，andunlessthevaqueroisparticularlyskilfulhewillbegoredandhishorsetoo；buthegivesadexterousturntothelariat，theanimalstepsoverit，getstangledandthrown。Frequentlyananimalbreaksahornoraleg。
Sometimesonefallisnotenough；thesteerjumpsupandpursuesthehorse。Thenthevaquerokeepsalittleaheadofhimandleadshimbacktotherodeo-ground，whereanothervaquerolassoshimbythehindlegsandthrowshim，whilethereataistakenoffhisneck。'
'Thereisanotherdanger，too，'addedDr。Winship。'Thevaquerowindsthereataverytightlyroundthepommelofhissaddletoholdthesteer，andheislikelytohavehisfingercaughtinthehair-
ropeandcutoff。'
'Yes，Iforgotthat。TwoorthreeofthefamousoldvaquerosaboutSantaBarbara——JoseMaria，JoseAntonio，andoldClemente——haveeachlostafinger。Well，thevaquerosatlengthforminacircleroundthebandofselectedcattle。Theranchownerwhogivestherodeotakeshisowncattlethathehasfound——theonesbearinghisbrand，youknow——anddrivestheminwiththeonestobebranded，leavingintherodeo-groundthecattlebearingthebrandsofalltheotherrancheros。Therehasbeenmuchdrinkingofaguardientebrandyandeverybodybythistimeisprettyreckless。
Thentheydrivethisselectedbandtothehomecorral，thevaquerosyelling，thecattle"calling，"andthereataswhizzingandwhistlingthroughtheair。Ifanyunfortunatetriestoescapehisfateheispursued，"lass'd，"andbroughtback。Bythistimethecattleareprettywellheatedandangry，andwhentheygetintothecrowdedcorraltheyhorneachotherandtrytogorethehorses。Afireisthenbuiltinonecornerofthecorralandthebranding-ironsareheated。'
'Oh!holdmyhand，Polly，ifthebrandingisgoingtobegin，Ihateitso，'exclaimedElsie。
'Iwon'tsaymuchaboutit，butit'snoworsethanathousandthingsthatpeoplehavetobeareveryyearoftheirlives。Animalsneverhavetohaveteethfilled，forinstance，norlimbsamputated——'
'Oh，justthinkofacalfwithawoodenleg，oracowwithfalseteeth!Wouldn'titbefunny?'laughedBell。
'Theydon'thaveathousandillsthathumanfleshisheirto，sotheymustbethankfultheygetoffsoeasy。Well!thebranding-ironsareheated，asIsay——eachcattle-ownerhavinghisspecialbrand，whichisproperlyrecorded，andwhichmaybeanydevicenotpreviouslyused。Twomennowcatchthecalves；onelassoingthembythehead，theotherbythelegs。Athirdmantakestheironfromthefireandbrandsthechosenletterorhieroglyphicontheanimal'shindquarter。'
'Sometimesontheforequarter，don'tthey?'askedBell。'I'veseenbrandsthere，——yourhorsehastwo，andourcowhasonealso。'
'Yes，abrandontheforequartershowsthattheanimalhasbeensold，butitalwayshastheoriginalbrandonthehindquarter。Whenasaleiseffected，thenewbrandisputanywhereinfrontofthefifthrib，andthisconstituteswhattheycallaventa，orsale。Ifyounoticesomeofthelittle"plugs"riddenbySantaBarbaraboys，you'llseethattheybearhalfadozenbrands。Bytheway，iftherodeohasbeenaverylargeone，theyareseveraldaysbrandingthecattle，sotheyareturnedouttopastorearalittlewhileeachday。'
'Thebrandwasabsolutesignofownership，youknow，girls，'saidDr。
Winship；'andthoughtherewasthegreatestcareexercisedinchoosingandrecordingthebrands，therewasplentyofopportunityforcheating。Forinstance，amanwouldoftenseeunbrandedcattlewhenridingabout，andtherewasnothingtopreventhisdismounting，buildingafire，heatinghisiron，andputtinghisownbrandonthem。
Then，atthenextrodeo，theyweresimplyturnedovertohim，for，asIsay，thebrandwasabsoluteownership。'
'Whene'erItakemyridesabroad，HowmanycalvesIsee；
And，asIbrandthemproperly，Theyallbelongtome，'
saidBell。
'HowIshouldliketoseearodeo!'sighedElsie。'Ican'timaginehowthevaqueroscanflingthereatawhiletheyareridingatfullspeed。'
