THE CHILDREN OF CUPA.
[Illustration: "_The bushes parted, Francisco was there, hearing,
seeing._"--_Page 126._]
THE CHILDREN OF CUPA.
BY
MARY E. MANNIX,
_Author of "As True as Gold,"
"Pancha and Panchito," etc._
NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO:
BENZIGER BROTHERS,
_Printers to the Holy Apostolic See_.
1905.
COPYRIGHT, 1905, BY BENZIGER BROTHERS.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. PAGE
Summer Plans--The Cupeños 7
CHAPTER II.
The Journey--Francisco 18
CHAPTER III.
At the Spring 35
CHAPTER IV.
The Missionary 49
CHAPTER V.
At Church 61
CHAPTER VI.
Dionysio and Margarita 73
CHAPTER VII.
The Pedlar 87
CHAPTER VIII.
Falsely Accused 101
CHAPTER IX.
A Jaunt--The Valley of the Rattlesnakes 113
CHAPTER X.
The Almirantes 127
CHAPTER XI.
The "Junta" 141
CHAPTER XII.
The Return 152
THE CHILDREN OF CUPA.
CHAPTER I.
SUMMER PLANS.--THE CUPEÑOS.
The mother had been very ill, and the question was, where shall we take
her so that she may get thoroughly well? It must be some place where
the family might accompany her. She had declared that she would not go
without papa and Nellie and Walter.
It was nearing the close of schooltime, and papa's yearly vacation was
at hand, so there would be no difficulty on that score. Some one had
suggested Santa Monica as affording a complete change of scene, but the
doctor tabooed that place and she herself did not care for it.
"She is already too near the sea," the man of medicine said. "She needs
entire change; she would only grow ill again and nervous amid the
clatter of hotel life and the crowds on the beach."
"But we might take a cottage," suggested Aunt Mary.
"Yes--I know those seaside cottages," said the doctor, "that is, those
which are built to rent for the season. A few boards thrown together,
and only a pretence made of papering the walls inside--draughts rushing
through the rooms continually and underneath the house as well. Why,
my dear sir, you can actually see the carpet rising in waves from the
floor. They are all erected on piles, you know. No seaside cottage for
our invalid--no, indeed."
"What do you say to the mountains, doctor?" asked Mr. Page.
"The very thing," was the reply. "But there are objections to be made
in that case also. Accommodations are not usually comfortable--the food
is always plentiful, but not always choice."
"I was thinking of camping," said Mr. Page. "I have a complete camping
outfit and at my call a man, Charlie Dorner, who is the prince of
cooks. He is, besides, a fine general utility man--can do anything."
"That would be the ideal; but," sighed the doctor, "I wish I could go
along."
"And so you can; or join us later."
"Well, we'll see about that. Just now we're talking of Mrs. Page. If
you have an outfit of your own you need not be at anybody's mercy. But
you must not choose too high a location, nor where it is likely to be
too warm, nor an utterly inaccessible place. By that I mean she must
not be too far from the railroad--or her doctor. What do you say to the
Springs? I have an idea that the air and the hot water together would
complete her cure."
"The air!" exclaimed Aunt Mary. "Why, it is only fourteen miles from
here; there can't be any difference in the atmosphere. Besides, those
springs are in a valley; you can't have seen them. The fogs are
dreadful in the early morning I have been told."
"Not at _my_ Springs," said the doctor with a smile. "I'm speaking
of Warner's Ranch, although I've stayed at the others and have seen
wondrous cures effected there, I assure you."
Aunt Mary had not been long in California, but she was fond of "reading
up," and she had been reading about Warner's Ranch.
"Do you mean the springs which belong, or were supposed to belong, to
the Indians, from whose possession they are now going to be taken?"
"Yes," replied the doctor; "and I think the whole proceeding is an
infamous outrage."
Nellie and Walter had been sitting quietly listening to their elders.
But at this point in the conversation Walter, who was thirteen,
exclaimed:
"Oh, papa, let us go there, won't you?
