"I think he possesses more money than he will ever need," she replied
soberly.

"Please try to make him see that the big American thing to do would be
to colonize his land in the San Gregorio for white men and take a
lesser profit. Really, I do not relish the idea of Japanese neighbors."

"You live there, then?"

He nodded.

"Hope to die there, too. You leave the train at El Toro, I suppose?"

"My father has telegraphed mother to have the car meet us there. We
shall motor out to the ranch. And are you alighting at El Toro also?"

"No. I plan to pile off at Sespe, away up the line, and take a short
cut via a cattle-trail over the hills. I'll hike it."

She hesitated slightly. Then:

"I'm sure father would be very happy to give you a lift out from El
Toro, Sergeant. We shall have oodles of room."

"Thank you. You are very kind. But the fact is," he went on to
explain, "nobody knows I'm coming home, and I have a childish desire to
sneak in the back way and surprise them. Were I to appear in El Toro,
I'd have to shake hands with everybody in town and relate a history of
my exploits and--"