“Ensign Sanchez of Santa Barbara is due this morning with twenty men, unless he has met with disaster on the highway. I understand from the courier who arrived late last night that Sanchez has picked up some good fighters along the way, especially at Reina de Los Angeles, where the old pirate, Gonzales, now a godly man, and some of his cronies joined the standard.”
“Give me a score of men like this Gonzales and we sweep the hostiles into the sea!” Cassara exclaimed.
The lieutenant rebuked him with a glance, and the sergeant, his face flushing, turned to look through the window.
“Not a man among us but is worth a dozen Indians,” the comandante went on. “Yet we are not more than a hundred if Sanchez arrives in time. We can expect no help from San Luis Rey de Francia—on the other hand, Sanchez may see fit to leave a part of his force there. Two hundred good men are coming south with the Governor, who has taken care of things in the north and now hopes to stamp out the rebellion here. But they cannot arrive for perhaps two days more. Señores, we must hold out until then! And my scouts report that the savages number at least a thousand now, and are well supplied with arms and ammunition.”
No man made answer; there seemed no answer to make. The comandante had stated the gist of the matter, and it was for him to make any decisions he wished.
“Is it to be the presidio or the mission?” a fray asked, after a time of silence.
“The mission,” the comandante said. “I have decided that. I am having arms and ammunition moved here from the presidio.”
“I thank you, señor,” the fray returned. “We would rather die on the steps of the church, if we are to die in this manner.”
“Now who prates of dying?” Cassara burst out. “Is this a council of war or a funeral? If we are going into this fight already whipped, then I mount my horse and trot up to San Luis Rey de Francia in search of men of spirit!”
“Peace, sergeant!” the comandante cried. “There will be fighting enough! I believe all our plans are made, señores. It desolates me to think we have not sufficient force to make a sally and carry the fighting to the enemy, but we dare not risk it. The renegade who commands the hostiles probably has prepared for that.”