"Not a red cent. But see here, what do you mean by coming here to catechise _me_? You don't know William Darrell, if you think you can set a trap for him in this way. I tell you he would kick your trap to the old 'Nick' in two minutes," Darrell said, getting white with anger.

"I know it," Gasbang said, shaking with laughter.

"Stop your nonsense," Darrell said to him; then to Mathews, "Speak out like a man-what is it all about?"

"That we are told that it is recorded that you paid six thousand four hundred dollars to the Don for six hundred and forty acres of land,"

Miller explained.

"When did I do that?" Darrell asked, with increasing pallor, the sight of which his interlocutor did not relish.

"On the 13th day of February, 1872," Gasbang replied.

"Who saw the record?"

"I did. I saw the entry made by the notary."

"Well, the notary lies, that's all."

"He couldn't. He could be prosecuted for it," Miller said.

"Very well, he shall be; for it is a lie that I bought any such land or paid any such price for it."

"Perhaps the Don had the entry made," Hughes suggested.

"Then the Don lied, and I'll tell him so," Darrell retorted.

"Are you sure that Mr. Clarence did not buy the land unbeknown to you?"

Mathews asked.

"What do you mean, sir? Do you mean to say that my own son would put me in such a ridiculous position? No, I think it is more likely that, as Hughes says, the Don had the false entry made on the strength of my having promised to pay him for the land I would take. But I'll teach him that I am not to be dragged into a bargain like that."

"What would the Don gain by that? Nothing. No, if you will not be offended, I'll tell you what I heard is the most likely theory of it all," Gasbang began.

"And who in the devil has been building theories on my affairs? I'd like to see the fellow who does that," thundered Darrell.

"It was my lawyer, who casually discovered that entry in the notary's books, and told me of it. He meant no harm," Gasbang explained, with conciliatory amiability.

"Of course, he meant no harm. Lawyers of the Peter Roper stamp never do.

When they go sticking their noses into people's business, they do so _casually_. And your lawyer-Mr. Roper, I suppose-being a very innocent and straightforward and honorable, high-toned man, who never gets drunk, he did not mean any harm, and _accidentally_, purely so, made this discovery, and no danger of his having been too drunk to read straight, either. Look here, John, don't you talk to me as if you thought me idiotic, for I am not. But what is this innocent theory of this unsophisticated, honorable Peter Roper? Let us see."

"Well, he thinks that Mr. Clarence being in love with the Don's daughter, probably bought the land to propitiate the family, and dated back the deed of sale," Gasbang said.

Darrell was silent, but shook his head.

"You see, the Don could have had no object in putting on record that he had received six thousand four hundred dollars, unless he did so," said Miller.

"So you think he received the money?" Darrell asked.

"No doubt of it," all the others answered.

"There he goes now," said Hughes, and all could see the Don riding towards home, accompanied by his two sons. Behind them the _vaqueros_ were driving a lot of cattle towards the "_corral_" at the back of the house.

Seeing the cattle, Darrell said: "By the way, these cattle now belong to Clarence. He bought every head on this rancho belonging to the Don, and will drive them to the Colorado River as soon as the weather cools off.

So I hope that if any stray cows or calves come up to your places you will corral them and send _me_ word. I ask this of all of you, as a favor to me, not to Clarence."

"Certainly! certainly!" said Hughes, Miller and Gasbang.

"Will it be too much trouble to do that?" Darrell asked Mathews, who had remained silent.

He was compelled to reply: "Of course not-not for you."

"Well, you see, I ask only what the law gives."

"I know that."

"And Clarence knows that if his cattle go to your fields you must corral them and give him notice. And now I want to go and speak with the Don."

All arose.

Hughes said: "As we all wish to know more about that land sale, we will come back this evening to hear what the Don says."

"Very well. I am going to ask all he knows about it."

"He knows everything, the greaser!" Mathews growled.

"But you think Clarence paid the money?" asked Darrell.

"Of course he did, to get the girl," laughed Gasbang; then added: "It was all a put-up job, and they kept the secret well, so we never smelled the rat, while they laughed at us. But I don't care so long as you, Mr.

Darrell, wasn't in it."

"So says I," added Miller.

"And I," said Hughes, and they drove off, laughing.

Darrell remained standing on the front steps. He ground his teeth and clenched his fists as he heard the laughter from the wagon, which sounded louder as the wagon went further away. He walked to the stable and took a heavy whip, one of those which teamsters call "black snakes,"

which are used to drive mules with. The old man trembled with suppressed anger, so much that he could not fasten on his spurs, and this only increased the more his senseless rage.

Everett was scarcely less angry or less pale. He was waiting for his father to start, to follow him. Webster came up-stairs and said to him:

"Retty, father means mischief. He has a 'black snake,' and trembles with rage as if he had the ague."

"Poor father, how unfortunate it is that he got into such a wrong train of reasoning," Jane said.

"He is bound to keep wrong as long as he permits such men to influence him. I am ashamed of father," Lucy added.

"No, don't say that," Jane begged.

"But I am," Lucy maintained; "very much ashamed."