Nevada (1995) (18 page)

Chapter
nine.

It was late July and the long wagon-train journey had ended. Th
e
Ides were comfortably camped on a running brook in a grove o
f
cottonwoods outside the little Arizona hamlet of Sunshine. Ben ha
d
secured a grazing permit for his horses on a ranch near by; an
d
while his family rested, he scoured the ranges round about i
n
search of a new home.

Hettie had never seen a man so full of zest and thrill over an
y
project as Ben was in his search for a ranch in this amazing an
d
glorious Arizona. His happy eagerness seemed reflected in all.

But on the other hand, it turned out he had difficulty in finding
a
place which suited him.

"I want a thousand acres or more--five thousand if I can get them,"
h
e said. "Good water most important. Next I want grass an
d
timber. Next a fine site for a ranch house, with a splendid view."

"Say, boss, you sure don't want very much a-tall," declared ol
d
Raidy, a little sarcastic. "Why, they hain't got all thet in thi
s
darned country."

Hettie shared Ben's enthusiasm, and encouraged him in his ambition.

They had journeyed days up from the Colorado River to this hig
h
plateau, where westward the gray-green range seemed like a vas
t
ocean, waving away into purple distance. To the north and east i
t
rose to dark red-banded mountains. Hettie loved the physica
l
attributes of this bewildering Arizona, and so did Ina. But bot
h
of them were anxiously concerned about the wildness of the place
,
the aloofness of the few settlers, herders, riders whom they met
,
the fact that those mystic, forbidding mountains, seeming so close
,
were no other than the Mogollons, which Ben had been cautioned t
o
avoid. Moreover, they were not so sure that he would make th
e
wisest of business deals. Yet the buoyancy of his spirit, th
e
change in him, and the undoubted improvement in Mrs. Ide's health
,
who had not been so active and happy for years, influenced Hetti
e
and Ina not to discourage Ben and to resolve to stand by him, com
e
what might. Added to this was the actual romance and appeal o
f
this wilderness.

In the middle of the day it was very hot. The sun blazed down
,
burning face and hands. Yet it seemed to cast a dry heat that wa
s
bearable, even at its worst. Then, no matter how hot the sun, th
e
shade was always cool. That seemed a strange property of thi
s
Arizona atmosphere. Anywhere in the shade it was cool. Th
e
sunshine was golden, the sky azure blue, the desert changeful a
t
every hour, yet always dreamy, mystic, dim, and wonderful. A
t
night the dark velvet dome of heaven burned with great white stars.

The little town, Sunshine, was on the railroad line and train
s
passed the Ide camp every day, to little Blaine's infinite delight.

Hettie, too, found them a novelty and she never failed to watc
h
them. Forty miles from Sunshine, down on a level bare reach of th
e
desert, lay the town Winthrop. The Ides had stopped there a day.

It was a stock-dealing and freighting town, with a main street o
n
which saloons were remarkably numerous and prominent. Ben ha
d
preferred not to leave his family there, nor did he wish t
o
advertise the fact that a rich Californian was looking for a ranch.

They had stayed long enough in Winthrop, however, to ascertain tha
t
there were a number of good stores, two banks, a huge sawmill
,
workmen available, and a sprinkling of solid prosperous Westerners.

After an absence of three days Ben returned on the train late on
e
afternoon, to descend upon his camp like a whirlwind.

Hettie, who first heard him, called out to Ina: "It's Ben. An
d
you can bet we're settled now."

"Listen to him," replied Ina, in wondering gladness. "Well!"

They ran out to find him surrounded by his men, from whom, as In
a
eagerly called, he broke away.

Whereupon she and Hettie and his mother were treated to bearis
h
hugs, accompanied by various exclamations.

"Oh, gee! Oh, gee!" he continued, dragging them all to the cam
p
table and benches under a cottonwood. "Give me a drink of water.

I'm thirsty. And I've got to wash my hands and face. Hungrie
r
than a wolf, too."

They waited on him, after the manner of loving women, plying hi
m
all the while with questions. Presently he flopped down on th
e
grass and leaned back against the tree.

"I've bought my ranch," he said, with solemn finality, eying them.

Hettie and Ina regarded him in a momentous silence, but his mothe
r
spoke dryly: "Humph! we know that. I said you'd buy without eve
n
lettin' us women see the place."

"You'll all be crazy about it," he returned.

"Where?" asked Ina, slowly sinking on her knees in front of him.

"Sixty miles from Winthrop and about a hundred from here."

"How much land?"

"A thousand acres. Fine grazing all around. No other ranche
s
near. Ten thousand head of cattle. Forty thousand dollars! Isn'
t
that a bargain?"

"It remains to be seen. You've settled the deal, then?"

"I should smile," he replied, suiting the action to the words.

"Weren't you rather quick?"

"Yes. Had to be."

"Did you see all those ten thousand cattle? Count them?"

"Gracious, no! Ina, do you think I'm chain lightning? I too
k
their word for it. The lawyer I engaged in Winthrop found th
e
title of property okay. So I bought."

