TEXIAN STOMPING GROUNDS
presented themselves to have their marriage blessed. Evening
found the zealous priest with his congregation for the recitation
of the Rosary, the 'Ave Maria's,' interspersed with devotional
hymns.
If the yearly visit of the priest was an occasion of rejoicing,
the visit of the bishop was an event for superb celebration. He
came only once every four or five years. Sometimes, in the
absence of roads, he had to be guided by some vaquero. In the
earlier days he traveled on horseback, accompanied by one or
two priests, or even alone. Later on he traveled in a stage coach
with something of a retinue. He usually came in the spring, and
then the enclosure at Buena Vista was made a bower of flowers.
The ranchmen formed an escort to meet him at the arroyo. Over
the ranch enclosure was a great white arch, under which he and
his party and the escort passed. Children with baskets of flowers
stood along the way, strewing it with flowers. But often they
were so wonder-struck that they forgot to distribute the flowers.
Amusing things were always happening even at the most
solemn times. On one occasion, a very respectable matron,
Sefiora Panchita Alegria, who was busy in the kitchen helping
prepare the meat for the bishop, heard the school bell ringing
to call the people to greet His Excellency. She rushed out with
everyone else to receive his blessing. This blessing is administered
by the bishop to each individual separately. One approaches him,
kneels, kisses the ring which the bishop has been given by the
Pope, and then receives the blessing.
When Sefiora Alegria had thus knelt and received the bless-
ing, the bishop looked at her and smiled.
"Are you going to kill me now?" he inquired, "or wait until
later in the day?"
With astonishment and chagrin, the startled matron realized
that she still held gripped firmly in her hand the big butcher
knife with which she had been cutting the meat.
TIO PEDRO AND THE RANGERS
Tio Pedro, a cousin to Don Florencio, had established himself
on a small ranch to the north of Buena Vista. He was a peaceful
man with a wife and two children. He worked hard and man-
68
