am
gone?"

"Ay, father, you know that I will. What do you wish me to do?"

The old man pointed to the crucifix.

"You swear it?"

"I swear it."

No sooner had the son uttered the wished-for words than his father fell
back on the couch and closed his eyes. The effort and excitement left
him as white as a sheet. It seemed to the boy as if his father might be
sinking into the last stupor, but after a while he opened his eyes and
called for a glass of _aguardiente_.

With difficulty he gulped it down; then he said feebly:

"My boy, the only American that ever was good was your mother. She was
an angel. All the rest of these cursed gringos are pigs;" and his voice
growing stronger, he repeated: "Ay, pigs, hogs, swine!"

The son made no reply; his father went on:

"What have not these devils done to our country ever since they came
here? At first we received them most hospitably; everything they wanted
was gladly supplied to them. And what did they do in return for our
kindness? Where now are our extensive ranchos--our large herds of
cattle? They have managed to rob us of our lands through clever laws
that we of California cannot understand; they have stolen from our
people thousands and thousands of cattle! There is no infamy that--"

The young man hastened to interrupt him.

"You must not excite yourself, father," he said with solicitude. "They
are unscrupulous--many of them, but all are not so."

"Bah!" ejaculated the old man; "the gringos are all alike. I hate them
all, I--" The old man was unable to finish. He gasped for breath. But
despite his son's entreaties to be calm, he presently cried out:

"Do you know who you are?" And not waiting for a reply he went on with:
"Our name is one of the proudest in Spain--none better! The curse of a
long line of ancestors will be upon you if you tamely submit--not make
these Americans suffer for their seizure of this, our rightful land--our
beautiful California!"

More anxiously than ever now the son regarded his father. His inspection
left no doubt in his mind that the end could not be far off. With great
earnestness he implored him to lie down; but the dying man shook his
head and continued to grow more and more excited.

"Do you know who I am?" he demanded. "No--you think you do, but you
don't. There was a time when I had plenty of money. It pleased me
greatly to pay all your expenses--to see that you received the best
education possible both at home and abroa