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The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 2. Freed - Chapter 9. Liberated

PART II. FREED CHAPTER IX. LIBERATEDThe revolution was, indeed, ended. The unexpected arrival of a relieving garrison in the bay of Todos Santos had completed what the dissensions in the insurgents' councils had begun; the discontents, led by Brace and Winslow, had united with the Government against Perkins and his aliens; but a compromise had been effected by the treacherous giving up of the Liberator himself in return for an amnesty granted to his followers. The part that Bunker had played in bringing about this moral catastrophe was, however, purely adventitious. When he had recovered his health, and subsequent events had... Long Stories - Post by : Turboface - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 1832

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 2. Freed - Chapter 8. Hostage

PART II. FREED CHAPTER VIII. HOSTAGEThe revolution of Todos Santos had to all appearances been effected as peacefully as the gentle Liberator of Quinquinambo could have wished. Two pronunciamientos, rudely printed and posted in the Plaza, and saluted by the fickle garrison of one hundred men, who had, however, immediately reappointed their old commander as Generalissimo under the new regime, seemed to leave nothing to be desired. A surging mob of vacant and wondering peons, bearing a singular resemblance to the wild cattle and horses which intermingled with them in blind and unceasing movement across the Plaza and up the hilly... Long Stories - Post by : tpw_articles - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 3232

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 2. Freed - Chapter 7. The Return Of The Excelsior

PART II. FREED CHAPTER VII. THE RETURN OF THE EXCELSIORAmazed and disconcerted, Hurlstone, nevertheless, retained his presence of mind."There must be some mistake," he said coolly; "I am certainly not the person you seem to be expecting.""Were you not sent here by Winslow?" demanded Perkins."No. The person you are looking for is probably one I saw on the shore. He no doubt became alarmed at my approach, and has allowed me quite unwittingly to take his place in the boat."Perkins examined Hurlstone keenly for a moment, stepped to the door, gave a brief order, and returned."Then, if you did not intend... Long Stories - Post by : esource - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 1534

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 2. Freed - Chapter 6. A More Important Arrival

PART II. FREED CHAPTER VI. A MORE IMPORTANT ARRIVALThe Commander was the first to recover his presence of mind. Taking the despatch from the hands of the unlooked-for husband of the woman he loved, he opened it with an immovable face and habitual precision. Then, turning with a military salute to the strangers, he bade them join him in half an hour at the Presidio; and, bowing gravely to the assembled company, stepped from the corridor. But Mrs. Markham was before him, stopped him with a gesture, and turned to her husband."James Markham--where's your hand?"Markham, embarrassed but subjugated, disengaged it timidly... Long Stories - Post by : miniJV.com - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 1567

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 2. Freed - Chapter 5. Clouds And Change

PART II. FREED CHAPTER V. CLOUDS AND CHANGEThe earthquake shock, although the first experienced by the Americans, had been a yearly phenomenon to the people of Todos Santos, and was so slight as to leave little impression upon either the low adobe walls of the pueblo or the indolent population. "If it's a provision of Nature for shaking up these Rip Van Winkle Latin races now and then, it's a dead failure, as far as Todos Santos is concerned," Crosby had said, with a yawn. "Brace, who's got geology on the brain ever since he struck cinnabar ore, says he isn't... Long Stories - Post by : imported_n/a - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 3466

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 2. Freed - Chapter 4. A Gleam Of Sunshine

PART II. FREED CHAPTER IV. A GLEAM OF SUNSHINEWhile these various passions had been kindled by her compatriots in the peaceful ashes of Todos Santos, Eleanor Keene had moved among them indifferently and, at times, unconsciously. The stranding of her young life on that unknown shore had not drawn her towards her fellow-exiles, and the circumstances which afterwards separated her from daily contact with them completed the social estrangement. She found herself more in sympathy with the natives, to whom she had shown no familiarity, than with her own people, who had mixed with them more or less contemptuously. She found... Long Stories - Post by : jarmacy - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 2371

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 2. Freed - Chapter 3. International Courtesies

PART II. FREEDCHAPTER III. INTERNATIONAL COURTESIESThe garden over whose wall Brace had mysteriously vanished was apparently as deserted as the lane and plaza without. But its solitude was one of graceful shadow and restful loveliness. A tropical luxuriance, that had perpetuated itself year after year, until it was half suffocated in its own overgrowth and strangled with its own beauty, spread over a variegated expanse of starry flowers, shimmering leaves, and slender inextricable branches, pierced here and there by towering rigid cactus spikes or the curved plumes of palms. The repose of ages lay in its hushed groves, its drooping vines,... Long Stories - Post by : magicthought - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 1274

