Mission High School - Mission Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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MISSION HIGH Scnooi, emu 'lm Tecal did not propose to attempt dealing with The Killer while hampered with a group of senseless white men who made more noise than all his squaws together. One white man was enough to keep him busy, and upon that one, by means of further conversation with the padres, he managed to impress the necessity of moving quietly, and keeping his mouth shut, while on the hunt. Young Rodriguez, approving heartily of Tecal's plan, left the protection of the Mission to the soldiers, under the command of a seasoned old veteran named Lopez, and set out with his lndian ally to stalk The Killerfl Ordinarily the tribe to which the creature belonged were not man-eaters. But The Killer was a degenerate specimen. He found the taste of Modoc Indian very good indeed, so he made himself a den in the neighborhood of the lndian village, and prepared for future forays on the helpless Modocs. lt took the crafty Tecal but a short time to locate the approaches to the creature's cave, and the two men were soon in hiding near it. Fortunately the monster was out. The huntsmen made no sound, and gave no sign of life. At last they noticed a disturbance amid the tall grasses that grew near the deng there was a movement of a huge something near themg and then The Killer appeared. The shrewd Modoc had chosen his position well. The hunters were down wind from the monster, but within easy musket range. They saw the giant body of the beast lurch clumsily, yet swiftly, toward the entrance to the cave. Rodriguez smiled as he held his musket to his shoulder, aimed at a gray patch on The Killer's flank and waited. His savage companion, outwardly calm, was internally consumed with impatience, anger and contempt for this white man who, at what seemed to Tecal the crucial mo- ment, suddenly developed hunter's fever and was unable to fire when the target was right there before him. Would the fool blunder again and let this golden opportunity slip away? If only he, Tecal, knew how to use the fire-stick, his vengeance upon his brother's murderer would be swift! But to have to depend upon this seemingly useless companion was unbearable! Little did Tecal know Don Ramon Rodriguez. The fire-stick was not a weapon of the Modoc people, but the Spaniard knew how to use it. The Indian's desire for vengeance was not destined to remain unsatisfied. After an interminable wait for the Indian, but at what the Spaniard knew to be exactly the right time, the musket roared. The Killer with a bellow of rage and pain, rose to his full height, fangs bared for battle, then ever so gently sagged, slumped to the ground, and died with a last blood-curdling snarl. The Rodriguez' are as proud and ancient a family as any in Spain. The walls of their home are adorned with many trophies, well and honorably won. But no greater tribute to their skill as huntsmen exists than a certain necklace which a mem- ber of the family earned while serving as a soldier in the King's army in California, and left behind him when he died as a proof of his prowess. It was made by the squaws of Tecal, the Modoc chief. It consists of strong heavy grass fiber, and the claws of The Killer --a gigantic California grizzly bear. WILLIAM NICHOLS. l 13 l

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THIA: MISSION emu 0619 at what had been his brother, and the Indian swung off to the Mission. Tecal was no coward, but he knew that he and the other hunters of the tribe were helpless against 'fThe Killer. The visits of the creature were periodical. The tribe had suffered seven deaths when he had last appeared. That had been before the coming of the white men. Per- haps, now that the good padres were here, they could help his people get rid of this menace. Entering the lklission grounds the Modoc chief came face to face with Fray An- tonio. The latter essayed a friendly greeting, but the Indian ignored it, and made a gesture for the padre to follow him. Knowing the Indian to be friendly, and realiz- ing that something serious was afoot, the padre did as Tecal desired. The red man led the way back to his brother's corpse. Fray Antonio was a man of wide experience, who had in his younger days been both a soldier and a hunter. The mangled mass of humanity which Tecal showed him was sufficient explanation. He nodded his understanding to the Indian and the two returned to the Mission. Five minutes later a rider left the Mission grounds and galloped up the slopes to the north. Following a well-marked trail, he soon came in sight of the blue water of the Golden Gate, and beheld, a little way to the northwest, the military post which upheld Spanish dominion in this far-off western land. He made for the place, and soon delivered his message to the Commandante of the Presidio. The message was a request from the padres for some soldiers to protect the settle- ment against the incursions of The Killer. The Commandante nodded and im- mediately sent for Lieutenant Rodriguez. II Eight cavalrymen, headed by Lieutenant Rodriguez, rode swiftly