to wonder what was the cause of these strange proceedings, taking her
husband away from her, sometimes for nearly two weeks at a stretch.
Questioning Diego was useless, for he was a discreet servant, and told
her, simply, that the Father's business called him away. This was far
from satisfying her, of course, but she could learn nothing more from
him.

Juana, however, was not dependent entirely upon Diego for information as
to what was going on in her little world, that is, at the mission. She
was an acute little person in spite of her simplicity, and it would not
have taken one as acute as she, to see that something was disturbing the
neophytes, and tending to make them unruly. One day, at the hour for
shutting up the Indian children for the night, a youth was discovered
missing. Search was made, and kept up far into the night and the next
day, but without result. Ordinarily this would have excited no great
attention, but indications of the troublous times of 1824 had already
made their appearance, and every little incident out of the common
routine was looked upon with apprehension. The young Indian returned at
the close of the next day, and tried to appear as if nothing had
occurred. He was taken immediately to the Father, who questioned him
long and patiently, but with no avail. He would say nothing farther than
that he had run off to the ca–on in the mountains for a day's idleness;
and this he maintained, while the priest, wearied and harassed,
threatened him with flogging.

Juana had heard of this, for news in a little community like the mission
flies fast. Several times, when on the way to her work at the mission,
either as teacher to the Indian girls, or as spinner and weaver of the
fine cloth from which were made the vestments and altar decorations, or,
if it chanced to be the Sabbath, to attend mass at the church, she had