"Ben, I hope your ranch isn't out there--toward those Mogollons,"
s
aid Hettie, breaking silence and pointing across the purple-haze
d
desert to the strange dark uplands.

"By George! Hettie, it IS," he declared, smacking a hand on hi
s
knee. "It's right under the brakes of the Mogollons. But such
a
beautiful wild country. I couldn't resist it."

"Didn't you remember what your friend the sheriff said about th
e
Mogollons?"

"I did, honest I did, Hettie," replied Ben, hastily. "But listen.

I'll tell you all about it. . . . Day before yesterday I rode bac
k
to Winthrop after a hard and disappointing trip to half a doze
n
ranches. I was pretty discouraged and was coming back here pronto.

Some horsemen rode up to the hotel where I was sitting out i
n
front. They got off and tied up to the hitching-rail. I've gotte
n
used to seeing these Arizonians. They're sure a rangy, hard-
l
ooking lot. But this outfit struck me as one to look at twice.

Several of them packed two guns. They had fine horses and saddles.

When they went in to drink I asked a cattleman sitting near me wh
o
and what they were. 'Wal,' he said, 'it ain't done in these parts--
t
alkin' aboot your neighbors. Sort of onhealthy.' . . .

Presently some one touched me on the shoulder. I turned round t
o
see one of the riders, a tall fellow, blond and good-looking, no
t
so young, but not old, either. He had eyes that looked righ
t
through you, but his manner was easy, friendly. 'Excuse me, sir,'
h
e said. 'Are you the Californian who's lookin' for a ranc
h
hereabouts?'"

"'Yes, sir. My name's Ide,' I replied, 'and I'm not having muc
h
luck.'"

"'They tell me you're hard to please. But I'm makin' bold to as
k
you personally just what kind of a ranch you want to buy?'"

"So I up and told him, elaborately, just what I was looking for.

Then he laughed, sort of amused and, pulling at his long mustache
,
he said: 'My name's Burridge. I've got exactly what you want.

Somewheres around ten thousand head. Lots of unbranded calves an'
y
earlin's. Cabins an' corrals not worth speakin' of. But water
,
grass, timber, an' range can't be beat in Arizona. It suits me t
o
sell for cash. That's what they call me--Cash Burridge. Suppos
e
you get a lawyer an' come over to the city hall an' see my title.

Then if it strikes you right, I'll take you out to my ranch.'

"Well," went on Ben, reflectively, "Mr. Cash Burridge hit me abou
t
right. I liked his blunt way of putting the deal, and knew h
e
didn't care a rap whether he sold or not. I consulted a lawye
r
recommended by the hotel man, and we met Burridge at the town hall.

The title was clear. So I told Burridge I'd like a look at hi
s
property. We started right out in a buckboard behind a team o
f
fast horses, I'll tell you. For thirty miles or more the road wa
s
good. Then we pitched off into what he called the brakes.

Briefly, that part of the road was a terror. It was only a trail
,
up and down, narrow and rough. Burridge said there was a bette
r
way in, but longer. We reached his ranch before sunset. I'm onl
y
going to tell you that it was the most beautiful and wildest plac
e
I ever saw in my life. But the cabins were filthy, tumbledow
n
huts. I slept out under the pines. This morning I was up befor
e
sunrise, and if I ever fell in love with anything, it is tha
t
place. It was on a high slope, with level benches reaching out
,
all covered with pines. I saw deer, wolves, bear, turkeys
,
antelope right from where I stood. Marvie will go crazy over th
e
place. Also, everywhere I looked there were cattle. You can loo
k
out from the high pine benches down over the most beautiful valle
y
of grass and sage and cedar, and then down into the red-and-gol
d
desert, over a hundred miles away. Right there I asked Burridg
e
how much he wanted. He said fifty thousand. On a venture I
o
ffered forty. He thought it over and took me up. We returned t
o
Winthrop and closed the deal, at noon to-day. I had some hours t
o
kill before train-time, so I strolled around into the stores an
d
saloons. The last I saw of Cash Burridge was in a gambling hell
,
and from his look I gathered he was getting rid of some of hi
s
cash. I introduced myself to storekeepers as a prospective buye
r
and so gained their interest. But all of them were rather close-
m
outhed. They don't talk here in Arizona. One man told m
e
Burridge probably had ten thousand head of stock. Then another ma
n
said Burridge didn't have so many, but it was hard to tell. Th
e
truth is I didn't get much satisfaction. I called to see a Mr.

Franklidge, the largest cattle-owner in these parts, and als
o
president of the bank. But he wasn't in. Now to wind up, I
f
igured Burridge would be shy a lot of cattle on that number h
e
gave--perhaps a thousand head or more. That is a wide margin fo
r
any kind of a cattle deal, and I'm more than satisfied. I'll mak
e
that the finest ranch in Arizona. We'll go out there at once an
d
camp, and start the work of home building. If I don't miss m
y
guess, you'll all fall in love with it as quickly as I did."