Lost in the Fog [pp. 570-579]

LOST IN THE FOG.
dumb lips would hail us and ask who "Why,'the old mummy is slinging
were these strangers that vexed the his popish blessings at us!" This was
quiet waters of their bay. But two Lanky's interpretation of the kindly
small fishing-boats lay at anchor, and priest's paternal salutation. And, sure
these Booden said reminded him of enough, he was welcoming us to the
Christopher Columbus or Noah's Ark, shore of San Ildefonso with holy fervor
they were so clumsy and antique in and religious phrase.
build. "I say," said Booden, a little testily,
We hauled our boat up alongside and "What did you say was the name of this
all hands got in and went ashore. As place, and where away does it lay from
we landed, a little shudder seemed to'Frisco?" In very choice Castilian, as
go through the sleepy old place, as if Lanky declared, the priest rejoined that
it had been rudely disturbed from its he did not understand the language in
comfortable nap, and a sudden sob of which Booden was speaking. "Then
sea air swept through the quiet streets bring on somebody that does," rejoined
as though the insensate houses had ac- that irreverent mariner, when due iintually breathed the weary sigh of awak- terpretation had been made. The paing. The buildings were low and white, dre protested that no one in the village
with dark-skinned children basking in understood the English tongue. The
the doors, and grass hammocks swing- skipper gave a long low whistle of suping beneath open verandas. There were pressed astonishment, and wondered if
no stores, no sign of business, and no we had drrifted down to Lower Califorsound of vehicles or labor; all was as nia in two days and nights, and had
decorous and quiet, to use the skipper's struck a Mexican settlement. The coldescription, "as if the people had slick- ors on the flag-staff and the absence of
ed up their door-yards, whitewashed any Americans gave some show of reatheir houses, and gone to bed." It was son to this startling conclusion; and
just like a New England Sabbath in a Lanky, who was now the interpreter of
Mexican village. the party, asked the name of the place
And this fancy was further colored by and was again told that it was San I.ldea strange procession which now met us fonso; but when he asked what country
as we went up from the narrow beach, it was in and how far it was to San Franhaving first made fast our boat. A lean cisco, he was met with a polite "I do
Mexican priest, with an enormous shovel not understand you, Sefior." Here was
hat and particularly shabby cassock, a puzzle; becalmed in a strange port
came toward us, followed by a motley only two days drift from the city of
crowd of Mexicans, prominent among San Francisco; a town which the schoolwhom was a pompous old man, clad in master declared was not laid down on
a seedy Mexican uniform, and wearing any map; a population that spoke only
a trailing rapier at his side. The rest Spanish and did not know English when
of the procession was brought up with a they heard it; a Mexican flag flying over
crowd of shy women, dark-eyed and the town, and an educated priest who
tawny and all poorly clad, though other- did not know what we meant when we
wise comfortable enough in condition. asked how far it was to San Francisco.
These hung back and wonderingly look- Were we bewitched?
ed at the strange faces, as though they Accepting a hospitable inyitation from
had never seen the like before. The the padre, we sauntered up to the plaza,
old padre lifted his skinny hands, and where we were ushered into a long, low
said something in Spanish which I did room, which might once have been a milinot understand. tary barrack-room; it was neatly white
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