The Pride of Palomar

was troubled of soul at the approach of winter. Old Don Miguel Farrel had observed si

the war in April of 1917, three chambray shirts in an excellent state of repair, half of a fat steer jerked, a full bag of Bayo beans, and a string of red chilli-peppers pendant from the raf

outside the wall of the ancient adobe compound, where he could command a view of the white wagon-ro

longer to digest thy food? Come; permit me to examine thy teeth. Yes, by my soul; therein lies the secret. Thou hast a toothache and decline to complain,

as missing. Old Don Miguel made a most minute examination, bu

sted beyond measure. "Out with thy se

hy hand upon his torso. "There is a sadness in my heart, Don Miguel. Two year

ristocratic ol

at disturbs th

lf, and resumed his task of fashioni

s green with the October rains. Everything is burned; the streams and the springs have dried up, and for a month I hav

hat of i

no quail to shoot." He wagged his gray head sorrowfully. "Don Mike will think that, with the years, laziness and ingr

re than the quail-shooting when he returns-if he should

this where Don Mike slays

lo. It is inhabited by a wild r

Mike! And he a c

"He adds to the fame of an illustrious family, noted thr

, if our Don Mike comes not

the old Don su

silence

comes one over the

There, against the sky-line, a solitary horseman showed. Pab

man was still a mile distant. "I know th

blo and awaited the arrival of the horseman. As

ssuredly he brings a telegram; otherwise the devil himsel

in El Toro who is forever out of a job, and the agent of the telegr

pulled his sweating horse up before them, they rose and gazed upon him questioningly. Tony

ardes, Do

hand, he caught a yellow envelop

social inferior. "You bring me a telegram?" He spoke in English, for the sole purpose of indicating to the messenger that the gulf between them co

ners, and dismounted before ha

ges?" Don Miguel q

oice was strangely subdued. "It i

iation." And he handed the messenger a five-dollar bill. The don was a proud man, and disliked being under obligation to the Tony Morenos of this world. Tony protested, but the don

in his musical voice; "otherwise, that fellow could not have f

uel!" Pablo cr

t in the envelope; as deliberately, he returned the envelope to his p

ed softly. He possessed all the acu

face. Then he knew-his fingers trembled slightly as he returned to work on the hondo, and,

from the sage-clad hillside. It was a cock quail calling, and, to the m

are safe?" Pablo cried in agony. "For Don Mi

e clasped his hands and fell to his

rent, the aged master of Palomar controlled his twitching hands suff

on Miguel José Farrel, with regret, that his son, First Sergeant Miguel José Maria Federico

eman. Had he returned to the Rancho Palomar, he could n

leading into the patio; like a stricken animal retreating to its lair, he sought