The Project Gutenberg EBook of Their Mariposa Legend, by Charlotte Herr

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Title: Their Mariposa Legend

Author: Charlotte Herr

Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5196]
Posting Date: April 19, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THEIR MARIPOSA LEGEND ***

Produced by David Schwan

THEIR MARIPOSA LEGEND

A Romance of Santa Catalina

By Charlotte Herr

To Little Bruce Parker
Who Loved Stories

Part I. Sir Francis Starts It

It began to happen a long time ago, centuries ago, when, in a fragrant
rush of rain, spring came one day to Punagwandah, fairest of the Channel
Islands. Beneath the golden mists of sunrise danced a radiant sea. On
steeply sloping hillsides where thickets of wild lilac bloomed, the lark
shook from his tiny throat a tumult of glad music. In shadowed niches of
the canyons lilies waited to fill with light their gleaming ivory cups.
Spring in very truth was there.

And looking down upon it from her cavern bower high above the beach,
watched the Princess Wildenai. Kneeling there, the light of dawn shining
on her long black hair, she was, herself, the sweetest blossom of the
spring. Loveliest was she among all the maidens of the Mariposa and of
royal blood besides; although of this the great chief Torquam, who even
at that moment lay sleeping in his lodge of deerskin on the crescent
beach below, knew more than he had ever told.

With eyes rapt, her breath scarcely stirring the folds of softest
fawnskin drawn across her breast, the princess bent her gaze to where
the waves ran silver on the ocean's distant rim. There she knew the sun
must rise and, as the first dazzling ray sparkled across the water, she
rose slowly until she stood erect, a slender, graceful figure against
the dim, gray rocks, and stretching her arms toward the East, spoke in
the musical words of her people.

"Oh, Waken-ate, great spirit-father," she pleaded, "have mercy on me.
Grant to me, thy humble daughter, one only boon. Grant, I pray thee,
that it need not be I wed with Torquam's friend, the pale-face stranger.
Well knowest thou I would not disobey my father, him the br