He bore himself as a lord proprietor, and in fact he was such at this moment.

He was about to go, surrounded by his retainers, to his own house on a huge grant of land made to him by the Spanish King--Spanish kings granted lands very freely in America to favorites, and the relatives of favorites.
Braxton Wyatt also showed pride.

Was he not the most trusted friend of an able man who was dreaming a great dream, a dream that would come true?
The last remnants of his border attire had disappeared and he, too, was dressed wholly as a Spanish officer, though by no means so splendidly as his chief.
Alvarez addressed a few words to a man in civilian attire, evidently his overseer, a dark, heavy West India Spaniard who carried a pistol in his sash, and then advanced through the rabble, which quickly fell back on either side to let him pass.
Horses were in waiting for Alvarez, Wyatt, and several others, and mounting, they rode off, Henry and Shif'less Sol watching from the bush as well as they could, and following.

The way of the officers led through a great plantation but partially redeemed from the ancient forest.

Cane and grain fields were on either side of the path, and presently they approached a large house of only one story, built of wood, and surrounded by a wide veranda supported with posts at regular intervals.