"Owned by her and her tenants."
"She's what you call a cattle queen, then. Literally, the cattle on a thousand hills are hers."
"As they were her father's and her grandfather's before her, to be held in trust for the benefit of about eight hundred tenants," she answered quietly.
"Tell me more about it. The original grantee was Don Bartolomé de Valdés, was he not?"
"Yes. He was the great-great-grandson of Don Alvaro de Valdés y Castillo, who lost his head because he was a braver and a better man than the king. Don Bartolomé, too, was a great soldier and ruler. He was generous and public-spirited to a fault; and when the people of this province suffered from Indian raids he distributed thousands of sheep to relieve their distress."
"Bully for the old boy. He was a real philanthropist."
"Not at all. He had to do it. His position required it of him."
"That was it, eh?"
Her dusky eyes questioned him.
"You couldn't understand, I suppose, since you are an American, how he was the father and friend of all the people in these parts; how his troopers and vaqueros were a defense to the whole province?"