a summer in a canyon-第34章

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Union1850；　wasn't　it？'

'Of　course；　why；　my　child；　he　was　one　of　the　delegates　called　by
General　Riley；　the　military　governor；　to　meet　in　convention　at
Monterey　and　make　a　State　constitution。　　That　was　September；　toothe
first　day　of　September　1849。　　He　went　back　to　the　East　some　time
afterwards；　and　stayed　ten　or　fifteen　years；　but　he　was　a　real
pioneer　and　〃forty…niner〃　all　the　same。

The　next　night；　September　9th；　was　so　cool　that　the　camp…fire　was
more　than　ordinarily　delightful；　accordingly　they　piled　on　more　wood
than　usual；　and　prepared　for　a　grand　blaze。　　It　was　always　built
directly　in　front　of　the　sitting…room　tent；　so　that　Mrs。　Howard　and
Mrs。　Winship　could　sit　there　if　they　liked；　but　the　young　people
preferred　to　lie　lazily　on　their　cushions　and　saddles　under　the　oak…
tree；　a　little　distance　from　the　blaze。　　The　clear；　red　firelight
danced　and　flickered；　and　the　sparks　rose　into　the　sombre　darkness
fantastically；　while　the　ruddy　glow　made　the　great　oak　an　enchanted
palace；　into　whose　hollow　dome　they　never　tired　of　gazing。　　When　the
light　streamed　highest；　the　bronze　green　of　the　foliage　was　turned
into　crimson；　and；　as　it　died　now　and　then；　the　stars　winked　brightly
through　the　thousand　tiny　windows　formed　by　the　interlacing　branches。

'Well；'　said　the　doctor；　bringing　his　Chinese　lounging…chair　into　the
circle；　and　lighting　his　pipe　so　as　to　be　thoroughly　happy　and
comfortable；　'will　you　banish　distinctions　of　age　and　allow　me　to　sit
among　you　this　evening？'

'Certainly；'　Margery　said；　'that's　the　very　point　of　the　celebration。
This　is　Admission　Day；　you　know；　and　why　shouldn't　we　admit　you？'

'True；　and　having　put　myself　into　a　holiday　humour　by　dining　off
Pancho's　dish　of　guisado　（I　suppose　to…night　of　all　nights　we　must
call　beef　and　onion　stew　by　its　local　name）；　I　will　proceed　to
business；　and　we　will　talk　about　California。　　By　the　way；　I　shall
only　conduct　the　exercises；　for　I　feel　rather　embarrassed　by　the　fact
that　I've　never　killed；　or　been　killed　by；　a　bear；　never　been　bitten
by　a　tarantula；　poisoned　by　a　rattlesnake；　assaulted　by　a　stage…
robber；　nor　anything　of　that　sort。　　You　have　all　read　my　story　of
crossing　the　plains。　　I　even　did　that　in　a　comparatively　easy　and
unheroic　fashion。　　I　only　wish；　my　dear　girls　and　boys；　that　we　had
with　us　some　one　of　the　brave　and　energetic　men　and　women　who　made
that　terrible　journey　at　the　risk　of　their　lives。　　The　history　of　the
California　Crusaders；　the　thirty　thousand　or　more　emigrants　who
crossed　the　plains　in　'48；　more　than　equals　the　great　military
expeditions　of　the　Middle　Ages；　in　magnitude；　peril；　and　adventure。
Some　went　by　way　of　Santa　Fe　and　along　the　hills　of　the　Gila；　others；
starting　from　Red　River；　traversed　the　Great　Stake　Desert　and　went
from　El　Paso　del　Norte　to　Sonora；　others　went　through　Mexico；　and；
after　spending　over　a　hundred　days　at　sea；　ran　into　San　Diego　and
gave　up　their　vessels；　others　landed　exhausted　with　their　seven
months'　passage　round　the　Horn；　and　some　reached　the　spot　on　foot
after　walking　the　whole　length　of　the　California　peninsula。'

'What　privations　they　must　have　suffered！'　said　Mrs。　Howard。　　'I
never　quite　realised　it。'

'Why；　the　amount　of　suffering　that　was　endured　in　those　mountain
passes　and　deserts　can　never　be　told　in　words。　　Those　who　went　by　the
Great　Desert　west　of　the　Colorado　found　a　stretch　of　burning　salt
plains；　of　shifting　hills　of　sand；　with　bones　of　animals　and　men
scattered　along　the　trails；　of　terrible　and　ghastly　odours　rising　in
the　hot　air　from　the　bodies　of　hundreds　of　mules；　and　human　creatures
too；　that　lay　half…buried　in　the　glaring　white　sand。　　A　terrible
journey　indeed；　but　if　any　State　in　the　Union　could　be　fair　enough；
fertile　enough；　and　rich　enough　to　repay　such　a　lavish　expenditure　of
energy　and　suffering；　California　certainly　was　and　is　the　one。　　Now
who　can　tell　us　something　of　the　name　〃California〃？　　You；　Geoffrey？'

'Geoffrey　has　crammed！'　exclaimed　Bell；　maliciously。　　'I　believe　he's
been　reading　up　all　day　and　told　papa　what　question　to　ask　him！'

