Old Mission Stories of California | Page 9

sleep fell upon me, and when I awoke, I was
in my own home. I was greatly frightened, but dared not tell any one of
my visions; for I knew they would laugh me to scorn, perhaps drive me

away, as they did at the last."
As the old woman described this picture of the future revealed to her,
her agitation increased. She raised herself on an arm, and with the other
stretched out, she swept her hand along the horizon, from the south to
the north, saying, as she did so:
"This is the land of the Indians; this Ouiot gave to our fathers, and they
gave it to us. While the sun has been traveling over his path in the sky
for many hundred years, we, and our fathers before us, for generations,
have lived in this land. But now the end is come. We must give way
before a people stronger than we; give up our land to them and vanish."
Her voice increased in volume as she spoke, until, at the close, it was as
powerful as in former days. When she had ceased speaking, she paused,
with arm still outstretched, as though transfixed. She gazed steadily
across the level plain to the distant mountains, motionless and rigid,
while the two young Indians waited, awed and afraid, minute after
minute, for they knew not what.
After a long silence, the aged sibyl let fall her arm, and dropped back
suddenly on to the couch. The fire of prophecy in her eyes was still
undimmed; but turning toward the two waiting ones, she spoke again,
yet as if coming back to the present:
"Mota, Itatli, I am going to the distant home of our people, where all
are happy. It will be but a few hours before I shall leave you. Do you,
my son, after I am dead, go to the village, and tell the chief men all that
I have revealed to you to-night. Tell them that, with my last breath, I
spoke the truth revealed to me by the gods above. Tell them that the
only safety for them, and their children after them, is to live with the
strange white men who are come to our land; that they must be at peace
with the strangers, live with them, and do all that is commanded them;
that this is the only way they can put off the evil day when they shall
disappear forever. And it is for a time only at best; but it is better to do
that than to resist them, for they are too strong to be driven back. But I
fear they will not listen to my words which you shall speak. And if so,
you, my children, must leave here and go to the south, through the pass
in the mountains, then toward the setting sun until you come to the
river; and there you will find the strange men, as in my vision. Put
yourselves under their care, and perhaps Ouiot will spare you, and the
others there before you, from the fate of the rest of the tribes in this

land."
Her voice sank to a whisper, so that it was with difficulty they made
out her last words. Closing her eyes, she lay gasping for some minutes;
after this, she fell into a comatose state, from which she did not revive
again. Hour after hour passed, the two watchers crouching motionless,
without a word, regarding the fleeting breath of the dying woman.
Shortly before the dawn began to lighten the horizon, a tremor passed
through the body of the sufferer; a long, feeble sigh issued from her lips,
and the aged, distrusted seer was no more.
The young woman, on seeing this, broke out into bitter wailing,
swaying slowly forward and backward, while her husband sat with his
head bowed on his knees. Their first thought was of utter bereavement,
for to these two lonely ones, and especially to the woman, the
grandparent had been not only the sole member of their tribe they had
known for years, but she had proved to them a help, at times through
her singular gift. On several occasions, in seasons of little game, had
she told the man in which direction, to go for the best results. Once, at
her instance, they had migrated to a distant spring she had known in her
youth, where the three were safe from the murderous designs of the
warlike tribe coming to their country from the north.
Finally the man bethought himself of the last behest of the dead woman.
"I go to the village, Mota," he said hoarsely, and without another word
left the hut and set off down the hill.
The woman moved not, but remained as before, near the