'Itisn'tsoverywonderful，'saidPolly，nonchalantly'themostordinarypeoplecanlearnit；why!yourbrotherJackcanlassoalmostaswellasaMexican。'
'AndIcan"lass"anystationaryobjectmyself，'criedBell；'ahitching-post，orevenadoor-knob；Icandoittwoorthreetimesoutoften。'
'Thatshowsimmenseskill，'answeredJack，'but，asthethingyouwantto"lass"neverdoesstaystill，andasitisabsolutelynecessarytocatchitmorethanthreetimesoutoften，youprobablywouldn'tmakeanameandfortuneasavaquero。JuanCapistrano，bytheway，usedtobefamouswiththelariat。IhadheardofhisadventurewithabullontheislandofSantaRosa，andIaskedhimaboutitto-day；buthehadsoexhaustedhimselftellingstoriestoBellthathehadveryfewwordsforme。Youseetherewasabull，onSantaRosaisland，sowildthattheywantedtokillhim；butnobodycoulddoit，thoughhewasaterrortoanyonewhoventuredontheisland。Theycalledhim"Antiguelo，"becauseofhislonghornsandlongtail。Hewassuchaterriblefighterthatallthevaqueroswereafraidtolass'him，forhealwaysbrokeawaywiththelariat。Youseeahorsethrowsabullbyskillandnotbystrength，ofcourse。
Youcanchokealmostanybull；butthisonewastoosmart!hewouldcrouchonhishaunchesandpullbackuntiltheropenearlychokedhimandthensuddenly"make"forthehorse。JuanCapistranohadasplendidhorse——youseeasmuchdependsonthehorseasthemaninsuchacase——andhecameuponAntigueloontheCerroNegroandlass'dhim。Well，didhefight?Iasked。"Si，Senor。"Well，whathappened?"Yolomate"Ikilledhim，hesaid，withashrugofhisshoulders，andthat'sallIcouldgetoutofJuanregardinghisadventure。'
'Butyouhaven'tdoneyourshare，youlazyboy，'objectedBell。'Youmusttellusmore。'
'Whatdoyouwanttohear?IamuponalltheanimalandvegetablelifeofSouthernCalifornia，fullofinterestinginformationconcerningitsoldcustoms，cangiveyouSpanishnamesforallthethingsthatcomeupinordinaryconversation，andamtheonlymanpresentwhocanmakearaw-hidereata，'saidJack，modestly。
'Goonandtellushow，Ogreatandwisereatero，'saidBell。
'I'lltellyouthatmyself，'saidElsie，'forI'veseenhimdoitdozensoftimes，whenheshouldhavebeenstudyinghislittlelessons。Hetakesabigpieceofrawhide，cutsacirclerightoutofthemiddle，andthencutsroundandroundthisuntilhehasonelongcontinuousstring，halfaninchwide。Hethenstretchesitandscrapesthehairoffwithaknifeorapieceofglass，getsitintofourstrands，andbraidsit"round。"'
'Perhapsyouthinkbraiding"round"iseasytodo，'retortedJack，inaninjuredtone；'butIknowittookmesixmonthstolearntodoitwell。'
'Ifailtosee，'saidhismother，'howaknowledgeof"braidinground"andlassoingofwildcattleisgoingtoserveyouinyouruniversitylifeandfuturecareer。'
'Ohyes，itwill。IshallbetheBuffaloBillofHarvard，andI
shallgivecharminglittleentertainmentsinmyrooms，orinsomelittlegarden-plotsuitabletothepurpose。'
'Shallyoumakeapointofkeepingupwithyourclass?'askedMrs。
Winship。
'Ohyes，unlesstheygotoofast。Mysportswon'ttakeanymoretimethanrowingorbaseball。They'llbealittlemoreexpensive，becauseI'llhavetokeepsomewildcattleconstantlyonhand，andperhapsavaqueroortwo；butavaquerowon'tcostanymorethanavalet。'
'Ididn'tintendfurnishingyouwithavalet，'remarkedhismother。
'ButIshallbeself-supporting，motherdear。Ishallgiveexhibitionsonthecampus，andthegate-moneywillkeepmeinluxury。'
'Thisisallveryinteresting，'saidPolly，cuttingly；'butwhathasittodowithCalifornia，I'dliketoknow?'
'Poordear!Yourbrainissoweak。Can'tyouseethatwhenIamthefashioninCambridge，itwillbenoisedaboutthatIgainedmymarvellousskillinCalifornia?Thiswillincreaseemigration。I
don'tpretendtosayitwillswellthepopulationlikethediscoveryofgoldin'48，butitwillhaveaperceptibleeffect。'
'Youaremoremodestthanawholemossybankofviolets，'laughedDr。
Paul。'Now，Margery，willyougiveusyourlegend?'