'I'll　pass　it　on　to　you　if　you　like；'　laughed　Geoffrey。

'Noyou'd　never　get　another　that　you　could　answer！　　Go　on！'

'In　1534；　one　Hernando　de　Grijalva　was　sent　by　Hernando　Cortez　to
discover　something　or　other；　and　it　was　probably　he　who　then　saw　the
peninsula　of　California；　but　a　quarter　of　a　century　before　this　a
romance　called　Esplandian　had　appeared　in　Spain；　narrating　the
adventures　of　an　Amazonian　queen　who　brought　allies　from　〃the　right
hand　of　the　Indies〃　to　assist　the　infidels　in　their　attack　upon
Constantinopleby　the　way　I　forgot　to　say　that　she　was　a　pagan。
This　queen　of　the　Amazons　was　called　Calafia；　and　her　kingdom；　rich
in　gold　and　precious　stones；　was　named　California。　　The　writer　of　the
romance　derived　this　name；　perhaps；　from　Calif；　a　successor　of
Mohammed。　　He　says：　　〃Know　that　on　the　right　hand　of　the　Indies　there
is　an　island　named　California；　very　close　to　the　Terrestial　Paradise；
and　it　was　peopled　by　black　women　without　any　man　among　them；　for
they　lived　in　the　fashion　of　the　Amazonia。　　They　were　of　strong　and
hardy　bodies；　of　ardent　courage；　and　of　great　force。　　Their　island
was　the　strongest　in　all　the　world；　with　its　steep　cliffs　and　rocky
shore。　　Their　arms　were　all　of　gold；　and　so　was　the　harness　of　the
wild　beasts　which　they　tamed　and　rode。　　For　in　the　whole　island　there
was　no　metal　but　gold。　　They　lived　in　caves　wrought　out　of　the　rocks
with　much　labour；　and　they　had　many　ships　with　which　they　sailed　out
to　other　countries　to　obtain　booty。〃　　Cortez　and　Grijalva　believed
that　they　were　near　the　coast　of　Asia；　for　they　had　no　conception　of
the　size　of　the　world　nor　of　the　vastness　of　the　Pacific　Ocean；　and
as　the　newly…discovered　land　corresponded　with　the　country　described
in　the　romance；　they　named　the　peninsula　California。'

'My　book；'　said　Philip；　'declared　that　the　derivation　of　the　name　was
very　uncertain；　and　that　it　was　first　bestowed　on　one　of　the　coast
bays　by　Bernal　Diaz。'

'Now；　Philip！'　exclaimed　Margery；　'do　you　suppose　we　are　going　to
believe　that；　after　Geoff's　lovely　story？'

'Certainly　not；　I　only　thought　I'd　permit　you　to　hear　both　sides。　　I
knew　of　course　that　you　would　believe　the　prettier　story　of　the　two
girls　always　do！'

'That　isn't　a　〃pretty　story〃your　remark；　I　mean；　so　we　won't
believe　it；　will　we；　girls？'　asked　Bell。

'Now；　Polly；　your　eyes　sparkle　as　if　you　couldn't　wait　another
minute；　your　turn　next；'　said　Dr。　Winship。

'I　am　only　afraid　that　I　can't　remember　my　contribution；　which　is
really　Bell's　and　still　more　really　Pancho's；　for　he　told　it　to　us；
and　Bell　translated　it　and　made　it　into　a　story。　　We　call　it
〃Valerio；　or；　The　Mysterious　Mountain　Cave。〃'

'Begins　well！'　exclaimed　Jack。

'Now；　Jack；　you　must　be　nice。　　Remember　this　is　Bell's　story；　and　she
is　letting　me　tell　it　so　that　I　can　bear　my　share　in　the
entertainment。'

'Pancho　believes　every　word　of　it；'　added　Bell；　'and　says　that　his
father　told　it　to　him；　but　as　I　had　to　change　it　from　bad　Spanish
into　good　English；　I　don't　know　whether　I've　caught　the　idea
exactly。'

'Oh；　it　will　do　quite　nicely；　I've　no　doubt；'　said　Jack；
encouragingly。　　'We've　often　heard　you　do　good　English　into　bad
Spanish；　and　turn　and　turn　about　is　only　fair　play。　　Don't　mind　me；
Polly；　I　will　be　gentle！'

'Jack；　if　you　don't　behave　yourself　I'll　send　you　to　bed；'　said
Elsie；　and　he　ducked　his　head　obediently　into　her　lap；　as　Polly；　with
her　hands　clasping　her　knees；　and　with　the　firelight　dancing　over　her
bright　face；　leaned　forward　and　told　the　Legend　of


VALERIO；　OR；　THE　MYSTERIOUS　MOUNTAIN　CAVE。

'A　long　time　ago；　before　the　settlement　of　Santa　Barbara　by　the
whites；　the　Mission　padres　had　a　great　many　Indians　under　their
control；　who　were　known　as　peons；　or　serfs。　　They　were　given　enough
to　eat；　were　not　molested　by　the　outside　Indians；　and　were　entirely
peaceable。　　There　were　so　few　mountain　passes　by　which　to　enter　Santa
Barbara　that　they　were　easily　held；　and　of　course　the　padres　were
anxious　to　keep　their　Indians　from　running　away；　lest　they　should
show　the　wilder　tribes　the　way　to　get