out of the Pre- sidio, and over the trail to the Mission. The young commander, his face alight with pleasure in the prospect of some excitement, pressed eagerly forward, and it was not long before he halted his men in front of the little adobe building. Tecal was there, waiting with Fray Antonio. His keen glance flashed over the men, then came to rest on the leader. Recognizing the bungling fisherman of the day before, the disappointed Modoc turned to the padre and voiced his disapproval of the appointment of this man for the duty of coping with The Killer. After a moment's discussion the priest advanced to the young officer and asked him to prove his marksmanship to the chief, to which request the lieutenant readily assented. Fray Antonio led the way to an open space of ground, and Rodriguez, supplied with a musket, followed him. The officer was no fisherman, but he was the best shot in the Presidio. The Modoc chief, an interested observer, soon received utter and convincing proof of the white man's skill with the fire-stick. Satisfied on this score, Tecal, through the padres, made Rodriguez understand the scheme he proposed, namely to hunt The Killer down in his lair. The Indian should track the monster down, and Rodriguez shoot it when the red man had located it for him. As for the Lieutenant's detail, it should be left to protect the Mission. E121

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THE Mrss1oN axon um GUR MISSION STADIUM Fellow students of the Mission High School, do you realize what wonderful possi- bilities we have for a natural Stadium in our Mission Park? On a beautiful Spring afternoon, have you ever stopped to gaze on the magnificent panorama stretched out before you? ln the distance, the terraced green slopes, flanked by clusters of graceful palms-all enclosing a natural bowl-an ideal stadium in the making. Hundreds of athletes are practicing, some pole-vaulting, some hurling javelins and discs-rivaling in effect th: Grecian athletes of ancient prowess. Not to be outdone, the girls in sensible athletic attire, are following the directions of their directors. It is an inspiring picture! What does it suggest to you? The climatic conditions, the artistic outlook and the neighborhood needs-all combine to prove that the Mission Park should be transformed fwithout disturbing any of its natural beautiesj into a Stadium for the Mission. It could be used, not only by the Mission High School students, but also by the students of both the Horace Mann and Everett Junior High Schools, and by all the youth of the growing Mission District. The Sunset District has two stadia, but the climatic conditions and the fact that they are so inaccessible to the Mission Students in general lessen their value as such to us. It remains for the students of the Mission High School to bring these facts to the attention of those who are ready and willing to assist in any great movement for the good of humanity. Let us, each one of us, constitute himself and herself a committee of one to further the great movement, to carry this propaganda, far out and heyond. Let us have a Mission Stadium for the Mission boys and girls of the future. X. THE HOMING PIGEON CLUB lllission High School has started a Homing Pigeon Club under the direction of Mr. Drew, Captain Rogers, and Mr. Galeno. Meinbership in the club is open to any boy or girl who is interested in pigeons. A loft has been built, and the training of the birds has been started. The earliest record of pigeons kept under domestication occurs in the fifth Egyptian dynasty, about 3000 years B. C. Pigeons with the homing instinct were utilized for carrying the names of the Olympic victors to their various cities. An actual post was established in Bagdad by the Sultan in 1150 and lasted until the fall of Bagdad in 1258 by Mongola, who destroyed the system. The homing pigeon is the result of several centuries of intelligent cross breeding between various races derived from the bizet or rock pigeon of Europe. This crossing has produced the homing pigeons of today, a variety of the pigeon family, noted for its superior intelligence, and physique, and with the peculiar characteristic that it will return to its home loft when released at a distance. When the armistice was signed, the United States Army had 20,000 homing pigeons in service. Pre-eminent among the American birds was the President Wilson. Lib- erated at Grand Pre at 2:35 p. m. with an important message, during intense machine gun and artillery action, the bird delivered its message to the loft at Rampont, a dis- tance of 40 kilometers, in 25 minutes. Upon examination it was found that one leg had been amputated and that the breast had been pierced by a machine gun bullet. The Mocker with one eye destroyed by a piece of shrapnel and his head a welter of clotted blood homed from the Beaumont front. This bird carried a message of great importance which gave the location of several of the advancing heavy batteries, which were doing terrible execution on the advancing American troops. This informa- tion enabled the American artillery to silence the guns of the enemy within twenty minutes. Z. I14l