An Eagle Flight

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 edition. Excerpt: ...said the Capitana Maria. Our sons ought to aspire to be more than their fathers. I have not long to live, and we shall meet again in the other world. Your ideas, Capitana Maria, are little Christian, said Sister Rufa severely. Make yourself a sister of the Sacred Rosary, or of St. Francis. Sister Rufa, when I'm a worthy sister of men, I will think about being a sister of the saints, said the capitana, smiling. Under the booth where the children had their feast the father of the one who was to be a doctor was talking. What troubles me most, said he, is that the school will not be finished; my son will not be a doctor, but a carter. Who said there wouldn't be a school? I say so. The White Fathers have called Don Crisdstomo plibastiero. There won't be any school. The peasants questioned each other's faces. The word was new to them. And is that a bad name? one at last ventured to ask. It's the worst one Christian can give another. Worse than tarantado and saragate? If it weren't, it wouldn't amount to much. Come now. It can't be worse than indio, as the alferez says. He whose son was to be a carter looked gloomy. The other shook his head and reflected. Then is it as bad as betalapora, that the old woman of the alferez says? You remember the word ispichoso (suspect), which had only to be said of a man to have the guards lead him off to prison? Well, plibastiero is worse yet; if any one calls you plibastiero, you can confess and pay your debts, for there's nothing else left to do but get yourself hanged. That's what the telegrapher and the sub-director say, and you know whether the telegrapher and the sub-director ought to know: one talks with iron wires, and the other knows Spanish, and handles nothing but the pen. The...