This is how it happened: The ship had sailed into the bay at early
morning, and the lieutenant at the fort had straightway sent a runner up
to the Mission with the cheering news, adding that the articles for the
Father's personal use had been thoughtfully packed separately from the
heavier goods, and the captain had obligingly kept the special package
in his own cabin, so that it could be delivered to the expectant
consignee at once on arrival. The Father had immediately dispatched two
of his most trusted Indians, Pio and Jose, to receive the goods, which
the captain had promised to have brought ashore in the first boat-load.

The sergeant who delivered the goods to the Indians, in order to make
the unwieldy package easy of transportation by the two men over the two
leagues of road that lay between the bay and the Mission, had unwisely
opened it in the presence of the Indians, so as to arrange the contents
in two loads. The men had each taken one of the bundles and started for
the Mission. In due course, Jose had arrived with his load, but alone,
and in explanation had reported that at a mile or two from the bay his
companion had fallen behind--to rest, as he supposed--while he
continued on his way. After a time he had waited for Pio to come up, but
the latter had not rejoined him. Jose had left his own load by the
roadside and gone back to see what had become of him, but no trace was
to be found of either Pio or his burden. There was nothing for him,
Jose, to do but to continue on his way with his own part of the Padre's
property, and here he was. Pio would doubtless come soon with the
remainder.

But Pio had not come, and the Father's fears, born as he listened to
Jose's story, grew into angry certainty as hours passed and no Pio
appeared. Examination of Jose's bundle had revealed the altar-cloth, the