The Benson signal., 1917-07-21
CHAPTER III.
The Spanish Sinks.


In two extended groups, separated
by a narrow but well-deined break, 6
magnificent rampant. named by Span
iards the Superstition mountains
stretches beyond the horizon to the
south. along the vast depression known
as the Spanish sinks. The break or
the eastern side Of tn. chain comes
about twenty miles southwest OF
Sleepy Cat, and is marked on the
north by the most striking, and In
some respects most majestic peak ir
the ranga-Music mountain; the break
itself has taken the name of it's earliest
white settlers, and is called Morgan's
gap. No railroad has ever yet pene
trated this southern country, despite
the fact that rich mines have been
opened along these mountains, and are
still being opened; but it lies today ir
much of the condition Of primitive saw
agery, and lawlessness, as the word Is
conventtonally accepted, that obtained
when the first rush was made for the
Thief River gold fields.
Business is done in this country; but
business must halt everywhere with
Its meaus of communication, and in
the Music Mountain country is still
rests on the facilities of a stage line
The bullion wagons still travel the
difficult roads. They look for safety tc
their armed horsemen; the four and
six-horse stages look to the armed
guard, the wayfarer must look to his
horse-and it should be a good one
the mountain rancher to his rifle, the
cattle thief to the mOOnless night, the
bandit to his wits, the gunman to his
holster; these include practically all
the people that travel the Spanish
sinks, except the Morgans and the Nor.
mons. The Mormons looked to the
Morgans for safety; the Morgans to
themselves.
For many year the Morgans have
been almost overlords of the Music
Mountain country. They own, or have
laid claim to, an extended territory in
the mountains, Spanish grant. Nor.
gans gap opens south of Music noun
tain, less than ten miles west Of Gala
basas. 1t is a narrow valley where
valleys are more precious than water
for the mountain valley means wa
ter-and this in a country where water
is much more precious than life. And
some of the best of this land at the
foot of Music mountain was the ma.
ternal inheritance Of Nan Morgan.
At Calabasas the Thief River stage
line maintains completely equipped
relay barns. They are over twenty
miles from Sleepy Cat, but nearly fifty
the other way from Thief river. And
except a few shacks, there is nothing
between CalabaSas, Thief river and
the mountains except sunshine and
alkali. say nothing, meaning especial
ly nothing in the way of human habi
tation.
The Calabasas inn stood in one OF
the loneliest canyons of the whole sew
enty miles between Sleepy Cat and
Thief river; it looked in it's depletion
to be what it was, a Somber, mysteri
GUS, sun, wind and alkali-beaten pile
around which was a ruin like those
pretentious deserted structures some
times seen in frontier towns-relics OF
the wide-open days, which stand after
ward, stark and somber, to serve as
bats nests or blind pigs. The inn al
Calabasas looked it's part-a haunt OF
rustlers, a haven of nameless men, q
refuge of road-agents.
The very first time De Spain made
an inspection trip over the stage line
with Lefever, he was conscious of the
sinister air of this lonely building. He
and Lefever had ridden down from the
barn, while their horses were being
changed, to look at the place. De
Spain wanted to look over everything
connected in any way, however remote.
ly, with the operation Of his wagons
and this joint, Lefever had told him
was where the freighters and drivers
were not infrequently robbed Of their
money. It was here that one Of their
own men, Bill McCarty, once
scratched a mans neck" with q
knife-which, Bill explained, he just
"happened" to have in his hand-for
cheating at cards. Lefever pointed out
the unlucky gamblers grave as he and
De Spain rode into the canyon toward
the inn.
Not sign of any sort was displayed
about the habitation. No man was ia.
cited to enter, no man warned to keep
out, none was anywhere in sight. The
stage men dismounted, threw their
fines, pushed open the front door OF
Sta honse and entered a room Of Der