Legends and Tales.docx

Legends and Tales.docx

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LegendsandTales

LegendsandTalesbyBretHarteCONTENTSTHELEGENDOFMONTEDELDIABLO

THEADVENTUREOFPADREVICENTIO

THELEGENDOFDEVIL'SPOINT

THEDEVILANDTHEBROKER

THEOGRESSOFSILVERLAND

THERUINSOFSANFRANCISCO

ANIGHTATWINGDAM

LEGENDSANDTALES.

THELEGENDOFMONTEDELDIABLO.

Thecautiousreaderwilldetectalackofauthenticityinthefollowingpages.Iamnotacautiousreadermyself,yetIconfesswithsomeconcerntotheabsenceofmuchdocumentaryevidenceinsupportofthesingularincidentIamabouttorelate.Disjointedmemoranda,theproceedingsofayuntamientosandearlydepartmentaljuntas,withotherrecordsofaprimitiveandsuperstitiouspeople,havebeenmyinadequateauthorities.Itisbutjusttostate,however,thatthoughthisparticularstorylackscorroboration,inransackingtheSpanisharchivesofUpperCaliforniaIhavemetwithmanymoresurprisingandincrediblestories,attestedandsupportedtoadegreethatwouldhaveplacedthislegendbeyondacavilordoubt.Ihave,also,neverlostfaithinthelegendmyself,andinsodoinghaveprofitedmuchfromtheexamplesofdiversgrant-claimants,whohaveoftenjostledmeintheirmorepracticalresearches,andwhohavemysinceresympathyatthescepticismofamodernhard-headedandpracticalworld.

FormanyyearsafterFatherJuniperoSerrofirstranghisbellinthewildernessofUpperCalifornia,thespiritwhichanimatedthatadventurouspriestdidnotwane.TheconversionoftheheathenwentonrapidlyintheestablishmentofMissionsthroughouttheland.SosedulouslydidthegoodFatherssetabouttheirwork,thataroundtheirisolatedchapelstherepresentlyaroseadobehuts,whosemud-plasteredandsavagetenantspartookregularlyoftheprovisions,andoccasionallyoftheSacrament,oftheirpioushosts.Nay,sogreatwastheirprogress,thatonezealousPadreisreportedtohaveadministeredtheLord'sSupperoneSabbathmorningto"overthreehundredheathenSalvages."ItwasnottobewonderedthattheEnemyofSouls,beinggreatlyincensedthereat,andalarmedathisdecreasingpopularity,shouldhavegrievouslytemptedandembarrassedtheseHolyFathers,asweshallpresentlysee.

Yettheywerehappy,peacefuldaysforCalifornia.ThevagrantkeelsofpryingCommercehadnotasyetruffledthelordlygravityofherbays.Notornandraggedgulchbetrayedthesuspicionofgoldentreasure.Thewildoatsdroopedidlyinthemorningheat,orwrestledwiththeafternoonbreezes.Deerandantelopedottedtheplain.Thewatercoursesbrawledintheirfamiliarchannels,nordreamedofevershiftingtheirregulartide.ThewondersoftheYosemiteandCalaveraswereasyetunrecorded.TheHolyFathersnotedlittleofthelandscapebeyondthebarbaricprodigalitywithwhichthequicksoilrepaidthesowing.Anewconversion,theadventofaSaint'sday,orthebaptismofanIndianbaby,wasatoncethechronicleandmarveloftheirday.

AtthisblissfulepochtherelivedattheMissionofSanPabloFatherJoseAntonioHaro,aworthybrotheroftheSocietyofJesus.

Hewasoftallandcadaverousaspect.Asomewhatromantichistoryhadgivenapoeticinteresttohislugubriousvisage.Whileayouth,pursuinghisstudiesatfamousSalamanca,hehadbecomeenamoredofthecharmsofDonaCarmendeTorrencevara,asthatladypassedtohermatutinaldevotions.Untowardcircumstances,hastened,perhaps,byawealthiersuitor,broughtthisamourtoadisastrousissue;andFatherJoseenteredamonastery,takinguponhimselfthevowsofcelibacy.Itwasherethathisnaturalfervorandpoeticenthusiasmconceivedexpressionasamissionary.Alongingtoconverttheuncivilizedheathensucceededhisfrivolousearthlypassion,andadesiretoexploreanddevelopunknownfastnessescontinuallypossessedhim.InhisflashingeyeandsombreexteriorwasdetectedasingularcomminglingofthediscreetLasCasasandtheimpetuousBalboa.

Firedbythispiouszeal,FatherJosewentforwardinthevanofChristianpioneers.OnreachingMexico,heobtainedauthoritytoestablishtheMissionofSanPablo.LikethegoodJunipero,accompaniedonlybyanacolyteandmuleteer,heunsaddledhismulesinaduskycanyon,andranghisbellinthewilderness.Thesavages--apeaceful,inoffensive,andinferiorrace--presentlyflockedaroundhim.Thenearestmilitarypostwasfaraway,whichcontributedmuchtothesecurityofthesepiouspilgrims,whofoundtheiropentrustfulnessandamiabilitybetterfittedtorepresshostilitythanthepresenceofanarmed,suspicious,andbrawlingsoldiery.SothegoodFatherJosesaidmatinsandprime,massandvespers,intheheartofSinandHeathenism,takingnoheedtohimself,butlookingonlytothewelfareoftheHolyChurch.

