he followed the padre into his room."

"I did not see them again until supper time, when I had to wait at
table. They had been some minutes at supper, but were so occupied with
their talk that they had eaten scarcely anything. The stranger was
speaking when I went in."

"'But, padre,' he said, 'what will become of your charge here, if you
carry out your intention? You know they look up to you as the head and
soul of this great mission, and would be, indeed, as sheep without their
shepherd, if you--'"

"'My son,' interrupted the padre, with a look toward me, 'we will speak
of that another time.'"

"Nothing more was said until after I had left them. I had seen the look
the padre sent in my direction. Had not it been at a time when every one
was fearing a change of some kind at the mission, I should have thought
nothing of it; but at the time, I knew we might expect something to
occur almost any day; so that when he interrupted the stranger, it was
only after enough had been said to fill me with fear. I knew, from what
he said about the sheep being without a shepherd, that we might, in
some way, lose our padre. As soon as I was free I hastened out to find
Miguel, the boy who had taken the stranger's horse. He had gone to his
house, a little way from the church."

"'Miguel,' I asked, 'do you know who is this visitor, Don Manuel, and
why he is come?'"

"'He came from Los Angeles, on important business with the padre,'
Miguel replied."

"'How do you know he is from Los Angeles, and that his business is
important?'"

"'Because, while you were seeking the padre, Don Manuel was so impatient
at your delay that he could not stand still, and kept striding up and
down the length of the arcade, muttering to himself. Once I caught the
words that if the padre but knew the importance of his business, he
would make great haste. When I led away his horse, he told me to take
good care of it, for it must carry him as far on his way tomorrow as it
had to-day from Los Angeles.'"

"'And what is this important business?'"

"'Quien sabe!' answered Miguel, with a shrug of his shoulders."

"This was very little to be sure, and it served only to increase my fear
that all was not right."

"But I heard nothing further that night."

"The next day was the Sabbath. Nothing occurred before mass; breakfast
was eaten by the stranger, alone in the padres' dining-room, and the
padre was not seen by any one until the hour for mass. The other