She saw the giant cactus in full bloom, a miracle of orange, pink, and
crimson; and as they sped south the mountainsides were aflame with juniper
and manzanita.

At last they reached the little town of Bisbee, where Morgan was to have a
conference with several engineers. Sturgis met them--a fair-haired fellow
with a captivating smile. He liked this country, and told Pell he wished he
could always be kept here. There was no doubt about the new vein of oil,
and new ranches were being opened up rapidly. Only a few miles away was one
that promised well; and the young chap on it was in money difficulties. A
good chance to step in. There had been rumors that a neighbor had taken up
his mortgage; but maybe this was not so. Perhaps they weren't too late. He
had telephoned over, and the youngster had agreed that Pell and his wife
could come and stay with him and his invalid uncle for awhile. Of course he
knew nothing of their intentions. That would never do. They would just lie
low. In fact, he, Sturgis, need not accompany them, except to the hotel.
The ranch-owner's foreman would fetch them out in a Ford. Not a bad trip at
all--only a few miles. It would be better to stop down there. They could
comb the country, get acquainted, see how things were, and keep a vigilant
eye on everything.

Sturgis had arranged things nicely. "Red" Giddings came over, as planned,
and Lucia liked his pleasant face at once. He was full of enthusiasm for
the country, loved the outdoor life. "Mr. Jones has had hard luck, though,"
he said, as they whirled along the road on an afternoon of unbelievable
heat.

"Jones!" Lucia said.