Captain Fly-by-Night

His great body stretched on the dirt floor in a shady corner of the barracks-room of the presidio, his long moustache drooped, his big mouth open, Sergeant Carlos Cassara snored.

The table was cleared save for three fresh cups newly filled by the Indian, one at the elbow of each man. Sergeant Cassara lurched across the room pulling at his belt, and the c...

It was still dark when Gonzales entered the room with a candle and shook the caballero until he was awake. The rider of the highway found that his clothes had been brushed and n...

Adjoining the quarters of the padres was a long adobe building used as a storehouse, and sounds indicated that a man was at work inside. It was towards the storehouse that the c...

It is a matter of history--that big rain of a certain year. The torrents poured from the sky at an unexpected time until the country was drenched and tiny streams swollen, and w...

The fire died down for lack of fuel, until only a small bed of coals remained to glow like a great red eye in the black night. There was no moon. The caballero, warm and dry, ha...

The siesta hour was over; the caballero had spent it in proper fashion in his teepee; and now, standing out in the open, he was feeding tufts of hay to his horse and caressing t...

An hour after sunrise an Indian rode a mule furiously up the valley from the presidio. The beast was covered with lather and dust, and the rider appeared half exhausted. His scr...

At San Fernando he gave a bit of information to a fray; at Reina de Los Angeles he had speech with a corporal in command of the squad at the guardhouse; he sent a message to San...

The caballero stopped his horse on the crest of a hill a mile from the mission and looked back at the valley. For more than an hour he had been riding aimlessly, aware that it w...

Not a light showed in the Indian huts of tide and straw that clustered near the presidio. From behind the walls came no whisperings of conspiracy, no cries of children in their...

Señor Lopez turned from the window of the guest house and threw wide his arms in a gesture meant to indicate that there was a finality to his statement that would brook no reply.

Watching from the distance, Sergeant Cassara observed that the Indians of the rancho were leaving their adobe buildings in groups, and, instead of going into the fields to work,...

It was to Anita’s old room in the house at the rancho that she was carried after the sight of the two murdered overseers had caused her to faint. Señora Vallejo, assisted by one...

An hour after nightfall the well in the orchard at the mission gave forth a man. Mud and dust were mingled on his clothes, the ends of his moustache drooped, and there was a scr...

Hysterics were over, weeping at an end. Señora Vallejo now sat on the end of the bed looking straight before her, and on her face was an expression that told she was resigned to...

As she spoke he had imagined a score of things she would ask him to do, but never this. He realised by her words and the tone of her low voice how the girl had been struck to th...

A grey dawn came that morning to San Diego de Alcalá, for the heavy fog hung like a pall over the valley, rolling in great billows against the hills. The mission bells rang, and...

Men spent the afternoon in boisterous revelry, for all preparations to withstand a siege had been made and they awaited the attack, but they grew silent toward evening, ponderin...

Some trooper started the cheer when the first faint red streak began to show through the fog, and the others took it up, until all the defenders at the mission were hailing the...

“Rojerio Rocha! He has escaped them!” Others took up the cry, and cheers from those along the wall greeted the flying man, cheers of welcome and encouragement. The Indians on th...

He ignored her a moment longer, running to the window and looking out across the plaza. The doors of the church were closed, but from the windows streamed hot lead, and from all...

The hand of the girl’s tormentor flew to the hilt of his poniard as he whirled toward the sound. Anita gave a cry of relief and gladness, and then stared with bulging eyes towar...

The hammering at the door of the mortuary chapel ceased after a time, for those in the main part of the church had more serious business to occupy their attention than the attem...

“Explain, rogue!” cried the Governor half an hour later. They were in the plaza, where a temporary camp had been established. The fires were out, the smoke had drifted away. Wou...