"Just think, Aunt Mary," he continued, "it is a regular Indian village,
and in the summer the Indians move out of their houses and rent them
to the white people. I knew a boy who lived in one, and he said it was
fine. Wouldn't it be grand making believe to be an Indian!"
"I sympathize with those poor creatures very much," said Aunt Mary. "I
think it is heartless to evict them from their homes; but I _don't_
believe I should care to occupy one of the houses. It might not be
clean, you know."
"Well, that's as may be," said the doctor. "I have known persons loud
in their praises of the place, and others whining about dirt and
discomfort. You would not be subject to anything of that kind. You
would have your large, clean, comfortable tents."
"Let's tell mother. Let's ask her if she would like to go," said
Nellie, speaking for the first time.
"Of course she'll like it; she's certain to like it," cried Walter,
springing to his feet. They were not long in ascending the stairs,
though they went quietly, having become accustomed to making as little
noise as possible during their mother's long and serious illness. Now
that she was so much better they had not renounced the habit, which
had become a sort of second nature to them.
"Come in," said a sweet, low voice as Nellie tapped on the door. In a
moment they were both kneeling beside the lounge where their mother lay.
"You don't feel _very_ bad this afternoon, mamma?" inquired Walter,
anxiously.
"Oh, no," she replied. "On the contrary, I am feeling particularly well
and strong to-day. But the doctor says I must lie down the greater part
of the time. I thought I heard his voice just now. Hasn't he gone yet?"
"No; that's why we came, mother," said Nellie. "They're discussing
things in the library. They think now they'll take you to Warner's Hot
Springs, and we want you to go there, we do, badly. Oh, it will be
great fun."
"Papa is talking of getting out the tents and the camping wagon and
taking Charlie Dorner along. Oh, it will be lots of fun. I hope you
like the plan."
"I am sure I shall like it," replied their mother. "I am very fond of
camping. Don't you remember the summer we spent at Broad Beach?"
"Yes, that was lots of fun," said Walter. "But that wasn't anything to
what this will be. Fancy, mother, an Indian village--a real Indian
one. And you can live in their houses if you want to--though Aunt Mary
says she doesn't believe they are very clean."
"We would have our tents," said Nellie. "Dr. Madden says he thinks the
water would do you a great deal of good, mother."
"I feel better already," said the mother, sitting up and smoothing back
her hair. "I want to start at once."
They all laughed, and presently the children were seated beside her,
each holding a hand, wondering when everything would be in readiness
for the start.
"We don't have to get any new clothes, do we?" inquired Nellie, to whom
the bugbear of a summer outfit was receding into the background.
"No; we shall wear our oldest things," replied the mother. "Still, we
shall not aim to make scarecrows of ourselves, my dear, as some people
really seem to do when they go camping."
The children laughed again. "As though you _could_ make a scarecrow
of yourself!" exclaimed Nellie, looking fondly at her fair, delicate
mother in her dainty white wrapper, and shoulder shawl of soft, scarlet
wool.
"But suppose they would put the Indians out while we are there; then
what would we do, mother?" asked Nellie. "I couldn't bear to be near
and see it," said the tender-hearted child. "I think it's dreadful,
don't you, mother?"
"Yes, it is," rejoined her mother. "Yet it does not seem possible to
avoid it."
"Tell us about it, mother, will you?" pleaded Walter. "There has been
much fuss over it in the papers. Why do the Indians have to go away
from this place where they have lived so long?"
Mrs. Page reflected for a moment before replying. Then she said:
"I can't remember all the details, and you would not be interested in
them if I could; but as nearly as I know the facts of the case I shall
try to relate them to you.
"Many years ago Col. Juan José Warner received a grant of immense
tracts of land from the Mexican government. On these lands, or part
of them, some tribes of Indians were then living. They and their
forefathers had lived there for many years. It was a provision of the
grants or patents given by the Mexican government that the 'mission
Indians' were never to be disturbed. In nearly all cases their rights
were respected. Do you understand, dear children?"
