. Then, going a step farther, Frances realized, from the
talk she had just heard, that this Pete was the man who had tried to get
over the roof of the ranch-house. One and the same man--tramp and
robber.

Ratty had shown Pete the way. Ratty was a traitor. He might easily have
seen the broken slate on the roof and pointed it out to the mysterious
Pete.

The latter had been an orderly in the Bylittle Soldiers' Home, and had
heard the story of the Spanish treasure chest, when old Mr. Lonergan was
rambling about it to the chaplain.

The fellow's greed had started him upon the quest of the treasure so
long in Captain Rugley's care. Perhaps he had known Ratty M'Gill before;
it seemed so. And yet, Ratty did not seem entirely in the confidence of
the robber.

Nevertheless, Ratty must leave the ranch. Frances was determined upon
this.

She could not tell her father about him; and she shrank from revealing
the puncher's villainy to Silent Sam Harding. Indeed, she was afraid of
what Sam and the other boys on the ranch might do to punish Ratty
M'Gill. The Bar-T punchers might be rather rough with a fellow like
Ratty.

Frances believed the boys on the Bar-T were loyal to her father and
herself. Ratty's defection hurt her as much as it surprised her. She had
never thought him more than reckless; but it seemed he had developed
more despicable characteristics.

These and similar thoughts disturbed Frances' mind as she made her way
back to the ranch-house. She found her father very weak, but once more
quite lucid. Ming glided away at her approach and Frances sat down to
hold the old ranchman's hand and tell him inconsequential things
regarding the work on the ranges, and the gossip of the bunk-house.

All the time the girl's heart hungered to nurse him herself, day and
night, instead of depending upon the aid of a shuffle-footed Chinaman.
The mothering instinct was just as strong in her nature as in most girls
of her age. But she knew her duty lay elsewhere.

Before this time Captain Rugley had never entirely given over the reins
of government into the hands of Silent Sam. He had kept in touch with
ranch affairs, delegating some duties to Frances, others to Sam or to
the underforeman. Now the girl had to be much more than the intermediary
between the old ranchman and his employees.

The doctor had impressed her with the rule that his patient was not to
be worried by business matters. Many things she had to do "off her own