This was, of course, ruinous to Don Mariano, as well as to all owners of cattle ranchos where settlers had seen fit to locate homesteads. Now any one man, by planting _one acre_ of grain to attract cattle to it, could make useless thousands of acres around it of excellent grazing, because it became necessary to drive cattle away from the vicinity of these unfenced fields.

In view of all this, and seeing that the new law would confirm the right to plant fields without fencing, and take up cattle, horses or any other animals found therein, Don Mariano thought he would call together all the settlers in his rancho, and make some proposition to them that would be fair to everybody, and by which he would save his cattle from getting killed or captured (when he must ransom them) all the time.

He told his idea to Mr. Mechlin, who thought it was a good plan, and volunteered to see some of the settlers with whom he was acquainted, thinking that these could see others, and in this manner a meeting be arranged. He started in the morning on his errand, and in the evening Don Mariano called to learn the result.

"These men are meaner and lower than I had supposed," said Mr. Mechlin, whose very fine nervous organization ill-fitted him for the rough contact of Gasbangs. "Would you believe it, they suspected I wanted to lay a trap in which the innocent lambs would fall, and you-the wolf-catch them. If it had not been that I saw Darrell, I would have been utterly discouraged. And I suspect he would not have been half so polite and considerate but for the influence of his son, who has just arrived."

"I heard he had. You saw him?"

"Yes; and a very gentlemanly, handsome young fellow he is. He made his father promise to go with him to see the settlers in person, and arrange for you to meet them; he will report to me in the evening the result of their embassy."

Clarence kept his word to Mr. Mechlin, and immediately after breakfast he had his buggy and horses (a fine turnout he had brought from San Francisco) at the door. Darrell smiled, and good-naturedly took his seat beside his son, saying it would be best to begin by seeing Gasbang and Mathews. Fortunately they met these men, who were driving to see him, to ask his opinion about agreeing to meet Don Mariano. Darrell promptly told them that he thought no one of the settlers should refuse a request so easy to grant.

"But don't you think there is a trap in it?" Mathews asked.

"None whatever. We are not children," Darrell replied.

"But suppose he makes us promise something?" Mathews argued.

"How can he coerce any one against his will," said Darrell.

"No one will be obliged to accede unwillingly," said Clarence. "Let us at least be courteous."

"Certainly. Have you any idea what it is that he wants to say?" asked Gasbang.

"He wants to make some proposition to the settlers, by which he hopes that the interests of all concerned will be subserved," said Clarence.

"Visionary!" exclaimed Gasbang, tapping his forehead with his forefinger; "not practical."

"But his intentions are perfectly kind and fair," Clarence said.

"That is to say, Mr. Mechlin thinks they are."

"Why shouldn't they be? He certainly can't coerce anybody. Here we are on what he believes to be his land, and we don't think it is. Well, what of that?"

"He certainly won't propose to fight us single-handed. We are the majority," said Darrell.

"All right. We'll see Hager and Miller, and the other fellows in that valley. But we think Mr. Clarence will do better with Hancock, Pittikin and Hughes. The female element is strong there, but it will weaken in his hands, and in that malleable condition, he can shape it to suit himself, with one look out of his eyes at the whole troop of girls,"

said Gasbang.

"Goodness! You don't suppose I would go to play the sweet fellow to those ugly old girls, and make a fool of myself," said Clarence, with so genuine a look of thorough disgust, that it made John Gasbang indulge in one of his loudest fits of hilarity. "Don't be alarmed, my young friend.

There is no harm for you there. I could turn you loose among those girls and you would be as safe as Daniel among 'lions' or in 'fiery furnace.'

You would not get a single scratch, or feel any flames at all," said he.

"What a low, vulgar fellow this is, even too low for a squatter," said Clarence, driving off.

"Phew!" ejaculated the elder Darrell, "you speak like _a Don_. Your idea of _a squatter_ is not flattering."

"It is flattering thus far, that I think Gasbang is too low for the settler, who means no wrong-doing,-the average squatter. As for Mathews, I am sure he is a cut-throat by instinct."

"That may be; but I think their idea of your seeing Pittikin and Hughes is good. You can have more effect on them than Gasbang or Mathews."

"O, I am willing to go to speak to the old men, but why should I see the girls?"

"You manage that part to suit yourself. And now stop. I'll drop here; you needn't go out of your way. I'll walk home. I want to see this piece of land near by. It has not been located. I might put a claim there for Everett and another for Webster."