'MineisthestoryofJuandeDiosliterally，JuanofGod，andI'msorrytosaythatithasahorseinit，likePolly's；onlyherswasasnow-whitemare，andmineisacoal-blackcharger。Buttheywouldn'ttellusanyromanticlove-stories；theywereallabouthorses。'
STORYOFJUANDEDIOS。
'Inearlydays，whenAmericanswerecomingintoSantaBarbara，thereweremanycattle-buyersamongthem；andtherewerelargebandsofrobbersalloverthecountrywhowerereadytopounceonthesetravellersontheirwaytothegreatcattleranchos，killthem，andstealtheirmoneyandclothes，aswellastheirhorsesandtrappings。
Noonecouldunderstandhowtherobbersgotsuchaccurateinformationofthemovementsofthetravellers，unlesstheyhadaspysomewhereneartheMission，wheretheyoftenstoppedforrestandrefreshment。
'Now，therewasacertainyoungIndianvaquerointheemployofthepadresatLaMissiondelaPurisima。Hewasawonderfulhorseman，andgreatlylookeduptobyhisbrothervaqueros，becausehewassostrong，alert，andhandsome，andbecausehewasalwaysdressedelegantlyinricholdSpanishembroideriesandvelvets，giventohim，hesaid，bymenforwhomhehaddonegreatservices。
'Onedayacertaintraveller，aSpanishofficialofhighdegree，camefromMontereytowedhissweetheart，thedaughteroftherichestcattle-ownerinallthecountryround。Hisspursandbitandbridlewereofsolidsilver；hisjaquimahalterwasmadeofahairropewhosestrandshadbeendyedinbrilliantcolours；histapaderosfrontofthestirrups，mochilaslargeleathersaddleflaps，andsudaderosthinbitsofleathertoprotectthelegsfromsweat，wereallbeautifullystampedinthefashionusedbytheMexicans；hissaddleblanketsandhishousingswereallsuperb，andheworeabroadsombreroencircledwithasilversnakeandtrimmedwithsilverlace。
'ThetravellerstayedatLaPurisimaallnight，andsetoutearlyinthemorningtoridethelastfortymilesthatseparatedhimfromhisbride。ButJuanandtwootherrobberswerelyinginwaitforhimbehindagreatrockthatstoodattheentranceofalonelycanyon。
Theyappearedonhorseback，onebehindtheunfortunatemanandtwoinfront，sothathecouldescapeneitherway。Theyfinallysucceededinlassoingthehorseandthrowinghimtothegroundwithhisrider，whodefendedhimselfbravelywithhisknife，butwasfinallykilledandrobbed，Juantakinghisclothesandtrappings，andtheothertwodividingthecontentsofhispurse。Theycouldnothaveburiedtheirvictimassuccessfullyasusual，orelsetheyweresurprised，andhadtoescape，forthebodywasfound；andJuan，whomthepadreshadbeguntoviewwithsuspicion，wasnowheretobefoundabouttheMission。Troopsweresentoutinpursuitofhim，forthisparticulartravellerwasahighofficial，anditwasnecessarythathisdeathshouldbeavenged。TheyatlastheardthatJuanhadbeenseengoingtowardsSantaYnezMission，and，pursuinghimthither，theycameuponhimashewasdrivingabandofhorsesintoacorral，andjustintheactofcatchinghisownhorse，anobleandpowerfulanimal，calledAzabache，becauseofhisjet-blackcolour。Themensurroundedthecorral，andorderedhimtosurrender。HebeggedthemtowaituntilhehadsaddledAzabache，andthentheymightshootthembothdowntogether。Heaskedpermissiontocallthreetimespegartresgritos，andafterthethirdcalltheyweretoshoot。Hislastwishwasgranted。Hesaddledandmountedhissplendidhorse，calledonce——
twice——thrice，——butwhenthelastshoutfadedintheair，andthetroopsraisedtheirmusketstofire，behold，therewasnoJuandeDiostobeseen。Theyhadbeensurroundingthecorralsothatnoonecouldhaveriddenout；theylookedamongthehorses，butAsabachewasnowheretobefound。
'Justthenajoyousshoutwasheard，soringingandtriumphantthateverymanturnedinthedirectionfromwhichitcame。There，gallopingupthehillside，nearlyhalfamiledistant，wasJuandeDios，mountedonhiscoal-blackAzabache!Butitwasnocommonsunshinethatdeepenedthegorgeouscoloursofhistrappingsanddanceduponhissilverspurstilltheyglistenedliketwogreatstars!Itwasabroad，glitteringstreamoflightsuchasnomortalhadeverseenbeforeandwhichalmostblindedtheeyes；andoverthisradiantpathofgoldensunbeamsgallopedJuandeDios，untilhedisappearedoverthecrestofthemountain。Thenthelightfaded；
thepadrescrossedthemselvesinsilenceandwenthometotheirMission!andJuandeDiosneverwasheardofmore。'
ModestlittleMargerywashailedwithsuchcheersthatyoucouldnothaveseenhercheeksfortheblushes；and，justasthepartybegantothinkofforsakingthefascinatingcamp-fireforbed，Belljumpedupimpetuouslyandcried，'Here，Philip，givemethecastanets，please。
PollyandJack，youplay"LasPalomas"forme，andI'llsingandshowyouthedanceofthatprettyMexicangirlwhomIsawattheballgivenundertheBigGrapeVine。WaittillItakeoffmyhairribbon。
Lendmeyourscarf，mamma。Nowbegin!'
