r to her. However, she would do nothing hastily. There would
be plenty of time before Juan Can's leg was well. She would study the
young man more. In the mean time, she would cause Felipe to think of the
idea, and propose it.

So one day she said to Felipe: "What a voice that Alessandro has,
Felipe. We shall miss his music sorely when he goes, shall we not?"

"He's not going!" exclaimed Felipe, startled.

"Oh, no, no; not at present. He agreed to stay till Juan Can was
about again; but that will be not more than six weeks now, or eight, I
suppose. You forget how time has flown while you have been lying here
ill, my son."

"True, true!" said Felipe. "Is it really a month already?" and he
sighed.

"Juan Can tells me that the lad has a marvellous knowledge for one of
his years," continued the Senora. "He says he is as skilled with cattle
as with sheep; knows more than any shepherd we have on the place. He
seems wonderfully quiet and well-mannered. I never saw an Indian who had
such behavior."

"Old Pablo is just like him," said Felipe. "It was natural enough,
living so long with Father Peyri. And I've seen other Indians, too, with
a good deal the same manner as Alessandro. It's born in them."

"I can't bear the idea of Alessandro's going away. But by that time you
will be well and strong," said the Senora; "you would not miss him then,
would you?"

"Yes, I would, too!" said Felipe, pettishly. He was still weak enough to
be childish. "I like him about me. He's worth a dozen times as much as
any man we've got. But I don't suppose money could hire him to stay on
any ranch."

"Were you thinking of hiring him permanently?" asked the Senora, in a
surprised tone. "I don't doubt you could do so if you wished. They are
all poor, I suppose; he would not work with the shearers if he were not
poor."

"Oh, it isn't that," said Felipe, impatiently. "You can't understand,
because you've never been among them. But they are just as proud as we
are. Some of them, I mean; such men as old Pablo. They shear sheep for
money just as I sell wool for money. There isn't so much difference.
Alessandro's men in the band obey him, and all the men in the village
obey Pablo, just as implicitly as my men here obey me. Faith, much more
so!" added Felipe, laughing. "You can't understand it, mother, but it's
so. I am not at all sure I could offer Alessandro Assis money enough to
tempt him to stay here as my servant."

The Senora's nostrils di