“Ed?”

“Exactly!  Ed has made a fool of himself, and brought this on.”

“You think so?”

“Well, I have it pretty straight that he’s giving money to the Rebel junta and lending every assistance he can to their cause.”

“I didn’t know he’d actually done anything.  How mad!”

“Yes—­for a man with interests in Federal territory.  But Ed always does the wrong thing, you know.”

“Then I presume this confiscation is in the nature of a reprisal.  But the stock is mine, not Ed’s.  I’m an American citizen, and—­”

“My dear, you’re the first one I’ve heard boast of the fact,” cynically affirmed the Judge.  “If you were in Mexico you’d profit more by claiming allegiance to the German or the English or some other foreign flag.  The American eagle isn’t screaming very loudly on the other side of the Rio Grande just now, and our dusky neighbors have learned that it’s perfectly safe to pull his tail feathers.”

“I’m surprised at you,” Alaire smiled.  “Just the same, I want your help in taking up the matter with Washington.”

Ellsworth was pessimistic.  “It won’t do any good, my dear,” he said.  “You’ll get your name in the papers, and perhaps cause another diplomatically worded protest, but there the matter will end.  You won’t be paid for your cattle.”

“Then I shall go to La Feria.”

“No!” The Judge shook his head decidedly.

“I’ve been there a hundred times.  The Federals have always been more than courteous.”

“Longorio has a bad reputation.  I strongly advise against your going.”

“Why, Judge, people are going and coming all the time!  Mexico is perfectly safe, and I know the country as well as I know Las Palmas.”

“You’d better send some man.”

“Whom can I send?” asked Alaire.  “You know my situation.”

The Judge considered a moment before replying.  “I can’t go, for I’m busy in court.  You could probably accomplish more than anybody else, if Longorio will listen to reason, and, after all, you are a person of such importance that I dare say you’d be safe.  But it will be a hard trip, and you won’t know whether you are in Rebel or in Federal territory.”

“Well, people here are asking whether Texas is in the United States or Mexico,” Alaire said, lightly, “Sometimes I hardly know.”  After a moment she continued:  “Since you know everything and everybody, I wonder if you ever met a David Law?”

Ellsworth nodded.  “Tell me something about him.”

“He asked me the same thing about you.  Well, I haven’t seen much of Dave since he grew up, he’s such a roamer.”

“He said his parents were murdered by the Guadalupes.”

The Judge looked up quickly; a queer, startled expression flitted over his face.  “Dave said that?  He said both of them were killed?”

“Yes.  Isn’t it true?”

“Oh, Dave wouldn’t lie.  It happened a good many years ago, and certainly they both met a violent end.  I was instrumental in saving what property Frank Law left, but it didn’t last Dave very long.  He’s right careless in money matters.  Dave’s a fine fellow in some ways—­most ways, I believe, but—­” The Judge lost himself in frowning meditation.