"Hush! hush! old friend. Zunello," to a stable boy, "two horses ready for the mounting, and two rifles. Be quick! Bring them here."
As said, so done.
"Come Enrico, I'll lend thee a shoulder to help thee to the saddleseat."
In a moment she too was on her horse. She checked its head high and reined it mountainward.
"Wait, señorita, wait! Here, doña, here! I will go. And I! So will I! So will I! I! I! I!" swelled in hoarse tones from the multitude.
"Take them at their word at once," whispered Enrico.
She needed no second prompting. Couriers were sent posthaste to San José pueblo, Yerba Buena and Monterey, with messages acquainting the different comandantes of the raid.
The Mendoza armory was opened and muskets, powder and ball apportioned to the volunteers.
While horses were being brought the señorita, with her corps of peona nurses, hastened to the Mission grounds. They found several peons who had been severely manhandled lying insensible in the patio, or trying to crawl to their quarters. A half dozen or more matronas had been beaten with clubs while offering resistance to the summary taking-away of their charges.
The injured were given first-aid treatment, and the terrified matronas encouraged to regain self-possession.