Conversionssoonfollowed,and,onthe7thofJuly,1760,thefirstIndianbabywasbaptized,--aneventwhich,asFatherJosepiouslyrecords,"exceedstherichnesseofgoldorpreciousjewelsorthechancingupontheOphirofSolomon."IquotethisincidentasbestsuitedtoshowtheingeniousblendingofpoetryandpietywhichdistinguishedFatherJose'srecord.

TheMissionofSanPabloprogressedandprospereduntilthepiousfounderthereof,liketheinfidelAlexander,mighthaveweptthattherewerenomoreheathenworldstoconquer.Buthisardentandenthusiasticspiritcouldnotlongbrookanidlenessthatseemedbegottenofsin;andonepleasantAugustmorning,intheyearofgrace1770,FatherJoseissuedfromtheoutercourtoftheMissionbuilding,equippedtoexplorethefieldfornewmissionarylabors.

Nothingcouldexceedthequietgravityandunpretentiousnessofthelittlecavalcade.Firstrodeastoutmuleteer,leadingapack-muleladenwiththeprovisionsoftheparty,togetherwithafewcheapcrucifixesandhawks'bells.AfterhimcamethedevoutPadreJose,bearinghisbreviaryandcross,withablackserapathrownaroundhisshoulders;whileoneithersidetrottedaduskyconvert,anxioustoshowapropersenseoftheirregenerationbyactingasguidesintothewildsoftheirheathenbrethren.Theirnewconditionwasagreeablyshownbytheabsenceoftheusualmud-plaster,whichintheirunconvertedstatetheyassumedtokeepawayverminandcold.Themorningwasbrightandpropitious.Beforetheirdeparture,masshadbeensaidinthechapel,andtheprotectionofSt.Ignatiusinvokedagainstallcontingentevils,butespeciallyagainstbears,which,likethefierydragonsofold,seemedtocherishunconquerablehostilitytotheHolyChurch.

Astheywoundthroughthecanyon,charmingbirdsdisporteduponboughsandsprays,andsoberquailspipedfromthealders;thewillowywater-coursesgaveamusicalutterance,andthelonggrasswhisperedonthehillside.Onenteringthedeeperdefiles,abovethemtowereddarkgreenmassesofpine,andoccasionallythemadronoshookitsbrightscarletberries.Astheytoiledupmanyasteepascent,FatherJosesometimespickedupfragmentsofscoria,whichspaketohisimaginationofdirefulvolcanoesandimpendingearthquakes.TothelessscientificmindofthemuleteerIgnaciotheyhadevenamoreterrifyingsignificance;andheonceortwicesnuffedtheairsuspiciously,anddeclaredthatitsmeltofsulphur.Sothefirstdayoftheirjourneyworeaway,andatnighttheyencampedwithouthavingmetasingleheathenface.

ItwasonthisnightthattheEnemyofSoulsappearedtoIgnacioinanappallingform.Hehadretiredtoasecludedpartofthecampandhadsunkuponhiskneesinprayerfulmeditation,whenhelookedupandperceivedtheArch-Fiendinthelikenessofamonstrousbear.TheEvilOnewasseatedonhishindlegsimmediatelybeforehim,withhisforepawsjoinedtogetherjustbelowhisblackmuzzle.Wiselyconceivingthisremarkableattitudetobeinmockeryandderisionofhisdevotions,theworthymuleteerwastransportedwithfury.Seizinganarquebuse,heinstantlyclosedhiseyesandfired.Whenhehadrecoveredfromtheeffectsoftheterrificdischarge,theapparitionhaddisappeared.FatherJose,awakenedbythereport,reachedthespotonlyintimetochidethemuleteerforwastingpowderandballinacontestwithonewhomasingleavewouldhavebeensufficienttoutterlydiscomfit.WhatfurtherrelianceheplacedonIgnacio'sstoryisnotknown;but,incommemorationofaworthyCaliforniancustom,theplacewascalledLaCanadadelaTentaciondelPioMuletero,or"TheGlenoftheTemptationofthePiousMuleteer,"anamewhichitretainstothisday.

Thenextmorningtheparty,issuingfromanarrowgorge,cameuponalongvalley,searandburntwiththeshadelessheat.Itslowerextremitywaslostinafadinglineoflowhills,which,gatheringmightandvolumetowardtheupperendofthevalley,upheavedastupendousbulwarkagainstthebreezyNorth.Thepeakofthisawfulspurwasjusttouchedbyafleecycloudthatshiftedtoandfrolikeabanneret.FatherJosegazedatitwithmingledaweandadmiration.Byasingularcoincidence,themuleteerIgnacioutteredthesimpleejaculation"Diablo!

"Astheypenetratedthevalley,theysoonbegantomisstheagreeablelifeandcompanionableechoesofthecanyontheyhadquitted.Hugefissuresintheparchedsoilseemedtogapeaswiththirstymouths.Afewsquirrelsdartedfromtheearth,anddisappearedasmysteriouslybeforethejinglingmules.Agraywolftrottedleisurelyalongjustahead.ButwhicheverwayFatherJoseturned,themountainalwaysasserteditselfandarrestedhiswanderingeye.Outofthedryandaridvalley,itseemedtospringintocoolerandbracinglife.Deepcavernousshadowsdweltalongitsbase;rockyfastnessesappearedmidwayofitselevation;andoneithersidehugeblackhillsdivergedlikemassyrootsfromacentraltrunk.Hislivelyfancypicturedthesehillspeopledwithamajesticand