Page:Helen Hunt--Ramona.djvu/399

Rh I'll teach yer all I know, 'n' be glad ter. I donno's 't 's goin' to be much uv a place for carpet-weavin' though, anywheres raound 'n this yer country; not but what thar's plenty o' rags, but folks seems to be wearin' 'em; pooty gen'ral wear, I sh'd say. I've seen more cloes on folks' backs hyar, thet wan't no more'n fit for carpet-rags, than any place ever I struck. They're drefful sheftless lot, these yere Mexicans; 'n' the Injuns is wuss. Naow when I say Injuns, I don't never mean yeow, yer know thet. Yer ain't ever seemed to me one mite like an Injun.”

“Most of our people haven't had any chance,” said Ramona. “You wouldn't believe if I were to tell you what things have been done to them; how they are robbed, and cheated, and turned out of their homes.”

Then she told the story of Temecula, and of San Pasquale, in Spanish, to Jos, who translated it with no loss in the telling. Aunt Ri was aghast; she found no words to express her indignation.

“I don't bleeve the Guvvermunt knows anything about it.” she said. “Why, they take folks up, n'n penetentiarize 'em fur life, back 'n Tennessee, fur things thet ain't so bad's thet! Somebody ought ter be sent ter tell 'em 't Washington what's goin' on hyar.”

“I think it's the people in Washington that have done it,” said Ramona, sadly. “Is it not in Washington all the laws are made?”

“I bleeve so!” said Aunt Ri, “Ain't it, Jos? It's Congress ain't 't, makes the laws?”

“I bleeve so.” said Jos. “They make some, at any rate. I donno's they make 'em all.”

“It is all done by the American law,” said Ramona, “all these things; nobody can help himself; for if anybody goes against the law he has to be killed or put in prison; that was what the sheriff told Alessandro, at Temecula. He felt very sorry for the Te-