The Splendid Idle Forties: Stories of Old California

  LUKARI'S STORY

  "Ay, senor! So terreeblay thing! It is many years before--1837, Itheenk, is the year; the Americanos no have come to take California; butI remember like it is yesterday.

  "You see, I living with her--Dona Juana Ybarra her name is--ever sinceI am little girl, and she too. It is like this: the padres make meChristian in the mission, and her family take me to work in the house;I no living on the rancheria like the Indians who work outside. Bime byDona Juana marrying and I go live with her. Bime by I marrying too, andshe is comadre--godmother, you call, no?--to my little one, and steel Iliving with her, and in few years my husband and little one die andI love her children like they are my own, and her too; we grow oldtogether.

  "You never see the San Ysidro rancho? It is near to San Diego and havemany, many leagues. Don Carlos Ybarra, the husband de my senora, is veryreech and very brave and proud--too brave and proud, ay, yi! We have abeeg adobe house with more than twenty rooms, and a corridor for thefront more than one hundred feets. Ou'side are plenty other houses wheremake all the things was need for eat and wear: all but the fine closes.They come from far,--from Boston and Mejico. All stand away from thehills and trees, right in the middle the valley, so can see the badIndians when coming. Far off, a mile I theenk, is the rancheria; no cansee from the house. No so far is the corral, where keeping the finehorses.

  "Ay, we have plenty to eat and no much to do in those days. Don Carlosand Dona Juana are very devot the one to the other, so the family livingvery happy, and I am in the house like before and take care the littleones. Every night I braid my senora's long black hair and tuck her inbed like she is a baby. She no grow stout when she grow more old, likeothers, but always is muy elegante.

  "Bime by the childrens grow up; and the two firs boys, Roldan andEnrique, marrying and living in San Diego. Then are left only the senorand the senora, one little boy, Carlos, and my two beautiful senoritas,Beatriz and Ester. Ay! How pretty they are. Dios de mi alma! Where theyare now?

  "Dona Beatriz is tall like the mother, and sway when she walk, like yousee the tules in the little wind. She have the eyes very black and long,and look like she feel sleep till she get mad; then, Madre de Dios! theyopa wide and look like she is on fire inside and go to burn you too. Shehave the skin very white, but I see it hot like the blood go to burstout. Once she get furioso cause one the vaqueros hurch her horse, andshe wheep him till he yell like he is in purgatory and no have no onesay mass and get him out. But she have the disposition very sweet, andafter, she is sorry and make him a cake hersel; and we all loving herlike she is a queen, and she can do it all whatte she want.

  "Dona Ester have the eyes more brown and soft, and the disposition moremild, but very feerm, and she having her own way more often than DonaBeatriz. She no is so tall, but very gracerful too, and walk like shethink she is tall. All the Spanish so dignify, no? She maka very kindwith the Indians when they are seek, and all loving her, but no so muchlike Dona Beatriz.

  "Both girls very industrioso, sewing and make the broidery; makebeautiful closes to wear at the ball. Ay, the balls! No have balls likethose in California now. Sometimes have one fifty miles away, but theyno care; jump on the horse and go, dance till the sun wake up and nofeel tire at all. Sometimes when is wedding, or rodeo, dance for oneweek, then ride home like nothing have happen. In the winter the familyliving in San Diego; have big house there and dance every night,horseback in day when no rain, and have so many races and games. Ay, yi!All the girls so pretty. No wear hats then; the reboso, no more, orthe mantilla; fix it so gracerful; and the dresses so bright colours,sometimes with flowers all over; the skirt make very fule, and the waisthave the point. And the closes de mens! Madre de Dios! The beautifulvelvet and silk closes, broider by silver and gold! And the saddles sofine! But you think I never go to tell you the story.

  "One summer we are more gay than ever. So many caballeros love mysenoritas, but I think they never love any one, and never go to marryat all. For a month we have the house fule; meriendas--peek-neeks, youcall, no? And races every day, dance in the night. Then all go to stayat another rancho; it is costumbre to visit the one to the other. I feelvery sorry for two so handsome caballeros, who are more devot than any.They looking very sad when they go, and I am sure they propose and nowas accep.

  "In the evening it is very quiet, and I am sweep the corridor when Ihear two horses gallop down the valley. I fix my hand--so--like thebarrel de gun, and look, and I see, riding very hard, Don Carmelo Pelajoand Don Rafael Arguello. The firs, he loving Dona Beatriz, the other, hewant Dona Ester. I go queeck and tell the girls, and Beatriz toss herhead and look very scornfule, but Ester blushing and the eyes look veryhappy. The young mens come in in few minutes and are well treat by DonCarlos and Dona Juana, for like them very much and are glad si the girlsmarry with them.

