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Our Cat/10lic Heritage in T cxas
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distracted them during prayer, and became familiar with the Indian women of the mission. In vain, the Padres asked the soldiers and the settlers not to come to the mission except on business. The missionaries attempted to stop the inter- course, which was becoming too free, by placing an Indian guard at the bridge to turn back those who did not have legitimate excuse for crossing over the stream. The effort, however, proved fruitless. Such was the state of affairs when on October 14, 1736, Fray Mariano received an order from Fray Fernandez de Santa Ana, President of the missions, to remove the bridge. Fray Mariano admits that he had earlier requested authorization to withdraw the passageway, but that this had not been granted until now. Two days later, on October 16, which was Monday, the minister of Valero Mission carried ·out the command of his superior. That same afternoon Father Mariano received a message from Gov- ernor Franquis, asking that six or eight Indians from the mission be sent to him at six o'clock the next morning. "I asked," says the friar, "if the Indians were wanted for a campaign against the enemy, and being informed they were not, I replied that the neophytes were busy in the essential tasks of the mission, that many of them were sick at this time, and that I could not send them without a written order from the Father President." Father Mariano rightly suspected that the Indians were wanted to rebuild the bridge and immediately notified Father Santa Ana of the occurrence, who early next morning went to explain the circum- stances to the governor. This official, who flew into a rage at the slightest provocation, however, was in no mood for explanations. While the Father President was explaining, the governor ordered Lieutenant Mateo Perez to go to Mission Valero with a squad of soldiers and bring six or eight Indians to him by force if necessary. Unabashed by the presence of the soldiers, Father Mariano told Lieutenant Perez that he would not give his consent to the Indians being taken, that if he wanted them he would have to get them himself. The soldiers then took eight men forcibly from their labors in the fields. Disregarding the fact that the beams belonged to the mission, the bridge was promptly rebuilt under the direction of the governor, who attended to the work in person. When the bridge had been completed, he sent a message to Father Mariano telling him not to remove it again as he himself had built it. "Fearful of the ruin of the mission," says Father Mariano, "with the the reestablishment of the bridge, I again placed the Indian guard the
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