, and just try that word on the
'senor.' Tell him there's a bit of a break in the flume I'd like his
advice about."

The workman's laugh followed the girl down the rough and perilous way,
and just as she passed out of hearing came the parting shot:

"Send Antonio."

"H-m-m! I don't see what it all means. First is old Pedro, with his
grim ''Ware Antonio!' And now John Benton speaks in that queer way, as
if there were two meanings to his words. Heigho! I hear somebody coming
up. I wonder who!"

Hurrying downward as fast as the uneven path allowed, her own softly-shod
feet making no noise, she reached a turn of the road and suddenly
slackened her pace. The man approaching was one of the few whom she
feared and disliked.

"Ferd, the dwarf!"

Instinctively, she hid behind a clump of shrubbery and waited for him
to pass, hoping he would not see her. He did not. He was too engrossed
in handling, apparently counting, something within a deep basket that
hung on his arm, and his bare feet loped around over the rocks as easily
as they would have carried him across the level mesa.

As soon as he had gone by Lady Jess started onward, but she had grown
even more thoughtful.

"That's queer. Antonio must need Ferd to-day if ever he does. Indeed,
nobody seems able to serve him as well as that poor half-wit. What could
he have had in his basket? And--ha! how came _this_ here?"

With a cry of surprise she lifted a small, soft object from the ground
before her and regarded it in gathering dismay.

CHAPTER III

SENOR TOP-LOFTY

Ever since Jessica could remember, Antonio Bernal had been manager of
the Sobrante ranch, and after the death of her father, a few months
before, he became practically its master. Even Mrs. Trent deferred to
his opinions more and more, and seemed to stand in awe of him, as did
most others on the great estate. He was the only person there, save his
own servant, Ferd, who did not treat the little girl with that adoring
sort of reverence which had given her the love-name of "our Lady Jess."
For some reason unknown to her he disliked her and showed this, so that
she shrank from and feared him in return.

As she emerged from the canyon upon the broad, sandy road which crossed
the valley, she saw him loping toward her on the powerful black horse
with which he made his daily rounds to inspect the many industries that
Mr. Trent had established. Jessica could always tell by the way he rode
what Anton