ing of the Church was
notoriously easy and luxurious.

However, after exorbitant compensation had been made, and Molly had
given in return "a bit of her mind," she left for the Irish colony of
San Patricio, and Manuel immediately sought his favorite monte table.
When he had doubled his money, he intended to obey Molly's emphatic
orders, and go and tell the priest all about it.

"I would rather, face a battery of cannon than Fray Ignatius and the
servants again, Antonia." Antonia looked at her brother; he was worried
and weary, and his first action, when he had finally cleared the house,
was to walk around it, and bolt every door and window. Antonia followed
him silently. She perceived that the crisis had come, and she was doing
as good women in extremity do--trying to find in the darkness the hand
always stretched out to guide and strengthen. As yet she had not been
able to grasp it. She followed her brother like one in a troubled dream,
whispering faintly, with white lips, "O God, where art Thou? Help and
pity us!"

Thomas led her finally to his father's office. He went to a closet
filled with drugs, removed them, and then a certain pressure of his hand
caused the back of the closet to disappear in a groove, and a receptacle
full of coin and papers was disclosed.

"We must take with us all the coin we can carry. What you are not likely
to require, is to go to the men in the field. Then, hide in its place
the old silver, and the laces, and the jewels, which came with the
Flores from Castile; and any other papers and valuables, which you
received from our father. I think even Fray Ignatius will not discover
them here."

"Is there any special need to hurry to-day?

"Santa Anna is within forty-eight hours of San Antonio. He may force a
march, and be here earlier. Travis told me last night that their advance
scouts had come in with this intelligence. To-day they will gather every
man they can, and prepare to defend themselves in the Alamo. As soon as
Santa Anna arrives, we are in danger. I must leave here to-night. I must
either take you with me or remove you to a place of more safety."

"Let us go with you."

"If my mother is willing."

"If she is not, what then?"

"Lopez has prepared for that emergency. He has an empty house three
miles west of San Antonio. He has had it completely victualled. I will
take you there after dark in the large green chariot. Ortiz will drive
the light Jersey wagon on the Gonzales