“You are all to take the best care of Sobrante, and first–of my mother. Don’t you let her worry, nor let Ned and Luis get hurt. And you must keep Aunt Sally here till I come back.”
Somebody groaned.
“Oh! that’s not right. I couldn’t go if she hadn’t come. She’ll look after everything––”
“That’s the true word!”
“And I want you all to be–be good and not tease her.”
“Hurrah! Hurrah! All in favor of minding the captain, say Ay!”
They swung her down from her perch and carried her on their shoulders everywhere about the old mission. They offered her all their possessions, including pistols and bowie knives, at peaceful Sobrante more useful for target practice and pruning vines than their original purposes. But she declined all these warlike things, saying that Ephraim would carry only his own rifle, and finally tore herself away from them to the anxious mother at the cottage, naturally jealous of each moment of her darling’s company.
“Don’t see how Eph. ever saved so much. Hasn’t had any wages since ours failed, as I know of. Mine always go fast as earned, and thought everybody’s did,” said one, when Jessica had left them.
“Some folks have all the luck! Why didn’t it happen to me to have money to give her? or to offer first to go hunt them liars? Shucks!” said Samson, in disgust. Though he had been back some time from escorting the stranger “off bounds,” that task had left him in a bad humor.
“Well, the captain’d tell me envy was wicked, and when I was hearing her say it I’d believe it. But I do envy old eighty his chance,” complained Joe. “Hello! there’s Ferd! Come to think of it I haven’t noticed him around these two days. Not since that stranger cast his ugly shadow on the ranch. Hi, there, Dwarf! Where you been?”