we should see him at mass and at other times;
but it would not be as it is now.'"

"'I will never leave here,' I said to him, 'as long as the padre stays;
I do not want to go off to work for myself.'"

"But the change, Senor, was long in coming, and before it did come,
there was another and a greater change at the mission. Well do I
remember the day when first I knew, without a doubt, that our old life
was at an end. It was a dark and stormy Saturday in early winter. Just
before nightfall, a traveler arrived at the mission from the north.
Alone and riding slowly a tired horse, which looked as if it had been
driven long and hard, he approached, gazing around at the church and all
the buildings within sight. I was driving one of the cows home from
the pasture to provide milk for the padre's supper, and saw him as he
reached the mission. As soon as I came up to him, he asked me:"

"'Is the padre here?'"

"'Si, Senor.'"

"'Tell him Don Manuel wishes to see him at once,' he said, in a
commanding tone."

"Calling one of the boys not far away to look after the cow, and to take
care of the stranger's horse, I went to the padre's room and knocked.
After waiting a moment, and getting no reply, I knocked again. Hearing
no sound, I opened the door and went in. The room was empty, but the
door leading into a small side room, from which was an entrance into the
church for the padre's use, stood open, and I knew he was in the church.
At any other time I would have hesitated, but the traveler had spoken
so sternly that I dared not delay, so went on into the church. There was
the padre kneeling before the altar of our patron saint, San Luis Rey,
his rosary of beautiful gold beads and ivory cross in his hands; but so
still one would have said he himself was a statue. I waited again, in
hopes he would finish his prayer and come away; but the minutes went
by and still he did not move. At last I stepped toward him, stumbling a
little against one of the seats that he might know some one was there.
He heard the sound and, rising slowly, turned and came toward the door
near which I stood. When he saw me he asked what was wanted. I told
him."

"Is it come at last?' he said, more to himself than to me, and walked
slowly, with bowed head, out of the church. I followed, closing the
door of the church and of the little side room, and saw once more
the traveler, as he rose from his knees, after receiving the padre's
blessing. A moment later