Their Mariposa Legend | Page 5

with the most renowned of all their great
queen's buccaneers. Beside Sir Francis himself marched young Harold
of Wessex, little more than a boy in years, yet dreaded and feared in his
own land even then - a possible heir to Elizabeth's throne. Some short
distance in front of these two, standard bearers carried the flags of
Merry England, each glorious with fringes and tassels of gold. Well
might such banners dazzle the eyes and wits of simple savages.
Yet, possibly, for all that, had it not been for the lengthy ceremonial of
the peace-pipe, Wildenai could not have taken time to observe so
closely, in stolen glances from beneath her long black lashes, the
splendor of the young noble standing proudly erect beside his captain;
nor could he have stared so often, with no attempt to hide his
admiration, at the dark beauty of the princess.
Perhaps, too, if fate had not contrived to place them side by side at the
feast which followed, young Harold might never have discovered that
an Indian girl, however beautiful, possessed the wit to learn a foreign
language. Yet it was certainly Spanish and that well spoken in which, at
length, she softly asked of her father a question intended obviously for
himself.
Under cover of one of the Indian dances with which, from time to time,
the feast was enlivened, he leaned impulsively toward her.

"Can'st speak the Spanish tongue?" he hastily inquired.
The princess dropped her eyes. For a moment she remained silent as if
debating to what extent such boldness might involve her. Then, with a
glance as shy as if some deer gazed at him startled from the thicket,
"Yes, mon senor," she answered simply. "I learned it when Don
Cabrillo came to Punagwandah many moons ago."
After that it was only that one thing led to another, as was sometimes
true of men and maidens even in the days so long gone by. For, as if by
common consent, then, they drew a little apart from the rest, where,
throwing himself on the sand beside her while the firelight threw
flickering shadows among the rocks, the young man related fragments
of his story, - of the long journey across the sea, something of his home
in England, and of the brilliant court of the great queen wherein he had
served as gentleman-in-waiting. So had he served, yet soon, but here
her guest had suddenly flushed and paused as though he spoke too
hastily or of what he should not. To all of it the princess listened with
fast-beating heart and a desire, ever growing, to make herself a place in
this splendid stranger's world. Was not she then, also, the daughter of a
king? Yet how different and how unimportant beside that wonderful
woman of whom he spoke! For father she boasted the great chief
Torquam, feared by every tribe in the north and rich because of the
gold hidden in many a canyon among the distant mountains; yet her
woman's instinct told her that to this proud Englishman her people were
at best little more than a curiosity, almost, indeed, a cause for laughter.
When at last the feast was finished, Torquam rose, and removing with
slow solemnity his crest of eagle feathers, he placed it upon the head of
Sir Francis, a seal of everlasting friendship. With difficulty young
Harold suppressed a smile. But the older man, as well aware of what
the situation demanded as he was keenly alive to its danger, received
the attention with a gravity fully equal to that of his host. Indeed, he
went still further.
"Most gracious hast thou been, oh Torquam, all wise chief of the
Mariposa," he began in carefully chosen Spanish, "nor shall thy kingly

gift remain unrequited. Listen, oh Torquam! On yonder vessel I carry
steeds like those of which I told you. For a journey over the mountains
of the north we have brought them. One there is, swifter of foot than all
the rest. Him will I cause my men to lower into the boat and bring to
you after our return tonight."
In silence Torquam inclined his head. Nothing could have pleased him
more. He would be the first then, of all his tribe to own one of those
strange yet wondrous creatures never before seen in his world until the
Spanish landed! Yet only the eager gleam in his eyes betrayed his
pleasure. But Harold of Wessex stared at his captain in blank
astonishment, for the gift he had just bestowed with such apparent
carelessness was the most valuable bit of cargo in the ship, a costly
Arabian horse intended for the young noble's own special comfort and
convenience during the search for gold on which they were bound. Was
Drake gone suddenly mad,