gs out of your treasure chest, Daddy, to wear
when we had company," said the girl, quite calmly.

She wore the barbarous ornaments with an air of dignity. They seemed to
suit her, young as she was. And Pratt knew that the girdle and bracelet
must be enormously valuable as well as enormously old.

The expression "treasure chest" was so odd that it stuck in the young
man's mind. He was very curious as to what it meant, and determined,
when he knew Frances better, to ask about it.

A little silence had fallen after the girl's speech. Then Captain Rugley
started forward suddenly and the forelegs of his chair came sharply to
the planks.

"Hello!" he said, into the darkness outside the radiance of the porch
light. "Who's there?"

Frances fluttered out of her chair. Pratt noted that she slipped into
the shadow. Neither she nor the Captain had been sitting in the full
radiance of the lamp.

The visitor had heard nothing; but he knew that the old ranchman was
leaning forward listening intently.

"Who's there?" the captain demanded again.

"Don't shoot, neighbor!" said a hoarse voice out of the darkness. "I'm
jest a-paddin' of it Amarillo way. Can I get a flop-down and a bite
here?"

"Only a tramp, Dad," breathed Frances, with a sigh.

"How did you get into this compound?" demanded Captain Rugley, none the
less suspiciously and sternly.

"I come through an open gate. It's so 'tarnal dark, neighbor----"

"You see those lights down yonder?" snapped the Captain. "They are at
the bunk-house. Cook'll give you some chuck and a chance to spread your
blanket. But don't you let me catch you around here too long after
breakfast to-morrow morning. We don't encourage hobos, and we already
have all the men hired for the season we want."

"All right, neighbor," said the voice in the darkness, cheerfully--too
cheerfully, in fact, Pratt Sanderson thought. An ordinary man--even one
with the best intentions in the world--would have been offended by the
Captain's brusk words.

A stumbling foot went down the yard. Captain Rugley grunted, and might
have said something explanatory, but just then Ming came softly to the
door, whining:

"Dlinner, Misse."

"Guess Pratt's hungry, too," grunted the Captain, rising. "Let's go in
and see what the neighbors have flung over the back fence."

But sad as the joke was, all that Captain Rugley said seemed so
open-hearted and kindly--save only when he was talking to the unknown
tramp--that th