ose's ear a few words, he said, "Will you go? I will pay
you for the time, all you could earn at the shearing."

"I will go," said Jose, elated. "You will see me back tomorrow by
sundown."

"Not earlier?" asked Alessandro. "I thought by noon."

"Well, by noon be it, then," said Jose. "The horse can do it."

"Have great care!" said Alessandro.

"That will I," replied Jose; and giving his horse's sides a sharp punch
with his knees, set off at full gallop westward.

"I have sent Jose with a message to Temecula," said Alessandro, walking
up to Fernando. "He will be back here tomorrow noon, and join you at the
Ortega's the next morning."

"Back here by noon to-morrow!" exclaimed Fernando. "Not unless he kills
his horse!"

"That was what he said," replied Alessandro, nonchalantly.

"Easy enough, too!" cried Antonio, riding up on his little dun mare.
"I'd go in less time than that, on this mare. Jose's is no match for
her, and never was. Why did you not send me, Alessandro?"

"Is your horse really faster than Jose's?" said Alessandro. "Then I wish
I had sent you. I'll send you next time."

VII

IT was strange to see how quickly and naturally Alessandro fitted into
his place in the household. How tangles straightened out, and rough
places became smooth, as he quietly took matters in hand. Luckily, old
Juan Can had always liked him, and felt a great sense of relief at the
news of his staying on. Not a wholly unselfish relief, perhaps, for
since his accident Juan had not been without fears that he might lose
his place altogether; there was a Mexican he knew, who had long
been scheming to get the situation, and had once openly boasted at
a fandango, where he was dancing with Anita, that as soon as that
superannuated old fool, Juan Canito, was out of the way, he meant to
be the Senora Moreno's head shepherd himself. To have seen this man in
authority on the place, would have driven Juan out of his mind.

But the gentle Alessandro, only an Indian,--and of course the Senora
would never think of putting an Indian permanently in so responsible a
position on the estate,--it was exactly as Juan would have wished; and
he fraternized with Alessandro heartily from the outset; kept him in
his room by the hour, giving him hundreds of long-winded directions and
explanations about things which, if only he had known it, Alessandro
understood far better than he did.

Alessandro's father had managed the Mission flocks and he