om the farther side of the orchard to the spring, a short
time before. "Valencia told me--and he got it from Manuel--that Jose is
right on the warpath. If it wasn't for his being laid up--"

"Oh, I know. You'd like to go over and have it out with him. But you
can't. The Pachecos and the Picardos are almost like one family. I don't
suppose Jose ever stayed away from here so long since he was a baby, as
he has since we came. It's bad enough to keep old friends away, without
mixing up a quarrel. Have you seen Jose lately? Don Andres seemed to
think so, but I told him you'd have said something about it to me if
you had."

"I met him in the trail, a week or so ago," Jack admitted with manifest
reluctance. "He wasn't overly friendly, but there wasn't any real
trouble, if that's what you're afraid of." He looked sidelong at the
other, saw the hurt in Dade's eyes at this evidence of the constraint
growing intangibly between them, and laughed defiantly.

"Upon my soul!" he exclaimed, "one would think I was simple-minded, the
way you act! D'you think a man never scowled my way before? D'you think
I'm afraid of Jose? D'you think I don't know enough to take care of
myself? What the devil do you think? Can't go on rodeo--you're afraid I
might get hurt! I ain't crazy to go, for that matter; but I don't know
as I relish this guardian-angel stunt you're playing. You've got your
hands full without that. You needn't worry about me; I've managed to
squeak along so far without getting my light put out--"

"By being a tolerably fair shot, yes," Dade assented, his face hardening
a little under the injustice. "But since I'm hired to look after Don
Andres' interests, you're going to do what I tell you. You'll stay here
and boss the peons while I'm gone. A friendship between two families
that has lasted as many years as you are old, ain't going to be busted
up now, if I can help it. It's strained to the snapping-point right now,
just because the don is friendly with us gringos. Of course, we can't
help that. He had his ideas on the subject before he ever saw me or you.
Just the same, it's up to us not to do the snapping; and I know one
gringo that's going to behave himself if I have to take him down and set
on him!"

"Whee-ee! Somebody else is hitting the war-post, if I know the signs!"
Dade stirred to anger always tickled Jack immensely, perhaps because of
its very novelty, and restored him to good humor. "Have it your own way,
then, darn