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 2. Freed - Chapter 2. The Mourners At Todos Santos

PART II. FREED CHAPTER II. THE MOURNERS AT TODOS SANTOSThere was a breath of spring in the soft morning air of Todos Santos--a breath so subtle and odorous that it penetrated the veil of fog beyond the bay, and for a moment lingered on the deck of a passing steamer like an arresting memory. But only for an instant; the Ometepe, bound from San Francisco to San Juan del Norte, with its four seekers of the Excelsior, rolled and plunged on its way unconsciously.Within the bay and over the restful pueblo still dwelt the golden haze of its perpetual summer; the... Long Stories - Post by : Shawn_Mason - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 3027

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 2. Freed - Chapter 1. The Mourners At San Francisco

PART II. FREED CHAPTER I. THE MOURNERS AT SAN FRANCISCOThe telegraph operator at the Golden Gate of San Francisco had long since given up hope of the Excelsior. During the months of September and October, 1854, stimulated by the promised reward, and often by the actual presence of her owners, he had shown zeal and hope in his scrutiny of the incoming ships. The gaunt arms of the semaphore at Fort Point, turned against the sunset sky, had regularly recorded the smallest vessel of the white-winged fleet which sought the portal of the bay during that eventful year of immigration; but... Long Stories - Post by : hotspot - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 3629

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 11. The Captain Follows His Ship

PART I. IN BONDSCHAPTER XI. THE CAPTAIN FOLLOWS HIS SHIPWhen Padre Esteban had finished reading the document he laid it down and fixed his eyes on the young man. Hurlstone met his look with a glance of impatient disdain."What have you to say to this?" asked the ecclesiastic, a little impressed by his manner."That as far as it concerns myself it is a farrago of absurdity. If I were the person described there, why should I have sought you with what you call a lie of 'sentimental passion,' when I could have claimed protection openly with my SISTER PATRIOT," he added,... Long Stories - Post by : bandit1030 - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 1075

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 10. Todos Santos Solves The Mystery

PART I. IN BONDS CHAPTER X. TODOS SANTOS SOLVES THE MYSTERYNotwithstanding his promise, and the summons of the Council, Father Esteban, on parting with the Excelsior prisoners in the San Antonio Road, did not proceed immediately to the presence of the Comandante. Partly anxious to inform himself more thoroughly regarding Hurlstone's antecedents before entering upon legislative functions that might concern him, partly uneasy at Brace's allusion to any possible ungentleness in the treatment of the fair Americanas, and partly apprehensive that Mrs. Brimmer might seek him at the Mission in the present emergency, the good Father turned his steps towards the... Long Stories - Post by : Jeremy_Burns - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 2978

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 9. An Open-Air Prison

PART I. IN BONDS CHAPTER IX. AN OPEN-AIR PRISONAn hour after mass Father Esteban had quietly installed Hurlstone in a small cell-like apartment off the refectory. The household of the priest consisted of an old Indian woman of fabulous age and miraculous propriety, two Indian boys who served at mass, a gardener, and a muleteer. The first three, who were immediately in attendance upon the priest, were cognizant of a stranger's presence, but, under instructions from the reverend Padre, were loyally and superstitiously silent; the vocations of the gardener and muleteer made any intrusion from them impossible. A breakfast of fruit,... Long Stories - Post by : thquah - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 3314

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 8. In Sanctuary

PART I. IN BONDS CHAPTER VIII. IN SANCTUARYWhen James Hurlstone reached the shelter of the shrubbery he leaned exhaustedly against the adobe wall, and looked back upon the garden he had just traversed. At its lower extremity a tall hedge of cactus reinforced the crumbling wall with a cheval de frise of bristling thorns; it was through a gap in this green barrier that he had found his way a few hours before, as his torn clothes still testified. At one side ran the low wall of the Alcalde's casa, a mere line of dark shadow in that strange diaphanous mist... Long Stories - Post by : atmytv - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 1307

