We had a windmill to repair that afternoon, some five miles from the ranch, so that I did not return to the house until evening; but when all gathered around the supper table that night, Uncle Lance was throwing bouquets at himself for the crafty manner in which he had switched the padre from his mission, and yet sent him away delighted.  He admitted that he was scared on the appearance of Father Norquin as a padrino, on account of the fact that a priest was usually supreme among his own people.  That he had early come to the conclusion if there was to be any coercion used in this case, he was determined to get in his bluff first.  But Miss Jean ridiculed the idea that there was any serious danger.

“Goodness me, Lance,” said she, “I could have told you there was no cause for alarm.  In this case between Fidel and Juana, I’ve been a very liberal chaperon.  Oh, well, now, never mind about the particulars.  Once, to try his nerve, I gave him a chance, and I happen to know the rascal kissed her the moment my back was turned.  Oh, I think Juana will stay at Las Palomas.”

CHAPTER XVII

WINTER AT LAS PALOMAS

The winter succeeding the drouth was an unusually mild one, frost and sleet being unseen at Las Palomas.  After the holidays several warm rains fell, affording fine hunting and assuring enough moisture in the soil to insure an early spring.  The preceding winter had been gloomy, but this proved to be the most social one since my advent, for within fifty miles of the ranch no less than two weddings occurred during Christmas week.  As to little neighborhood happenings, we could hear of half a dozen every time we went to Shepherd’s after the mail.

When the native help on the ranch was started at blocking out the stone for the chapel, Uncle Lance took the hounds and with two of the boys went down to Wilson’s ranch for a hunt.  Gallup went, of course, but just why he took Scales along, unless with the design of making a match between one of the younger daughters of this neighboring ranchman and the Marylander, was not entirely clear.  When he wanted to, Scales could make himself very agreeable, and had it not been for his profligate disposition, his being taken along on the hunt would have been no mystery.  Every one on the ranch, including the master and mistress, were cognizant of the fact that for the past year he had maintained a correspondence with a girl in Florida—­the one whose letter and photograph had been found in the box of oranges.  He hardly deserved the confidence of the roguish girl, for he showed her letters to any one who cared to read them.  I had read every line of the whole correspondence, and it was plain that Scales had deceived the girl into believing that he was a prominent ranchman, when in reality the best that could be said of him was that he was a lovable vagabond.  From the last letter, it was clear that he had promised to marry the girl during the Christmas week just past, but he had asked for a postponement on the ground that the drouth had prevented him from selling his beeves.