  "After supper I am turn down the bed in my senora's room when Ihear somebody spik very low ou'side on the corridor. I kneel on thewindow-seat and look out, and there I see Don Rafael have his arms rounDona Ester and kissing her and she no mine at all. I wonder how they getout there by themselfs, for the Spanish very streect with the girls andno 'low that. But the young peoples always very--how you say it?--smart,no? After while all go to bed, and I braid Dona Juana's hair and shetell me Ester go to marry Don Rafael, and she feel very happy and I nosay one word. Then I go to Dona Beatriz's bedroom; always I fix her forthe bed, too. Ester have other woman take care her, but Beatriz love me.She keeck me when she is little, and pull my hair, when I no give herthe dulces; but I no mine, for she have the good heart and so sweetspression when she no is mad and always maka very kind with me. I combher hair and I see she look very cross and I ask her why, and she sayshe hate mens, they are fools, and womens too. I ask her why she thinkthat, and she say she no can be spect have reason for all whatte shethink; and she throw her head aroun so I no can comb at all and keeckout her little foot.

  "'You no go to marry with Don Carlos?' I asking.

  "'No!' she say, and youbetcherlife her eyes flash. 'You think I marryinga singing, sighing, gambling, sleepy caballero? Si no can marry man I nomarry at all. Madre de Dios!' (She spik beautiful; but I no spik goodEenglish, and you no ondrestan the Spanish.)

  "'But all are very much like,' I say; 'and you no want die old maid,no?'

  "'I no care!' and then she fling hersel roun on the chair and throw herarms roun me and cry and sob on my estomac. 'Ay, my Lukari!' she crywhen she can spik,' I hate everybody! I am tire out to exista! I want tolive! I am tire stay all alone! Oh, I want--I no know what I want! Lifeis terreeblay thing, macheppa!'

  "I no know at all whatte she mean, for have plenty peoples all the time,and she never walk, so I no can think why she feel tire; but I kissingher and smoothe her hair, for I jus love her, and tell her no cry. Bimeby she fine it some one she loving, and she is very young yet,--twenty,no more.

  "'I no stay here any longer,' she say. 'I go to ask my father take me toMejico, where can see something cept hills and trees and missions andforts, and where perhaps--ay, Dios de mi alma!' Then she jump up andtake me by the shoulders and just throw me out the room and lock thedoor; but I no mine, for I am use to her.

  "Bueno, I think I go for walk, and bime by I come to the rancheria, andwhile I am there I hear terreeblay thing from old Pepe. He say he hearfor sure that the bad Indians--who was no make Christian by the padresand living very wild in the mountains--come killing all the whitepeoples on the ranchos. He say he know sure it is true, and tell me begDon Carlos send to San Diego for the soldiers come take care us. I feelso fright I hardly can walk back to the house, and I no sleep thatnight. In the morning firs thing I telling Don Carlos, but he say isnonsense and no will lissen. He is very brave and no care for nothing;fight the Indians and killing them plenty times. The two caballeros goaway after breakfas, and when they are gone I can see my senora alone,and I telling her. She feel very fright and beg Don Carlos send for thesoldiers, but he no will. Ay, yi! Ester is fright too; but Beatriz laughand say she like h
ave some excite and killing the Indians hersel. Afterwhile old Pepe come up to the house and tell he hear 'gain, but DonCarlos no will ask him even where he hear, and tell him to go back tothe rancheria where belong, and make the reatas; he is so old he no canmake anything else.

  "Bueno! The nex morning--bout nine o'clock--Don Carlos is at the corralwith two vaqueros and I am in the keetchen with the cook and one Indianboy, call Franco. Never I like that boy. Something so sneak, andhe steal the dulces plenty times and walk so soffit. I am help thecook--very good woman, but no have much sense--fry lard, when I hearterreeblay noise--horses gallop like they jump out the earth near thehouse, and many mens yell and scream and shout.

  "I run to the window and whatte I see?--Indians, Indians, Indians,thick like black ants on hill, jus race for the house, yelling like thehorses' backs been fule de pins; and Don Carlos and the two vaqueros runlike they have wings for the kitchen door, so can get in and get theguns and fight from the windows. I know whatte they want, so I run tothe door to throw wide, and whatte I see but that devil Franco lock itand stan in front. I jump on him so can scratch his eyes out, but hekeeck me in the estomac and for few minutes I no know it nothing.

