Río de Los Temblores

Viejo Mateo helped Fray Guillen to his feet. The monk felt as if some of his ribs had been broken by the pounding of the ground against his body as he lay prone in the grass. He was unsteady and gasping for air as he leaned against Viejo Mateo for support. Capitán Alvarez rode to the back of the column to see if Fray Guillen had been injured.

"Brother Guillen, are you hurt?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," answered Fray Guillen, checking his ribs. "I think I will be able to continue as soon as I catch my breath. What happened?"

"Fue un temblor fuerte. A powerful earthquake," said Capitán Alvarez. "Would you like to ride for a while? I can order one of the men to dismount."

"No, no," said Guillen. "Just give me a little time to regain my composure. I would prefer to walk with these Indians and continue praying. Have there been any casualties? Has the shaking stopped?"

"For the moment," replied the capitán. "Sometimes earthquakes come in series. There seems to have been no harm done except for a mule which ran off. Brother, can you send some of the natives to gather the items which have fallen from the mule's pack?"

Fray Guillen spoke to Viejo Mateo in a mixture of Spanish and Tongva. Viejo Mateo turned and motioned to several Indians who went running into the forest after the mule.

The mule was able to gallop some distance before the pack saddle slipped around under its belly and began to hinder its movements. In its panic it had gotten off onto a side trail and was lost, still wanting to get to Guaymas. It wandered aimlessly among the twisted oak trees, wheezing and sweating.

Martinez had gone galloping down the main trail, completely missing the side trail which the mule had taken. He rode for nearly an hour before giving up. He was reluctant to return without the mule and face the wrath of Capitán Alvarez. Alvarez would be furious about the lost mule and the time wasted looking for it. But there was no other alternative. Martinez started back toward the clearing, where the rest of the company would be waiting.

Capitán Alvarez gave an order to Teniente Aguirre, sending him off specifically to retrieve the royal standard. He did not want any of the Indians to be in possession of the banner of the King of Spain. After Teniente Aguirre left, Capitán Alvarez returned to speak with Fray Guillen.

"Brother Guillen, can you ask this Indian what he knows about earthquakes in this area?" said the capitán. "He seems to be the oldest and most intelligent of them all."

Viejo Mateo listened as the monk spoke to him. Viejo Mateo had learned some Spanish and was patient in teaching Fray Guillen his language. He realized that the capitán and the holy man expected him to explain to them why the world had just shaken and moved so violently.

Viejo Mateo did not reply immediately. He wanted to relate to the monk and the chief of the soldiers the story of the two brother gods, Jewe and Bala, who had ruled the earth in harmony for many ages until Bala, the youngest and stronger of the two, determined to change the order of the world as he thought best. But Jewe would not allow the changes. Bala resented this and became impatient to have the world as he envisioned. He bided his time until he saw an opportunity to overthrow Jewe and rule the earth by himself. But Jewe, being older and wiser, had been able to foresee the plans of his brother. He had secretly prepared a path to a safe place, hidden from Bala and his followers. Thus began the current age of the world in which the struggles of the brother gods overshadowed all else and the peace was destroyed. The brothers battled intensely for a time, but neither could overcome the other. Then they retired to their refuges to rest and heal their wounds. Soon enough, the fighting would begin anew as one brother felt threatened by the other. Sometimes the brothers would wrestle beneath the sea. Great storms and huge waves would come out of the ocean. The waters would be violent and confused. Any people who were foolish enough to venture out in their tomols would be tossed about and drowned. Other times the brothers fought on the mountaintops. Lightning and thunder would frighten the people below. Fires would rage in the hills. All the trees and plants would be destroyed and the animals driven out. Smoke and ash would descend upon the people. Sometimes the gods used the people themselves to fight their battles. In those times there would be rapes and murders and strife among the tribes. The people of Bala, although stronger and fiercer, could never prevail because they were not united and sometimes fought each other with little provocation. The people of Jewe joined together to drive off their enemies and protect their homes. Then the gods would resume fighting elsewhere. At times Jewe and Bala battled each other deep beneath the earth and the whole world would convulse from the violence of their struggles. These battles seldom terminated in a day and the earth might continue shaking for several days.