He admitted
that he was scared on the appearance of Father Norquin as a _padrino_,
on account of the fact that a priest was usually supreme among his own
people. That he had early come to the conclusion if there was to be any
coercion used in this case, he was determined to get in his bluff first.
But Miss Jean ridiculed the idea that there was any serious danger.

"Goodness me, Lance," said she, "I could have told you there was no
cause for alarm. In this case between Fidel and Juana, I've been a very
liberal chaperon. Oh, well, now, never mind about the particulars. Once,
to try his nerve, I gave him a chance, and I happen to know the rascal
kissed her the moment my back was turned. Oh, I think Juana will stay at
Las Palomas."

CHAPTER XVII

WINTER AT LAS PALOMAS

The winter succeeding the drouth was an unusually mild one, frost and
sleet being unseen at Las Palomas. After the holidays several warm rains
fell, affording fine hunting and assuring enough moisture in the soil to
insure an early spring. The preceding winter had been gloomy, but this
proved to be the most social one since my advent, for within fifty miles
of the ranch no less than two weddings occurred during Christmas week.
As to little neighborhood happenings, we could hear of half a dozen
every time we went to Shepherd's after the mail.

When the native help on the ranch was started at blocking out the stone
for the chapel, Uncle Lance took the hounds and with two of the boys
went down to Wilson's ranch for a hunt. Gallup went, of course, but
just why he took Scales along, unless with the design of making a match
between one of the younger daughters of this neighboring ranchman and
the Marylander, was not entirely clear. When he wanted to, Scales could
make himself very agreeable, and had it not been for his profligate
disposition, his being taken along on the hunt would have been no
mystery. Every one on the ranch, including the master and mistress,
were cognizant of the fact that for the past year he had maintained
a correspondence with a girl in Florida--the one whose letter and
photograph had been found in the box of oranges. He hardly deserved the
confidence of the roguish girl, for he showed her letters to any one who
cared to read them. I had read every line of the whole correspondence,
and it was plain that Scales had deceived the girl into believing that
he was a prominent ranchman, when in reality the best that could be said
of h