The death of Donna Dolores places all in his hands. As he
confers with the quick-witted ex-queen of the El Dorado, he decides
that he must remove the young Mariposa heiress to San Francisco.
It is done. Philip Hardin cannot travel continually to watch over
a child.
"Kaintuck" and the sorrowing padre alone are left at Lagunitas. The
roses fall unheeded in the dead lady's bower. On this visit, when
Hardin takes the child to the mansion on the hill, he learns the
padre only awaits the return of Maxime Valois, to retire to France.
Unaware of the great strength of the North and East, the padre
feels the land may be held in the clutches of war a long period. He
would fain end his days among the friends of his youth. As he draws
toward old age, he yearns for France. Hardin promises to assist
the wishes of the old priest.
After Padre Francisco retires to the silent cottage by the chapel,
Hardin learns from "Kaintuck" a most momentous secret. There are
gold quartz mines of fabulous richness on the Lagunitas grant.
Slyly extracting a few tons of rock, "Kaintuck" has had these ores
worked, and gives Philip Hardin the marvellous results.
Hardin's dark face lights up: "Have you written Colonel Valois of
this?" "Not a word," frankly says "Kaintuck.
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