e 'em for
catsup, Aunt Sally, and what's the horn for?"

"George Ceomarty, where's the 'captain'?"

"I don't know."

"You don't! You don't!" indignantly.

"No. How should I? Last I saw, she was sitting the porch along with
you. You needn't glare at me so, but say yourself: 'Where's the
"captain"?'"

"Come, gardener, this ain't a time for foolin'."

He disdained to answer, reading the anxiety upon his mistress' face,
and feeling an unaccountable one growing in his own mind.

It was a relief to all when the figure of Sailor Samson came into
view, making for the cottage with those firm strides of his, that
seemed to cover the distance with incredible speed. He was always to
be depended upon in an emergency, and there was good cheer in his
tones, as, having been asked the same question which had greeted his
mates, he tossed back the light answer:

"Why, I don't know just at this minute, but I'll wager wherever she
is, she's doing good to somebody, or finishing up some fellow's
neglected job. Why? Ain't scared of 'Lady Jess,' are you?"

"That's just what we are, herder. She's no hand to run off an' stay
off without tellin' where to; and if she couldn't find the children's
clothes she'd been back before now to say so. Somethin' dreadful has
happened to the precious girl, and you needn't say there hasn't!"
wailed Mrs. Benton; adding in fresh dismay as the ranch mistress
quietly sank to the floor in a faint! "There! Now I have done it! Oh!
that tongue of mine!"

"Yes, old woman! That tongue of yours' has wrought a heap of mischief
in its day," cried Samson, angrily, as he lifted the fallen lady and
carried her into the house.

But Aunt Sally was quite herself again, and put him coolly aside,
while she ministered to the unconscious ranch mistress, and, at the
same time, gave him a succinct history of the morning's events.
Everybody at Sobrante knew the deep devotion of Lady Jess to her
widowed mother, and the thoughtfulness with which she always sought
to prevent her loved one's "worrying," and all realized that there
might be something seriously amiss in this protracted, unexplained
absence. However, and to a certain degree, the child was allowed to be
independent, and she was liable to reappear at any moment and to gibe
at their "foolish fear" for her. But to summon her, at once, was the
surest way of comforting Mrs. Trent, and Samson went out again to
distribute the assembled ranchmen into searching parties, wi