urisdiction is limited strictly to the hand that held the
gun. The evidence shows it was in the hand of Mr. Singleton when
found."

The Jeffersons insisted that Billie go home with them, as the girl
appeared absolutely and pathetically alone in the world. She knew of
no relatives, and Tia Luz and Captain Pike were the only two whom she
had known from babyhood as friends of her father's.

The grandmother of Billie Bernard had been the daughter of a Spanish
_haciendado_ who was also an officer in the army of Mexico. He met
death in battle before he ever learned that his daughter, in the pious
work of nursing friend and enemy alike, had nursed one enemy of the
hated North until each was captive to the other, and she rode beside
him to her father's farthest northern rancho beyond the Mexican
deserts, and never went again to the gay circles of Mexico's capital.
Late in her life one daughter, Dorotea was born, and when Alfred
Bernard came out of the East and looked on her, a blonde Spanish girl
as her ancestresses of Valencia had been, the game of love was played
again in the old border rancho which was world enough for the lovers.
There had been one eastern summer for them the first year of their
marriage, and Philip Singleton had seen her there, and never forgot
her. After her widowhood he crossed the continent to be near her, and
after awhile his devotion, and her need of help in many ways, won the
place he coveted, and life at Granados went on serenely until her
death. Though he had at times been bored a bit by the changelessness
of ranch life, yet he had given his word to guard the child's
inheritance until she came of age, and had kept it loyally as he knew
how until death met him in the canon of the cottonwoods.

But the contented isolation of her immediate family left Billie only
such guardian as the court might appoint for her property and person,
and Andrew Jefferson, Judge Jefferson by courtesy, in the county,
would no doubt be choice of the court as well as the girl. Beyond that
she could only think of Pike, and--well Pike was out of reach on some
enchanted gold trail of which she must not speak, and she supposed she
would have to go to school instead of going in search of him!

Conrad spoke to her kindly as she was led to the Jefferson car, and
there was a subtle deference in his manner, indicating his realization
that he was speaking--not to the wilful little maid who could be
annoying--but to the owner of G