Clarence sighed, and silently drove on. He had passed by the Pittikin and Hughes farms the day he arrived, as his father had taken him to see how nicely the settlers were doing in Southern California; all expecting their prosperity to increase by the building of the railroad. Clarence saw the two houses and began to feel like a mariner of old between Scylla and Charybdis. There might be a troop of ugly old girls in each house. If he could only see some men out in the fields. But the fields looked deserted. Where could the men be-this being no Sunday nor Fourth of July, that they should leave off work? On looking about for some human being to guide him, he saw in the distance, under a clump of dark trees, several wagons, and horses unhitched, standing harnessed near them.

He was about to turn to the left, to take the road between two fields, when he heard voices, shouting loudly. He supposed they were calling some one. The shouts were followed by a man on horseback galloping towards him. Clarence stopped and waited. The rider was no other than Mr. Pittikin, who came in person to invite him to join their picnic, in honor of his daughter's wedding. The opportunity to see _the men_ together would be excellent, but the _girls_ would be there, too, thought Clarence, not over pleased.

"Please excuse me, I am not dressed to appear in company. I came to see you on business," said he.

"The girls said I must bring you." Clarence felt a qualm. "And even if I have to fight you I must obey; obey the ladies, you know. There ain't many there. Only our two families-Hughes and mine, and neighbor Hancock's and a few friends. Indeed, we will feel slighted if you don't join us. We will feel you think us too humble a class for you to associate with."

"Nothing of the kind. If I thought so, I would not hesitate to present myself before the ladies in this dress."

"Come along, anyhow. We'll make all the allowance you want. But you see, this is my daughter Fanny's birthday and her wedding day. She was married to Romeo Hancock this morning. So we wanted a room as big as all out doors to celebrate the occasion. We thought the best thing would be to have a picnic under those beautiful trees. Come, please. If you ain't with us, you are against us."

"I'll go home and put on other dress and come back immediately," said Clarence.

Pittikin laughed. "Just what Fanny said. I tell you she is an awfully smart girl. She said, 'He'll tell you he is going home to change his clothes, but don't you let him, because he'll only give us the slip.' So you see, I can't let you go. Besides, they are setting the table,-I mean to say, spreading the eatables,-so you have no time to go home now."

"But, look here, Mr. Pittikin, what is to become of my mission? I came to see you and Mr. Hughes on business, and not on a picnic."

"Can't the business wait till to-morrow?"

"Not very well, as I promised Mr. Mechlin."

"Oh! I know; Hughes told me," interrupted Pittikin. "The Don wants to make speeches to the settlers to fool us into a-into-some terms of his, so that we'll kick ourselves out of our farms."

"Nothing of the kind. He is not going to make any foolish propositions, but even if he were, you can lose nothing by being polite and listening to him."

"I don't know but what you are right. I like always to be polite; and as for Hughes, he is the politest man going, and no mistake. He never speaks loud, and he always listens to you. I think it will be the best thing, perhaps, to see Hughes, now. Then there is neighbor Hancock, and neighbor Miller and Jackson, and the boys. Come along, we'll collar them in a bunch."

"Then, I can count upon your help?"

"Certainly you can; for when it is a question of politeness, I won't be left behind, and if I give you my word, you can bet on me."

Clarence was received with loud demonstrations of pleasure.

"Here he is," said Pittikin, on arriving at the picnic ground; "I got him; but as he has some business to talk to us about, I promised him we would attend to that too, and mix business with pleasure, as it were.

So, you talk to them girls, Mr. Darrell, while we old men see what can be done and how, and we'll let you know."

Clarence was presented by Mr. Pittikin to Mrs. Pittikin, and this lady presented him to the company, saying that he must make himself at home, which Clarence did not see well how he could do.

But the young ladies could not boast of having often the good fortune to entertain a young gentleman as elegant, handsome and rich as Clarence, and they made good use of their golden opportunity. Sweet glances and complimentary expressions of pleasure, because the Darrell family were to be their neighbors, showered upon him, until he was ready to laugh outright. But he was too kind to have done anything so discourteous, and took it all in good part, thinking it was all meant in kindness.

"Come, let us show to Mr. Darrell our ice fountain; it is, I think, a great natural curiosity," said Mrs. Romeo Hancock, the heroine of the day, being the lady in whose honor the hymeneal festivities took place.