The Crusade of the Excelsior

wished. Two pronunciamientos, rudely printed and posted in the Plaza, and saluted by the fickle garrison of one hundred men, who ha

he Plaza and up the hilly street, and seemingly as incapable of self-government, were alternately dispersed and stampeded or allowed to gather again as occasion required. Some

her countrymen's supposed sympathy with the insurgents. When Richard Keene, who would not leave his sister until he had seen her safe under the Mission walls, ventured at her suggestion to ask after the American recluse, Father Esteban replied dryly that, being a Christian gentleman, Hurlstone was the only one who

e safe here until we return. Between you and me, Banks, Brimmer, and I think that Brace and Winslow have

thquakes; there's always a second shock, and a tidal wave to fol

breast, a gold-laced belt, supporting a light dress-sword and a pair of pistols, buckled around the jaunty waist of his ordinary black frock-coat, were his scant martial suggestions. But his hat, albeit exchanged for a soft felt one, still reposed on the back of his bene

the desecrating footsteps of lawlessness and impiety

," with a low bow to the priest-"sanctity, caused this intrusion. For I regret to say that, through the ill-advised counsels of

sed manipulation of your emissaries, the miserable heathen would not

smiled gentl

to save time, let me give way to a gentleman who, I believe

lamation of pleasure. Miss Keene colored quickly. Hurlstone cast a long and lingering glance at her, which seemed to the

tampered with treacherously, against his knowledge and consent. He only seeks now to prevent the con

ple evidently recognize the fact of Mr. Brimmer's previous ownership of the Excelsior, and the respec

nd Miss Keene; but, alas! I am required elsewhere. I leave," he continued, turning towards Hurlstone, who was already absorbed in a whispered consultation with Padre Esteban-"I leave a sufficient escort with

a low bow, Senor Perkins passed out into the darkness. The next moment his voice was heard rais

uld desert my sacred trust, and leave His Holy Temple a prey to sacrileg

menable to reason and argument, and I am so certain that I am ready to go down among them and make the attempt. The old Chief and part of his band are still encamped on the shore; we could hear them as we passed in the boats. I will go and meet them. If I

ich, under the circumstances, I shall consider equal to a command from Mr. Brimmer, was to be accepted at once and without delay; and I

said Eleanor Keene quietly, "for I have faith in Mr. Hurlston

other demonstrative look that bro

f Nell stays I must see the thing through and st

e continued, turning to the old priest, with sparkling eyes, "I have only to ask your blessing, and the good wishes of these ladies, to go forth on my mission of peace. If I am successful," he added, with a light laugh, "confess that a layman and a heretic may do some service for the Church." As the old man

nged for her brother to see him thus-alert, strong, and chivalrous. In her girlish faith, she had no fear for his safety; he would conquer, he would succeed; he would come back to them victorious! Looking up from her happy abstraction, at the side of Mrs. Markham, who had calmly

and using a large red handkerchief to wipe his more than usually humid eyes. Eleanor Keene, with her chin resting on her hand, remained sitt

exile of her lover. She knew the providential culmination of his trouble in the news brought unconsciously by Perkins, which, but a few hours ago, he had verified by the letters, records, and even the certificate of death that had thus strangely been placed in his hands! She knew all this so clearly now, that, with the instinct of a sympathetic nature, she even fancied she had heard it before. She knew that all the obstacles to an exchange of thei

. With a cry of horror she threw open the garden-door; but the next moment was swallowed up in the tumultuous tide of wild and half naked Indians who surged against the walls of the church, and felt herself lifted from her feet, with inarticulate cries, and borne along the garden. Even in her mortal terror, she could recognize that the cries were not those of rage, but of vacant satisfaction; that although she was lifted on lithe shoulders, the grasp of her limbs was gentle, and the few dark faces she could see around her were glistening in childlike curiosity. Presently she felt herself placed upon the back of a

lse he was calculating to intercept them on the way. The fog prevented her from forming any estimation of the numbers that surrounded her, or if the Padre and Mrs. Markham were possibly preceding her as captives in the vanguard. She felt the breath of the sea, and knew they were traveling along the shore; the monotonous chant and jogging motion gradually dulled he

en receded again with a jar that almost unseated her. Then the inarticulate murmur was overborne by a voice. It was HIS! She turned blindly towards it; but before she could utter the cry that rose to her lips, she was again lifted from the sadd

y darling!" said Hurlstone's voice

and tried to smile. Their eyes, an

d on Mrs. Markham's shoulder. For an instant the floating veil of fog around her, and the rhythmical moveme

us all up to THEIR Mission, as they call that half heathen cross of theirs-for safety against-who do you think, dear?-the dreadful AMERICANS! And imagine all the while the Padre and I were just behind you, bringing up the rear of the procession-only they wouldn't let us join you

lined to extend the hospitalities of the ship with the air of a hostess. But the arrival of Hurlstone at midnight with s

o the bay of Todos Santos," was the b

ere and wait for Mr. Brimm

he Excelsior is expected off the Presidio

attitude of arraying ourselves against the constituted authorities-an

maliciously; "but, no doubt, your husban

so far change his plans as to disembark his entire force from the Excelsior, and leave her with only the complement of men necessary

ell on the larger ocean swell. The pilot, whom Hurlstone recognized as the former third mate of the Excelsior, appeared to understand the passage perfectly; and even Hurlstone and the ladies, who had through eight months' experience become accustomed to the luminous obscurity of Todos Santos, could detect the faint looming of the headland at the entrance.

they felt it in the passing touch of each other's hands; it lingered, with vague tenderness, on the most trivial interchange of thought. Yet they spoke a little of the future. Eleanor believed that her brother would not object to their union; he had spoken of entering into business at Todos Santos, and perhaps when peace and security were restored they might live together. Hurlstone did not tell her that a brief examination of his wife's papers had shown him

il

tered a cry of rage and trepidation, and huddled like sheep in the waist, with distracted gestures; even the two men at the wheel forsook their post to run in dazed terror to the taffrail. Before the mate could restore order to this chaos, the Excelsior had drifted,

ain B

now of the Mexican ship La Trinidad. Captain Bunker ez larnt every foot of that passage in an open boat last August, and didn't forget it yes

say that Perkins landed with double that number of men yesterday around that point, and that he'll

at four o'clock this morning, when his own ringleaders gave him up to the authorities. Ha! Why, this y