have missed, and
putting a whistle to his lips blew a summons which was understood by
every fellow-workman on the ranch. Then he quietly re-entered the house,
folded his arms, and leaned carelessly against the door frame.

Senor Bernal started up as if he would forcibly eject the herder, but
thought better of this and sank back nonchalantly in his great chair.
Jessica had placed herself behind her mother, and clasped Mrs. Trent's
shoulders with the protecting tenderness habitual to her. Ned had sprung
to his mother's lap and Luis continued his nap at her feet; while all
seemed waiting for some fresh development of the affair.

This came and speedily; for, in answer to Samson's whistle, there filed
over the porch and into the room, Joe, the smith; Marty, the gardener;
and Carpenter John. There was missing old "Forty-niner," commonly the
dominant fifth of this odd quintet, but nobody wondered much at that.
Doubtless he was polishing his darling's rifle and making ready for some
astonishing display of her skill wherewith to dazzle the stranger upon
the morrow. In any case he rarely disagreed with the opinions of his
cronies and was sure to be one with them in the matter of that hour.

With a respectful salute to Mrs. Trent, a grin toward the children, and
a scowl for Antonio, these stalwart ranchmen lined up against the wall
and stood at attention. Mr. Hale, observant through the doorway, again
noticed that each of these was well along in years, that each had some
slight physical infirmity, and that, despite these facts, each looked
a man of unusual strength and most entire devotion. Indeed, the gaze
fixed upon the little lady, was one of adoration, and the situation
boded ill for anybody who meant harm to her.

"Ahem. What say, mates? Has the hour struck?"

"The hour has struck," answered John Benton, solemnly, shifting his
weight from his lame leg to his sound one.

Samson strode a mighty step forward and pulled his forelock.

"Then I state, madam, that we here, on behalf of ourselves and our
whole crew, now, and hereby do, throw off all 'legiance to that there
Spanish skunk, a-settin' in your easiest chair, and appoint Our Lady
Jess, captain of the good ship Sobrante. Allowin' you to be the admiral
of that same, madam, but takin' no more orders from anybody save and
excepting her--under you, of course--from this time forth, so help us."

Then there burst from the trio of throats a cheer that shook the windows,
a