He loosed both feet from the stirrups and kicked lustily. The natives grasped his legs and hung on like pendant weights despite the rear of the mount. He cut about him with his riding-whip. The peons literally swarmed over him, pinioning his arms from front and behind, meanwhile shouting objections, curses, explanations in mingled Spanish and Indian. "Shut off your gibberish! Shut off your gibberish, I say! I've got to light out o' here. Get off my back! I've got to get the Cap'n," Brown yelled. "I'm here, Brown." Farquharson had ridden up unobserved. "I heard things were stirring around here and I came to find out about it," he continued. "I knew I should meet you on the way." The peons released Brown at a word from the Englishman. "These men were saying you must stay here and help defend the women and children." "Cap', I'm mighty glad to see you. Well, what about the women and children?" "It will not be necessary. Yoscolo has been bested. The fight is over, and the wounded are already nearing the outskirts of the pueblo here." "All well and good. Now, Cap', the padre's word to you is 'Yes.'" "I understand, Brown." "Now I have a word." "Very well." Brown dismounted and came close to Farquharson. "Are you aimin' to turn California over to the British?" The Captain smiled broadly. "Now, see here, Brown, we've got along famously for months. You haven't asked questions and haven't suffered any loss by not doing so. Now let things run along the same old way. You've been useful to me. I'll see you get a great deal more than the money I've paid you month by month." "Cap', you can explain away things about the best of any man I ever saw; but this here is principle with me. There isn't any explaining it away. As I said, I don't care a durn for this country. It's too fur out. But if I help anybody get it, that anybody is Uncle Sam." "Now, Brown, that's sentiment. Your Uncle Sam doesn't want the country. If he does, why hasn't he made it his own long ago? The truth is, the United States already has more territory than it knows what to do with. England can use California to splendid advantage. The people here are crying for her to come. Brown, her coming is inevitable." "Perhaps so. Just the same, I don't put my shoulder to her wheel and push her in here. No, sir!" Farquharson placed his hand on Brown's arm. "See here, my friend, I don't forget you risked your life for me that afternoon in Monterey." "That's all right, Cap'. I'll remark here, there's nothing personal to you in my present position." "Well, stay with me. Ask no questions, and I'll see you have a grant of land here twenty times the size of your average Missouri farm." "Not if I'm to help you or anyone to make this place over to England. Whatever I've done in that way previous was without my knowledge."