84 THE DESERT AND THE ROSE 



"He must go, Sefiora! I will drive him off this 

 ranch with my gun!" 



Juan's voice is raised with a threat in it, so I rise 

 to my feet and the occasion : rust here forbearance is 

 not the better part. To lose Tuan would spell calam- 

 ity, but as with the negro so with the peon : face the 

 music and take chances ! 



"Juan ! I shall not send Ricardo away because he 

 has once spoken with Jesuscita at the pump ! Neither 

 do I permit you to drive him off my ranch with 

 your gun! My ranch, Juan — sabe?" 



Seconds of agonizing suspense! Would Juan 

 "fire" himself? He was looking down, shuffling 

 his moccasined feet in the dust. Finally he spoke, 

 sullen but submissive. 



"Si, Sefiora. . . .But will you speak to Richardo?" 



I will. I do. And as Ricardo, his Yaqui blood 

 to the contrary, is not precisely daring, all goes well. 



To close with one more anecdote. 



Manuel is a good neighbor, but he has a wild 

 craze for water gates. As nothing availed to curb 

 it I devised a method for chaining the gates in the 

 ditches. Thereafter I slept in peace. Manuel is 

 a good farmer, owns moreover many head of stock, 

 and greatest of treasures a bosque ; he cannot be in 

 pressing need of firewood. 



It is an error of judgment to inquire of pilferers 

 of whatsoever color whether they took this or the 

 other. Be very sure of your facts — then go ahead ! 



"Manuel" I remarked mildly one morning, "Why 

 do you take my water gates ?" 



Assailed thus unawares, and having believed 



