e drawer--six bags in all, each containing two thousand dollars, in
bright, new "yellow-boys." Then, declining Frank's invitation to stay to
dinner, the gentleman bade him good-by, mounted his horse, and resumed
his journey.

"Twelve thousand dollars!" said Frank, to himself, as he locked the desk
and put the key into his pocket. "Why, that's a fortune! Now that I
think of it, I almost wish Mr. Brown hadn't left it here. What would
Uncle James say if somebody should break into the house and steal it?"

As Frank asked himself this question, he turned suddenly, and saw Pierre
standing on the porch, in front of one of the windows, watching him with
eager eyes. He must have moved very quietly to have approached so near
without attracting the boy's attention, and that, to Frank, whose
suspicions had already been thoroughly aroused, was good evidence that
the Ranchero was not just what he ought to be. If he was an honest man,
he would not try to slip around without making any noise.

Finding that he was discovered, Pierre removed his sombrero and said,
without the least embarrassment:

"Is it your pleasure to ride? If so, I will saddle your horse."

"You need not trouble yourself," replied Frank, rather gruffly. "I shall
remain at home."

Pierre bowed and walked away.

"Now, that rascal thinks he is sharp," said Frank, gazing after the
Ranchero. "He never offered to saddle my horse before, and he wouldn't
have done it then if I hadn't caught him looking in at the window. I
wonder if he thinks I am foolish enough to ride for pleasure at this
time of day, with the thermometer standing a hundred degrees in the
shade? That fellow is a scoundrel, and he is up to something. Perhaps he
is after this gold. If he is, he may have the satisfaction of knowing
that he won't get it."

So saying, Frank began to close and fasten the shutters which protected
the windows, and while thus engaged, he caught a glimpse of the
Ranchero's dark face peering at him around the corner of the house.

"If I owned this ranch," said Frank, to himself, "that fellow shouldn't
stay here five minutes longer. I'd pay him off, and tell him to leave as
fast as his horse could carry him."

Having satisfied himself that the windows were so well secured that no
one could effect an entrance through them, Frank opened the drawer and
took another good look at the money, as if he were afraid that it might
have been spirited away even while he was in the room;