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This proposal was made without consulting Captain Flores, who objected, stating that he would not consent to an agreement until the chiefs first came in person. To this demand Father Gonzalez remonstrated that, per- haps, the rest of the chiefs did not care to come until further proof of good faith was given them. Angry words were exchanged and the dis- cussion became heated before the amazed visitors. The Indians, unable to understand the finer points of the argument, were frightened and decided it was time to leave. Quietly they began to slip out of the mis- sion. One of them clasped a young girl by the hand, and leading her over to Captain Flores said, "take girl." Before the conference ended, the Indians promised to return when winter was over, but they explained that only four chiefs would come with them, because the other did not want to be the friend of the Spaniards. 40 Misunderstandings of Fatleer Gonzalez and Captain Flores. Father Gonzalez was deeply disappointed with the outcome of the negotiations and blamed Captain Flores for it. Ever since the night the horses were stolen the misunderstanding between the two had been growing. Shortly after the incident it seems that Father Gonzalez complained to the Guar- dian of the College of Queretaro, that Flores was negligent of his duties and that the garrison was poorly armed for defence. The Guardian reported the state of affairs to the viceroy, who on October 3, warned Flores to be more diligent, hinting that if the soldiers had been prop- erly equipped and the presidio in good condition the Indians could not have stolen the horses. 41 In order to clear himself, Flores appealed to the missionary to make a statement as to the circumstances of the theft and the difficulties and needs of the garrison. In complying with the request, Father Gonzalez reaffirmed all he had said before and added to the shortcomings previously enumerated, the grievous offence offered to the Indians during their last visit in Decem- ber. He declared that the soldiers were poorly armed, that most of them were mere boys, and that half of them were unfit for service. The night when the horses were stolen, he stated, there had been only seven sol- diers on guard and these were unable to oppose the raiders because their arms were no good. He pointed out that six, eight and sometimes as many as ten men were always kept busy working on private farms, while 40Declaration of the soldiers, January 6, 1724; Testimony of Father Jose Gon- zalez, January 10, 1724, Arc/rivo Sa11 Francisco el Grande, Vol. 10. 41Flores to the Viceroy, undated. A. G. N., Provincias lnternas, Vol. 32, Part I.
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