ce.

"I suppose you know all about these old land-grants that were made when
New Mexico was a Spanish colony and later when it was a part of Mexico,"
he suggested.

Her dark eyes rested gravely on him an instant before she answered:
"Most of us that were brought up on them know something of the facts."

"You are familiar with the Valdes grant?"

"Yes."

"And with the Moreno grant, made by Governor Armijo?"

"Yes."

"The claims conflict, do they not?"

"The Moreno grant is taken right from the heart of the Valdes grant. It
includes all the springs, the valleys, the irrigable land; takes in
everything but the hilly pasture land in the mountains, which, in
itself, is valueless."

"The land included in this grant is of great value?"

"It pastures at the present time fifty thousand sheep and about twelve
thousand head of cattle."

"Owned by Miss Valdes?"

"Owned by her and her tenants."

"She's what you call a cattle queen, then. Literally, the cattle on a
thousand hills are hers."

"As they were her father's and her grandfather's before her, to be held
in trust for the benefit of about eight hundred tenants," she answered
quietly.

"Tell me more about it. The original grantee was Don Bartolome de
Valdes, was he not?"

"Yes. He was the great-great-grandson of Don Alvaro de Valdes y
Castillo, who lost his head because he was a braver and a better man
than the king. Don Bartolome, too, was a great soldier and ruler. He was
generous and public-spirited to a fault; and when the people of this
province suffered from Indian raids he distributed thousands of sheep to
relieve their distress."

"Bully for the old boy. He was a real philanthropist."

"Not at all. He _had_ to do it. His position required it of him."

"That was it, eh?"

Her dusky eyes questioned him.

"You couldn't understand, I suppose, since you are an American, how he
was the father and friend of all the people in these parts; how his
troopers and _vaqueros_ were a defense to the whole province?"

"I think I can understand that."

"So it was, even to his death, that he looked out for the poor peons
dependent upon him. His herds grew mighty; and he asked of Facundo
Megares, governor of the royal province, a grant of land upon which to
pasture them. These herds were for his people; but they were in his name
and belonged to him. Why should he not have been given land for them,
since his was the sword that had won the land against the Apa