the door without ceremony, shut it softly behind him, and then
closed the wooden shutter of the grating. Don Jose surveyed him
with mild surprise and dignified composure. The man appeared
perfectly sober,--it was a peculiarity of his dissipated habits
that, when not actually raving with drink, he was singularly shrewd
and practical.

"Look yer, Don Kosay," he began in a brusque but guarded voice,
"you and me is pards. When ye picked me and the mare up and set us
on our legs again in this yer ranch, I allowed I'd tie to ye
whenever you was in trouble--and wanted me. And I reckon that's
what's the matter now. For from what I see and hear on every side,
although you're the boss of this consarn, you're surrounded by a
gang of spies and traitors. Your comings and goings, your ins and
outs, is dogged and followed and blown upon. The folks you trust
is playing it on ye. It ain't for me to say why or wherefore--
what's their rights and what's yourn--but I've come to tell ye that
if you don't get up and get outer this ranch them d--d priests and
your own flesh and blood--your aunts and your uncles and your
cousins, will have you chucked outer your property, and run into a
lunatic asylum."

"Me--Don Jose Sepulvida--a lunatico! You are yourself crazy of
drink, friend Roberto."

"Yes," said Roberto grimly, "but that kind ain't ILLEGAL, while
your makin' ducks and drakes of your property and going into
'Merikin ideas and 'Merikin speculations they reckon is. And
speakin' on the square, it ain't NAT'RAL."