in
these six months. She now understood nearly all that was said directly
to her, though she could not follow general and confused conversation.

"Wall, 'tis, an' 'tain't," said Aunt Ri. "I don't s'pose I'm much of a
jedge; fur I can't remember when I fust learned it. I know I set in
the loom to weave when my feet couldn't reach the floor; an' I don't
remember nothin' about fust learnin' to spool 'n' warp. I've tried to
teach lots of folks; an' sum learns quick, an' some don't never learn;
it's jest 's 't strikes 'em. I should think, naow, thet you wuz one o'
the kind could turn yer hands to anythin'. When we get settled in San
Bernardino, if yer'll come down thar, I'll teach yer all I know, 'n' be
glad ter. I donno's 't 's goin' to be much uv a place for carpet-weavin'
though, anywheres raound 'n this yer country; not but what thar's plenty
o' rags, but folks seems to be wearin' 'em; pooty gen'ral wear, I sh'd
say. I've seen more cloes on folks' backs hyar, thet wan't no more'n fit
for carpet-rags, than any place ever I struck. They're drefful sheftless
lot, these yere Mexicans; 'n' the Injuns is wuss. Naow when I say
Injuns, I don't never mean yeow, yer know thet. Yer ain't ever seemed to
me one mite like an Injun."

"Most of our people haven't had any chance," said Ramona. "You wouldn't
believe if I were to tell you what things have been done to them; how
they are robbed, and cheated, and turned out of their homes."

Then she told the story of Temecula, and of San Pasquale, in Spanish, to
Jos, who translated it with no loss in the telling. Aunt Ri was aghast;
she found no words to express her indignation.

"I don't bleeve the Guvvermunt knows anything about it." she said. "Why,
they take folks up, n'n penetentiarize 'em fur life, back 'n Tennessee,
fur things thet ain't so bad's thet! Somebody ought ter be sent ter tell
'em 't Washington what's goin' on hyar."

"I think it's the people in Washington that have done it," said Ramona,
sadly. "Is it not in Washington all the laws are made?"

"I bleeve so!" said Aunt Ri, "Ain't it, Jos? It's Congress ain't 't,
makes the laws?"

"I bleeve so." said Jos. "They make some, at any rate. I donno's they
make 'em all."

"It is all done by the American law," said Ramona, "all these things;
nobody can help himself; for if anybody goes against the law he has to
be killed or put in prison; that was what the sheriff told Alessandro,
at Temecula. He felt very sorry for the Te