Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/534

510 and Portilla, was very quiet and careful in his movements; but Captain Nicanor Estrada, who had been exiled with Gutierrez but had also returned from Cape San Lúcas, was more active in enlisting men, preparing arms, and arousing enthusiasm for the cause, being assisted by a party of refugees from the north, who had fled from Los Angeles at Alvarado's approach in January. Not much is known in detail of the preparations; but fifty or seventy-five men were enlisted, including, I suppose, remnants of the old compañía de fronteras, and were armed as well as circumstances would permit. Indian hostilities, to be mentioned later, interfered somewhat with the progress of these patriotic efforts. Osio and Pico were secret supporters of this movement, and their plan already noticed was doubtless a part of it, those gentlemen having changed their mind about the policy of being "devoured by wild beasts" rather than obey a Mexican mandarin. Strangely, in their narratives they say little or nothing of events in these months, though the former has described so minutely the preceding occurrences.

It will be remembered that late in April, San Diego had approved the new system as expressed in the Santa Bárbara plan of April 11th, though postponing on a frivolous pretext the formal swearing of allegiance. If the ayuntamiento took any action later on receipt of Alvarado's explanation, it is not recorded. On