Uncle said I'd better stay with him and aunt, but I knew how terribly disappointed Ruth would be if I did, because she couldn't homestead alone.

So uncle declared that if homesteaders we had to be, then we must locate near him where he could have me under his eye, so to speak.

I myself am not taking this claim business very seriously.

And now uncle, who once had some controversy with the elder Menocal, wouldn't be very well pleased if he knew the son was making calls on us." "So others besides myself have trouble with the Menocals," Bryant stated.
"Apparently.

I don't know what this particular difficulty was about, but uncle is president of a bank in Kennard and so it may have been some financial matter.