sister Helen had long been eager to come, as much from curiosity,
Madeline thought, as from sisterly regard. And at length
Madeline concluded that the proof of her breaking permanent ties
might better be seen by visiting relatives and friends before she
went back East. With that in mind she invited Helen to visit her
during the summer, and bring as many friends as she liked.

* * *

No slight task indeed was it to oversee the many business details
of Her Majesty's Rancho and to keep a record of them. Madeline
found the course of business training upon which her father had
insisted to be invaluable to her now. It helped her to
assimilate and arrange the practical details of cattle-raising as
put forth by the blunt Stillwell. She split up the great stock
of cattle into different herds, and when any of these were out
running upon the open range she had them closely watched. Part
of the time each herd was kept in an inclosed range, fed and
watered, and carefully handled by a big force of cowboys. She
employed three cowboy scouts whose sole duty was to ride the
ranges searching for stray, sick, or crippled cattle or
motherless calves, and to bring these in to be treated and
nursed. There were two cowboys whose business was to master a
pack of Russian stag-hounds and to hunt down the coyotes, wolves,
and lions that preyed upon the herds. The better and tamer milch
cows were separated from the ranging herds and kept in a pasture
adjoining the dairy. All branding was done in corrals, and
calves were weaned from mother-cows at the proper time to benefit
both. The old method of branding and classing, that had so
shocked Madeline, had been abandoned, and one had been