"
"Then it's the Palomares grant. My father wrote in his last letter
that old man Gonzales had died and that a suit to foreclose the
mortgage had been entered against the estate. The eastern edge of that
grant laps over the lower end of the San Gregorio. Is your father a
banker?"
"He controls the First National Bank of El Toro."
"That settles the identity of the ranch. Gonzales was mortgaged to the
First National." He smiled a trifle foolishly. "You gave me a bad ten
seconds," he explained. "I thought you meant my father's ranch at
first."
"Horrible!" She favored him with a delightful little grimace of
sympathy. "Just think of coming home and finding yourself homeless!"
"I think such a condition would make me wish that Russian had been
given time to finish what he started. By the way, I knew all of the
stockholders in the First National Bank, of El Toro. Your father is a
newcomer. He must have bought out old Dan Hayes' interest." She
nodded affirmatively. "Am I at liberty to be inquisitive--just a
little bit?" he queried.
"That depends, Sergeant. Ask your question, and if I feel at liberty
to answer it, I shall."
"Is that Japanese, Okada, a member of your party?"
"Yes; he is traveling with us. He has a land-deal on with my father."
"Ah!"
She glanced across at him with new interest.
"There was resentment in that last observation of yours," she
challenged.
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