  "When I opa my eyes, the room is fule de Indians, and in the iron thehouse I hear my senora and Dona Ester scream, scream, scream. I crawl upby the window-seat and look out, and there--ay, Madre de Dios!--see onthe groun my senor dead, stuck fule de arrows; and the vaqueros, too,of course. That maka me crazy and I run among the Indians, hitting themwith my fists, to my senora and my senoritas. Jus as I run into the salathey go to killing my senora, but I snatch the knife and fall down onmy knees and beg and cry they no hurcha her, and bime by they say allright. But--santa Dios!--whatte you think they do it? They tear all thecloses offa her till she is naked like my ban, and drive her out thehouse with the reatas. They no letting me follow and I look out thewindow and see her reel like she is drunk down the valley and scream,scream!--Ay, Dios!

  "Ester, she faint and no know it nothing. Beatriz, she have kill oneIndian with her pistol, but they take way from her, and she stan looklike the dead woman with eyes that have been in hell, in front thechief, who looka her very hard. He is very fine look, that chief, sotall and strong, like he can kill by sweep his arm roun, and he havefierce black eyes and no bad nose for Indian, with nostrils that jump.His mouth no is cruel like mos the bad Indians, nor the forehead so low.He wear the crown de feathers, and botas, and scrape de goaskin; theothers no wear much at all. In a minute he pick up Beatriz and fling herover his shoulder like she is the dead deer, and he tell other do thesame by Ester, and he stalk out and ride away hard. The others set fireeverything, then ride after him. They no care for me and I stand thereshriek after my senoritas and the beautiful housses burn up.

  "Then I think de my senora and I run after the way she going. Bime by Ifind her in a wheat field, kissing and hugging little Carlos, who go outearly and no meet the Indians; and he no ondrestan what is the matterand dance up and down he is so fright. I tell him run fas to San Diegoand tell Don Roldan and Don Enrique whatte have happen, and he run likehe is glad to get away. Then I take off my closes and put them on mysenora and drag her along, and, bime by, we coming to a little house,and a good woman give me some closes and in the night we coming to SanDiego. Ay! but was excite, everybody. Carlos been there two or threehours before, and Don Roldan and Don Enrique go with the soldiers to thehills. Everybody do it all whatte they can for my poor senora, but sheno want to speak by anybody, and go shut hersel up in a room in DonEnrique's house and jus moan and I sit ou'side the door and moan too.

  "Of course, I no am with the soldiers, but many times I hear all and Itell you.

  "The Indians have good start, and the white peoples no even see them,but they fine the trail and follow hard. Bime by they coming to themountains. You ever been in the mountains back de San Diego? No thehills, but the mountains. Ay! So bare and rofe and sharp, and the canonsso narrow and the trails so steep! No is safe to go in at all, for theIndians can hide on the rocks, and jus shoot the white peoples down oneat the time, si they like it, when climb the gorges. The soldierssay they no go in, for it is the duty de them to living and protecCalifornia from the Americanos; but Don Enrique and Don Roldan say theygo, and they ride right in and no one ever spect see them any more. Itis night, so they have good chancacum to look and no be seen si Indiansno watch.

  "Bime by they meet one Indian, who belong to the tribe they want, and'fore he can shoot they point the pistol and tell him he mus show themwhere are the girls. He say he taking them, and on the way he tellingthem the chief and nother chief make the girls their wives. This makethem wild, and they tie up the horses so can climb more fast. But it isno till late the nex morning when they come sudden out of a gorge andlook right into a place, very flat like a plaza, where is the pueblode the Indians they want. For moment no one see them, and they see thegirls--Dios de mi alma! Have been big feast, I theenk, and right whereare all the things no been clear away, Ester, she lie on the groun onthe face, and cry and sob and shake. But Beatriz, she stan very straightin the middle, 'fore the door the big wigwam, and never look morehansome. She never take her eyes off the chief who taking her away, andno look discontent at all. Then the Indians see the brothers and yelland run to get the bows and arrows. Don Enrique and Don Roldan fire thepistols, but after all they have to run, for no can do it nothing. Theyget out live but have arrows in them. And that is the las we ever hearde my senoritas. Many time plenty white peoples watch the mountains andsometimes go in, but no can find nothing and always are wound.

  "And my poor senora! For whole year she jus sit in one room and cry soloud all the peoples in San Diego hear her. No can do it nothing withher. Ay, she love the husband so, and the two beautiful girls! Thenshe die, and I am glad. Much better die than suffer like that. And DonRafael and Don Carmelo? Oh, they marrying other girls, course."