between this young boy
at the head of everything, and a doting mother who thinks he has the
wisdom of a dozen grown men. The Father knew the place in the olden
time. He knows it's no child's play to look after the estate even now,
much smaller as it is! An ill day when the old General died, an ill
day indeed, the saints rest his soul!" Saying this, Juan shrugged his
shoulders, and whistling to Capitan, walked towards the sunny veranda of
the south side of the kitchen wing of the house, where it had been for
twenty odd years his habit to sit on the long bench and smoke his pipe
of a morning. Before he had got half-way across the court-yard, however,
a thought struck him. He halted so suddenly that Capitan, with the quick
sensitiveness of his breed, thought so sudden a change of purpose could
only come from something in connection with sheep; and, true to his
instinct of duty, pricked up his ears, poised himself for a full run,
and looked up in his master's face waiting for explanation and signal.
But Juan did not observe him.

"Ha!" he said, "Father Salvierderra comes next month, does he? Let's
see. To-day is the 25th. That's it. The sheep-shearing is not to come
off till the Father gets here. Then each morning it will be mass in the
chapel, and each night vespers; and the crowd will be here at least
two days longer to feed, for the time they will lose by that and by
the confessions. That's what Senor Felipe is up to. He's a pious lad.
I recollect now, it was the same way two years ago. Well, well, it is a
good thing for those poor Indian devils to get a bit of religion now and
then; and it's like old times to see the chapel full of them kneeling,
and more than can get in at the door; I doubt not it warms the Senora's
heart to see them all there, as if they belonged to the house, as
they used to: and now I know when it's to be, I have only to make my
arrangements accordingly. It is always in the first week of the month
the Father gets here. Yes; she said, 'Senor Felipe will be well enough
in a week or two, he thinks.' Ha! ha! It will be nearer two; ten days or
thereabouts. I'll begin the booths next week. A plague on that Luigo for
not being back here. He's the best hand I have to cut the willow boughs
for the roofs. He knows the difference between one year's growth and
another's; I'll say that much for him, spite of the silly dreaming head
he's got on his shoulders."

Juan was so pleased with his clearing up in his min