ook
lovely, Lucia, my dear!" he exclaimed, standing back a bit so that he could
have even a better view of her rosy cheeks, flashing eyes, and blowing
hair. "This autumn weather agrees with you, doesn't it? And Pancho--he
looks better than any baby around here--even Angela's."

He dropped down on the seat beside her, and looked with rapture at the
child in her arms.

"Sold ten head of cattle this morning, and Montrose says he'll take as many
more when I'm ready for him. Great, isn't it? 'Red' been over to-day?"

"Yes," answered Lucia; "and he said he was going to bring Angela and
Panchita for an early supper. Says it's awful the way they've neglected us.
We haven't seen them for two whole days, you know!"

They both laughed.

"Well, of course old 'Red' has more to do now that Jasper Hardy's dead; but
after all, he can hire all the men he needs. Guess it's more a question of
his wanting to stay around Angy and the kid, don't you think so?"

"He tries so hard to imitate you in everything. It makes me ache to see how
happy he is, Gil. Aren't they the cutest couple you ever saw? And won't it
be nice when Pancho and Panchita are old enough to play together?"

"You bet!" Gilbert agreed. He looked off at the quiet mountains, steadfast
in their serenity, their crests seeming to kiss the sky. This _was_ God's
country, after all. Sometimes he could not believe that he had come so
gloriously into his own. In the slow process of putting his ranch on a
paying basis, after the turmoil of those weeks following the departure of
Lopez, he had had the sustaining wonder of Lucia always beside him; and
when little Pancho came upon the scene he felt that life was altogether too
kind to him. He had worked unremittingly; and not only had he had his own
affairs to absorb him, but "Red," after his marriage to Angela, was forever
ringing him up on the telephone, or coming over and asking his advice and
help. He was never too busy to throw out a word to his faithful friend;
indeed, they had reached a cooeperative basis so far as the two properties
were concerned, and the arrangement could not have worked out better. The
ranches touched each other, and after Jasper Hardy's death a year and a
half before, it seemed wise to form a sort of partnership. There was no
need of a written understanding; the two men simply said to each other that
they would do certain things, install certain improvements, and share
expenses and profits. Nothing on pap