The guests had been arriving all morning.  The Booths had reached the ranch the night before, and the last to put in an appearance was the contingent from the Frio and San Miguel.  Before the appearance of the rangers, they had been sighted across the river, and they rode up with Pierre Vaux, like a captain of the Old Guard, in the lead.

“Ah, Don Lance,” he cried, “vat you tink?  Dey say Don Pierre no ride fas’ goin’ to church.  Dese youngsters laff all time and say I never get here unless de dogs is ‘long.  Sacre!  Act all time lak I vas von ol’ man. Humbre, keep away from dis horse; he allow nobody but me to lay von han’ on him—­keep away, I tol’ you!”

I helped the girls to dismount, Miss Jean kissing them right and left, and bustling them off into the house to tidy up as fast as possible; for the hour was almost at hand.  On catching sight of Mrs. Annear, fresh and charming in her widow’s weeds, Uncle Lance brushed Don Pierre aside and cordially greeted her.  Vaqueros took the horses, and as I strolled up the pathway with Esther, I noticed an upper window full of ranger faces peering down on the girls.  Before this last contingent had had time to spruce up, Pasquale’s eldest boy rode around all the jacals, ringing a small handbell to summon the population to the dedication.  Outside of our home crowd, we had forty white guests, not including the two Booth children and the priests.  As fast as the rangers were made presentable, the master and mistress introduced them to all the girls present.  Of course, there were a few who could not be enticed near a woman, but Quayle and Happersett, like kindred spirits, took the backward ones under their wing, and the procession started for the chapel.

The audience was typical of the Texas frontier at the close of the ’70’s.  Two priests of European birth conducted the services.  Pioneer cowmen of various nationalities and their families intermingled and occupied central seats.  By the side of his host, a veteran of ’36, when Mexican rule was driven from the land, sat Lieutenant Barr, then engaged in accomplishing a second redemption of the state from crime and lawlessless.  Lovable and esteemed men were present, who had followed the fortunes of war until the Southern flag, to which they had rallied, went down in defeat.  The younger generation of men were stalwart in physique, while the girls were modest in their rustic beauty.  Sitting on the cement floor on three sides of us were the natives of the ranch, civilized but with little improvement over their Aztec ancestors.

The dedicatory exercises were brief and simple.  Every one was invited to remain for the celebration of the first mass in the newly consecrated building.  Many who were not communicants accepted, but noticing the mistress and my sweetheart taking their leave, I joined them and assisted in arranging the tables so that all our guests could be seated at two sittings.  At the conclusion of the services, dinner was waiting,