un-American idea of the wilderness
westward was that Indians still chased buffalo on the outskirts of
Chicago. Madeline's sister Helen had long been eager to come, as much
from curiosity, Madeline thought, as from sisterly regard. And at length
Madeline concluded that the proof of her breaking permanent ties might
better be seen by visiting relatives and friends before she went back
East. With that in mind she invited Helen to visit her during the
summer, and bring as many friends as she liked.

* * *

No slight task indeed was it to oversee the many business details of Her
Majesty's Rancho and to keep a record of them. Madeline found the course
of business training upon which her father had insisted to be invaluable
to her now. It helped her to assimilate and arrange the practical
details of cattle-raising as put forth by the blunt Stillwell. She split
up the great stock of cattle into different herds, and when any of these
were out running upon the open range she had them closely watched. Part
of the time each herd was kept in an inclosed range, fed and watered,
and carefully handled by a big force of cowboys. She employed three
cowboy scouts whose sole duty was to ride the ranges searching for
stray, sick, or crippled cattle or motherless calves, and to bring these
in to be treated and nursed. There were two cowboys whose business was
to master a pack of Russian stag-hounds and to hunt down the coyotes,
wolves, and lions that preyed upon the herds. The better and tamer
milch cows were separated from the ranging herds and kept in a pasture
adjoining the dairy. All branding was done in corrals, and calves were
weaned from mother-cows at the proper time to benefit both. The old
method of branding and classing, that had so shocked Madeline, had been
abandoned, and one had been inaugurated whereby cattle and cowboys and
horses were spared brutality and injury.

Madeline established an extensive vegetable farm, and she planted
orchards. The climate was superior to that of California, and, with
abundant water, trees and plants and gardens flourished and bloomed in
a way wonderful to behold. It was with ever-increasing pleasure that
Madeline walked through acres of ground once bare, now green and bright
and fragrant. There were poultry-yards and pig-pens and marshy quarters
for ducks and geese. Here in the farming section of the ranch Madeline
found employment for the little colony of Mexicans. Their lives