insisted upon going with me because Ratty bothered me,"
said Frances, in haste.

"Humph! Mack could break that M'Gill in two if the foolish fellow became
really fresh with you. Now! I don't want to say anything to hurt your
feelings, Frances; but it does seem to me that this Pratt Sanderson was
too handy when that hold-up man got the chest."

It was just as the girl feared. She bit her lip and said nothing. She
did not see what there was to say in Pratt's defense. Besides, in her
secret heart she, too, was troubled about the young fellow from
Amarillo.

She wondered what the robber at the ford thought about it when he got
the old trunk open and found in it nothing but some junk and rubbish she
had found in the attic of the ranch-house. At least, she had managed to
draw the attention of the dishonest orderly from the Bylittle Soldiers'
Home from the real Spanish treasure chest for several days.

Before he could make any further attempt against the peace of mind of
her father and herself, Frances hoped Mr. Lonergan would have arrived at
the Bar-T and the responsibility for the safety of the treasure would be
lifted from their shoulders.

At any rate, the mysterious treasure would be divided and disposed of.
When Pete knew that the Spanish treasure chest was opened and the
valuables divided, he might lose hope of gaining possession of the
wealth he coveted.

A telegram had come while Frances was absent from the chaplain of the
Soldiers' Home, stating that Mr. Lonergan would start for the Panhandle
in a week, if all went well with him.

Captain Rugley was as eager as a boy for his old partner's appearance.

"And I've been wishing all these years," he said, "while you were
growing up, Frances, to dress you up in a lot of this fancy jewelry. It
would have been for your mother if she had lived."

"But you don't want me to look like a South Sea Island princess, do you,
Daddy?" Frances said, laughing. "I can see that the belt and bracelet I
wore the night Pratt stopped here rather startled him. He's used to
seeing ladies dressed up, in Amarillo, too."

"Pooh! In the cities women are ablaze with jewels. Your mother and I
went to Chicago once, and we went to the opera. Say! that was a show!

"Let me tell you, there are things in that chest that will outshine
anything in the line of ornaments that that Pratt Sanderson--or any
other Amarillo person--ever saw."

The girl was quite sure that this desire on her father's