LASPALOMAS。{2}
THEDOVES。
Cua-tropa-lo-mi-tasblan-casquevie-
nendepora——lla。U-nasalaso-trasdi-cennohaya-morcomoeldea-ca。
Itisbarelypossible，butnotlikely，thatanythingprettierthanBell'sMexicandanzawastobeseenunderthelightoftheSeptemberstarsthatnight；althoughtheyweredoubtlessshiningdownuponathousandlovelythings。Withallthebrightnessofherloosenedhairrisingandfallingwiththemotionofherswayingfigure——withhertwinklingfeet，hercrimsoncheeksandpartedlips，shelookedtheveryspiritofthedance，andherenraptured——audienceonlyallowedhertostopwhenshewasabsolutelybreathless。
'Ohwhatabeautifulevening!'exclaimedElsie，whenthecelebrationwasfinallyover。'Wasthereeversuchadear，dearcanyonwithsuchdearpeopleinit!Ifitonlywouldn'trainandwecouldlivehereforever!'
'Rain，rain，stayaway!
Comeagainanotherday，LittleElsiewantstoplay，'
recitedPolly，andtheneverybodywenttotheirstrawbeds。
CHAPTERXI:BREAKINGCAMP
'Thethirstyearthsoaksuptherain，Anddrinksandgapesfordrinkagain；
Theplantssuckintheearthandare，Withconstantdrinking，freshandfair。'
Butitdidrain；anditdidn'twaituntiltheywereoutofthecanyoneither。Itbeganlongbeforethepropertime，anditbynomeansconfineditselftoashower，butopenedthewinterseasonfullyamonthbeforetherewasanyneedofit，andbehavedaltogetherinamostheartlessandinconsideratemanner，likeaveryspoil-sportofarain。
Itbeganafterdark，soastobejustasdisagreeableaspossible，andunderthetooslightcoveroftheirtentsthecamperscouldheartherushandtheroarofitlikethetrampingofmyriadfeetontheleaves。PanchoandthetwoChinamenhuddledunderthebroadsycamoresintheirrubberblankets，andweredryandcomfortable；butallthewaterprooftentsleaked，saveElsie's。
Butwhenitwasdawn，theSun，havingheardnothingapparentlyofanyprojectedchangeintheweather，roseattheusualtimeinthemostresplendentfashion——brighter，rosier，andmoregloriously，ifyouwillbelieveme，thanhehadrisenthatwholelongsunshinysummer!
Andhereallymusthavefeltpaidforgettingupatsuchanunearthlyhourinthemorning，when，afterhehadclamberedoverthegreymountainpeaks，helookeddownuponLasFloresCanyon，bathedinthelightofhisowngoldenbeams。
IfheknewanythingaboutAncientHistoryandBiblicalGeography——andifhedidn'tIdon'tknowwhoshould，inasmuchashehadbeenpresentfromthebeginningoftime——hemusthavethoughtitasfairastheGardenofEden；forNature'sfacesimplyshonewithcleanliness，likethatofasmilingchildjustfreshfromitsbath，andeveryleafofeverytreeglistenedashebeameduponit，andshookoffitscrystaldropsthathemightturnthemintodiamonds。
'Itwasonlyashower，'saidDr。Winship，asheseatedhimselfonadampboardandpartookofamoistbreakfast，'andwiththissunthetentswillbedrybeforenight；Elsiehascaughtnocold，thedustwillbelaid，andwecanstayanotherweekwithsafety。'