monotonous singing. The woman was a Mexican, very poorly dressed, and
looked to be all of ninety years of age. This aroused in some slight
degree the interest of the passengers.

"Who is that old woman?" asked one, of a brakeman who stood by his
window.

"Oh," laughed the man, "that is old Jane. She is here nearly every day,
when the train comes in."

"What is the matter with her? Is she crazy?" asked the traveler.

"Yes," answered the brakeman.

There was no time for more. The conductor called "all aboard," and the
train moved slowly away, leaving the old woman still intoning her chant.

The year 1824 opened with a feeling of distrust and uneasiness affecting
all the missions of Nueva California, from San Juan Capistrano northward
to Monterey. The fathers had held communication with each other many
times regarding the Indians in their charge, and it was confessed by all
that trouble from them was to be feared. At the same time nothing of any
tangible import had occurred to lead the mission fathers to this
conclusion. A few insubordinate individuals among the neophytes had been
a little more insubordinate than usual; several had run away from Santa
InŽs and Pur’sima to their old haunts and companions in the mountains;
some indications of a revival of the superstitious religious customs of
the Indians had been discovered; once, at San Luis Obispo, among the
neophytes living at some distance from the mission, a dozen men had been
found, one night, by a Mexican servant of the fathers, preparing some