The Pride of Palomar

  CHAPTER XXVI

  It was fully two weeks before Miguel returned to the ranch from thelittle hospital at El Toro. During that period the willows had alreadystarted to sprout on the last abiding place of Kano Ugichi, the painhad left the Farrel head and the Farrel attorney had had AndreLoustalot up in the Superior Court, where he had won a drawn verdict.The cash in bank was proved to have been deposited there by Loustalotpersonally; it had been subject to his personal check, and wasaccordingly adjudged to be his personal property and ordered turnedover to Miguel Farrel in partial liquidation of the ancient judgmentwhich Farrel held against the Basque. A preponderance of testimony,however (Don Nicolas Sandoval swore it was all perjured and paid for)indicated that but one quarter of the sheep found on the Rancho Palomarbelonged to Loustalot, the remainder being owned by his foreman andemployees. To Farrel, therefore, these sheep were awarded, and in someoccult manner Don Nicolas Sandoval selected them from the flock; then,acting under instructions from Farrel, he sold the sheep back toLoustalot at something like a dollar a head under the market value andleased to the amazed Basque for one year the grazing privilege on theRancho Palomar. In return for the signing of this lease and thepayment of the lease money in advance, Farrel executed to Loustalot asatisfaction in full of the unpaid portion of the judgment. "For," asthe sheriff remarked to Farrel, "while you hold the balance of thatjudgment over this fellow's head your own head is in danger. It isbest to conciliate him, for you will never again have an opportunity tolevy against his assets."

  "I think you're right, Don Nicolas," Farrel agreed. "I can never feelwholly safe until I strike a truce with that man. Tell him I'll givehim back his eight thousand dollar automobile if he will agree on hisown behalf and that of his employees, agents and friends, not tobushwhack me or any person connected with me."

  "I have already made him a tentative offer to that effect, my boy, and,now that the first flush of his rage is over, he is a coyote lackingthe courage to kill. He will agree to your proposal, and I shall takeoccasion to warn him that if he should ever break his word while I amliving, I shall consider, in view of the fact that I am the mediator inthis matter, that he has broken faith with me, and I shall actaccordingly."

  The arrangement with Loustalot was therefore made, and immediately uponhis return to the ranch Farrel, knowing that the sheep would spoil hisrange for the few hundred head of cattle that still remained of thethousands that once had roamed El Palomar, rounded up these cattle andsold them. And it was in the performance of this duty that hediscovered during the roundup, on the trail leading from the haciendato Agua Caliente basin, a rectangular piece of paper. It lay, somewhatweather-stained, face up beside the trail, and because it resembled acheck, he leaned easily from his horse and picked it up. To hisamazement he discovered it to be a promissory note, in the sum of fiftythousand dollars, in favor of Kay Parker and signed by William D.Conway.

  Pablo was beating the thickets in the river bottom, searching out somespring calves he knew were lurking there, when his master reined upbeside him.

  "Pablo," he demanded, "has Senor Conway been to the ranch during myabsence?"

  "No, Don Miguel, he has not."

  "Has Senorita Parker ridden Panchito over to Senor Conway's camp atAgua Caliente basin?"

  "Yes, Don Miguel. I rode behind her, in case of accident."

  "What day was that?"

  Pablo considered. "The day after you were shot, Don Miguel."

  "Did you see Senorita Parker give Senor Conway a writing?"

  "I did, truly. She wrote from a small leathern book and tore out thepage whereon she wrote. In return Senor Conway made a writing and thishe gave to Senorita Parker who accepted it.

  "Thank you, Pablo. That is all I desired to know." And he was awayagain, swinging his lariat and whooping joyously at the cattle. Pablowatched narrowly.

  "Now whatever this mystery may be," he soliloquized, "the news I gaveDon Miguel has certainly not displeased him. Ah, he is a sharp one,that boy. He learns everything and without effort, yet for all heknows he talks but little. Can it be that he has the gift of secondsight? I wonder!"