Among the Diggers of Thirty Years Ago [pp. 146-155]

14S AmOll%? 1/le J)z~6-a~e~-s o~ iii ii'!)' ) C(?I~ A~r~~. [Feb.
At times when the granary was well then plentiful, or from superstition, or
filled, or the shocks of corn unusually a sense of duty to assist in the cry,"
large, John would appropriate some for which began at sundown and ended
his own use, and out of respect to our when they could screech no longer, outfeelings would absent himself for sew doing in volume and tone a pack of
eral days but if left alone to guard the coyotes.
premises he was strictly honest. Once a wave of unhappiness swept
It mattered little to him whether he into the Captain's casa, causing Anita,
bowed his back in the harvest field, or the mother of his family, many heartover the wash-tub, his chief anxiety was aches and one tragic passion but
to be paid and get home before sun- John, perhaps not unlike many of his
down. In those days no Indian would white brethren under similar circumwillingly stay from home until sundown. stances, lost neither his temper nor his
I never could learn whether it was from jocularity, for he was master of the situfear of the wild animals, which were ation.
One cold, disagreeable morning Ani ta took her basket and m~iJtaJto, and
sallied forth to gather acorns, to increase
their supply of pinole for winter use.
Several miles were traveled before the
basket was filled, and the poor little
baby grew very tired of being laced
/ tightly down in his basket, and dang ~\\ /7/%// ling on his mother's back, almost
``i~y blinded by the wind and bright sunshine.
// NVhen she reached the rancheria she
// was much fatigued, but quickened her
~N\Y7YyY,Y steps as she saw the smoke rising from
her casa, and thought of the one who
{ had kindled the fire for her comfort, her
I own jolly John.
(I Upon entering the casa, she found
1 1 John sitting cosily by the fire with a
`i bride at his side. The beads that he had
I given to the choice of his youth, the
( simple givin0 of which made them~hus
(t band and wife, had during her absence
(I Ii been given to another, and Anita was a
against her was, "Too mucho viejo!
I divorced woman. John's only charge
I and poor old Anita's wrinkled face plead
guilty to the charge.
She looked at the two, then unstrap ping John's baby and taking it from the
Ii 1 11 basket, she laid its naked body on the
ground, and setting her heel upon its
neck, kept it there until life was gone.
Then with a look of undving hatred she
departed, and took up her residence with
JOHN the f~mily of her son-inAa'v, Santa Ana.