Forgetting her angry feelings of the
morning she called a meeting and spread the news among them. Much as she
loved them, until the time of her recent appointment as "captain,"
she had tried to give them their titles of "Mr.," though not always
remembering. Now she no longer tried. They were just her comrades, and
when she stood upon the horseblock to address them it was with the
joyful announcement:

"John! George! Joe! Everybody! Ephraim and I are going away!"

She paused and looked around, but instead of the sympathetic pleasure
she expected there were darkening looks and evident disappointment.

"Oh! but we are coming back again. Hark, what he did!"

Ephraim was away putting his few traps together against the morning's
start, since, if they were to go at all, why delay? Else he might
have silenced her then and there. But out it came, and be sure the
sharpshooter's generosity lost not one bit in her telling.

"With this money we're going to hire lawyers and pay our lodging where
we have to, and hunt up the men that know about business. Finally, to
find the money--that other lot of it--that Mr. Hale said had been sent
to my father by those New York folks. If they did send it they shall
have it back--if we can find it. If they didn't--they shall tell all
the world they accused him wrongfully. We're going to find the man that
made that title, if we can. We're going to save Sobrante, but we're
going to save its honor first!"

"Hurrah! Hurrah! Glory to the captain!"

"And old 'Forty-niner,'" added honest John Benton.

They cheered him to the skies, and when the uproar had subsided, their
small chief said:

"You are all to take the best care of Sobrante, and first--of my mother.
Don't you let her worry, nor let Ned and Luis get hurt. And you must
keep Aunt Sally here till I come back."

Somebody groaned.

"Oh! that's not right. I couldn't go if she hadn't come. She'll look
after everything----"

"That's the true word!"

"And I want you all to be--be good and not tease her."

"Hurrah! Hurrah! All in favor of minding the captain, say Ay!"

They swung her down from her perch and carried her on their shoulders
everywhere about the old mission. They offered her all their possessions,
including pistols and bowie knives, at peaceful Sobrante more useful
for target practice and pruning vines than their original purposes.
But she declined all these warlike things, saying that Ephraim would
carry only his own rifl