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 7. The Gentle Castaways

PART I. IN BONDS CHAPTER VII. THE GENTLE CASTAWAYSMiss Keene was awakened from a heavy sleep by a hurried shake of her shoulder and an indefinite feeling of alarm. Opening her eyes, she was momentarily dazed by the broad light of day, and the spectacle of Mrs. Brimmer, pale and agitated, in a half-Spanish dishabille, standing at her bedside."Get up and dress yourself, my dear, at once," she said hurriedly, but at the same time attentively examining Miss Keene's clothes, that were lying on the chair: "and thank Heaven you came here in an afternoon dress, and not in an evening... Long Stories - Post by : pcmatt - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 2901

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 6. "Hail And Farewell"

PART I. IN BONDS CHAPTER VI. "HAIL AND FAREWELL"Supper was served in the inner room opening from the corridor lit by a few swinging lanterns of polished horn and a dozen wax candles of sacerdotal size and suggestion. The apartment, though spacious, was low and crypt-like, and was not relieved by the two deep oven-like hearths that warmed it without the play of firelight. But when the company had assembled it was evident that the velvet jackets, gold lace, silver buttons, and red sashes of the entertainers not only lost their tawdry and theatrical appearance in the half decorous and thoughtful... Long Stories - Post by : spfinn - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 1166

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 5. Todos Santos

PART I. IN BONDS CHAPTER V. TODOS SANTOSIt was evident that the two strangers represented some exalted military and ecclesiastical authority. This was shown in their dress--a long-forgotten, half mediaeval costume, that to the imaginative spectator was perfectly in keeping with their mysterious advent, and to the more practical as startling as a masquerade. The foremost figure wore a broad-brimmed hat of soft felt, with tarnished gold lace, and a dark feather tucked in its recurved flap; a short cloak of fine black cloth thrown over one shoulder left a buff leathern jacket and breeches, ornamented with large round silver buttons,... Long Stories - Post by : krystalan - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 3379

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 4. In The Fog

PART I. IN BONDSCHAPTER IV. IN THE FOGBy noon of the following day the coast of the Peninsula of California had been sighted to leeward. The lower temperature of the northwest Trades had driven Mrs. Brimmer and Miss Chubb into their state-rooms to consult their wardrobes in view of an impending change from the light muslins and easy languid toilets of the Tropics. That momentous question for the moment held all other topics in abeyance; and even Mrs. Markham and Miss Keene, though they still kept the deck, in shawls and wraps, sighed over this feminine evidence of the gentle passing... Long Stories - Post by : garys_pdx - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 2012

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 3. "Vigilancia"

PART I. IN BONDS CHAPTER III. "VIGILANCIA"Without exchanging another word with his escort, Senor Perkins followed him to the main hatch they descended and groped their way through the half obscurity of the lower deck. Here they passed one or two shadows, that, recognizing the Senor, seemed to draw aside in a half awed, half suppressed shyness, as of caged animals in the presence of their trainer. At the fore-hatch they again descended, passing a figure that appeared to be keeping watch at the foot of the ladder, and almost instantly came upon a group lit up by the glare... Long Stories - Post by : Dave-ok - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 1529

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 2. Another Portent

PART I. IN BONDS CHAPTER II. ANOTHER PORTENTThe saloon of the Excelsior was spacious for the size of the vessel, and was furnished in a style superior to most passenger-ships of that epoch. The sun was shining through the sliding windows upon the fresh and neatly arranged breakfast-table, but the presence of the ominous "storm-racks," and partitions for glass and china, and the absence of the more delicate passengers, still testified to the potency of the Gulf of California. Even those present wore an air of fatigued discontent, and the conversation had that jerky interjectional quality which belonged to people with... Long Stories - Post by : bsmbahamas - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 2802

The Crusade Of The Excelsior: A Novel - Part 1. In Bonds - Chapter 1. A Crusader And A Sign

PART I. IN BONDS CHAPTER I. A CRUSADER AND A SIGNIt was the 4th of August, 1854, off Cape Corrientes. Morning was breaking over a heavy sea, and the closely-reefed topsails of a barque that ran before it bearing down upon the faint outline of the Mexican coast. Already the white peak of Colima showed, ghost-like, in the east; already the long sweep of the Pacific was gathering strength and volume as it swept uninterruptedly into the opening Gulf of California.As the cold light increased, it could be seen that the vessel showed evidence of a long voyage and stress of... Long Stories - Post by : ValerieC - Date : May 2012 - Author : Bret Harte - Read : 3610

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