Walter nodded, but Nellie said: "Mamma, how was it that the _Mexican_
government granted lands to people in California?"
"Why, don't you know that California was once part of Mexico?" inquired
Walter, with a little air of superiority.
"I believe I used to, but maybe I have forgotten it," murmured Nellie,
quite discomfited, as she always was when her brother asserted his
better knowledge of history and current events.
"Well, mamma, what next?" inquired the boy. "We don't want to 'lose
the thread.' That's what our teacher says when the scholars' attention
seems to wander."
"After some time," resumed Mrs. Page, "this tract of land, known by the
name of Warner's Ranch, was sold to Governor Downey, who did not molest
the Indians. There were several tribes besides those who lived at the
Hot Springs. But later there was a lawsuit, and many endeavors were
made to eject them, on the ground that they had only occupied the land
_after_ it had been granted to Warner.
"This lawsuit has been going on for many years. Recently it has been
decided, very unjustly, most people think, that the Indians must go."
"But where are they to go?" asked Nellie, her round blue eyes opening
with every word. "Where _can_ they go?"
"The United States government will place them on some other
reservation," said Mrs. Page. "A commission has been appointed to
select one where the land is fertile and water plentiful. It will not
be very long now, I think, before some place will be decided upon. It
is a very good thing that every one on the commission is a friend of
the Indians, and would allow them to remain in their present home if
they could arrange it."
"Is Warner's Ranch a very large tract of land, mother?" asked Walter.
"Very large, my son."
"Why can't they let the Indians stay on their little bit of land, then?
They haven't a great deal, have they?"
"Not much, compared with the extent of the whole tract. However, the
owners of the ranch wish to derive profit from the springs, as the
Indians are doing, only they would erect wooden buildings and make many
improvements. They wish to make the springs a popular resort."
"I'd never go there if they did, never!" said Nellie. "How can the
government be so unjust as to put those Indians out, when they have
always lived there?"
"It seems that when the tract was originally sold the Indians should
have presented their claim to the portion they occupied. As they
did not do that, after a certain number of years their rights were
forfeited. That is the law."
"Why didn't they present their claims?" asked Walter.
"Simply, my son, I suppose, because they were ignorant of the
requirements of the law. They had lived there always; they could not
remember having heard of a time when their forefathers had not lived
there. They did not dream they would ever be disturbed. And so it came
to pass that when they were informed steps had been taken to eject them
they paid no attention to it."
"Why didn't they get a lawyer to attend to it for them?"
"After some time they did. There were able lawyers employed on both
sides. The suit has lasted for many years, has been taken from one
court to another, and now it has been finally decided that the Indians
must go. I have heard that many of them still refuse to believe it."
"I call it a beastly shame," said Walter. "Why don't they fight?"
"What could a couple of hundred warriors do against the United States
government?" replied Mrs. Page.
"I thought the Comanches and Apaches, and those Indian tribes liked to
fight just for the sake of fighting," said Nellie.
"That is probably true," replied Mrs. Page; "but our California
Indians are neither Comanches nor Apaches, my dear. They have always
been peaceful, and have been called the 'mission Indians' from the
time of the first establishment of the Spanish Franciscans at San
Diego. The Warner Ranch Indians are called _Cupeños_, from _Cupa_, the
name given to the hot springs. Comfortable and happy they were while
under the control of the mission Fathers; but since the time that the
missions were abolished and the priests scattered things have been very
different. That was after the Mexican War, about which you both know
something, I believe. Certainly Walter does."
"I'm very anxious to go, aren't you, mother?" asked Walter.
"Yes, if it has been decided that it will benefit me," said Mrs. Page.
"I should like to start to-morrow if I could."
"Here they come--papa, Aunt Mary and the doctor," said Nellie, as
footsteps were heard ascending the stairs; "I hope they haven't found
many objections."
Everybody was smiling as they entered, and the doctor said: "Mrs. Page,
no doubt the little ones have prepared you for our verdict. We have
decided to send you to the hot springs. The sooner you are ready to
start the better."