Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-02-02

LAl&IN "a -
crowd. l didn't want to walk out into
the street or seem afraid. But had
to do both. There were several young
men. and If they weren't drunk they
certainly were rude. l never saw
them before, but I think they must
belong to the mining company that
was run out of Sonora by rebels. Any
way, these young fellows were Amer
leans. They stretched themselves
across the walk and smiled at me.
had to 90 out in the road. One of
them. the rudest, followed me. He
was a big fellow, red-faced, with prom
ineat eyes and a bold look. He came
up beside me and spoke to me. I ran
home. And as l ran / heard his com
panions jeering.
"Well, today, just now, when l was
| riding up the valley road I came upon
the same fellows. They had instru-
ments and were surveying. Remem-
herring Dick, and how he always
wished for an instrument to help work
out his plan for irrigation, / was GER
tainly surprised to see these strangers
surveying-and surveying upon Lad
dy's plot of land. 1t was a sandy
road there, and Jose happened to be
walking. So l refined in and asked
these engineers what they were do
ing. The leader, who was that same
bold fellow who had followed me,
seemed much pleased at being adj
dressed. He said he was glad to tell
me he was going to run water all over
Altar valley. Dad, you can bet that
made me wild. That was Dicks plan,
his discovery. and here were surveyors
on Laddy's claim.
"Then told him that he was work
ing on private land and he'd better
get off. He said something about not
seeing any squatters on the land. and
then he shut up tight on that score.
But he began to be f1irty again. He
got hold of .Jose's bride, and before
I could catch my breath he said I
was a peach, that he wanted to make
n date with me. that his name was
Chase. that he owEed a gold mine in
Mexico. He said lot more didn't
gather. but when he called me
Dearie' well. I lost my temper.
81 ierked on the bride and told him
to let go. He held on and rolled his
eyes at me. He seemed sure of con-
quest. One thing was certain. he
didn't know the least bit about horses.
It scared me the way he got In front
of Jose. l thanked my stars wasn't
up on Blanco Diable. Well, Dad, I'm
a little ashamed now, but was mad.
7 sIashed him across the face with my
ouirt. Jose jumped and knocked Mr..
Chase into the sand. l didn't get the
horse under control till l was out Of
sight of those surveyors. and then l
let him run home"
"Nell. 7 guess you punished the fell
low enough. Maybe he's only a con-
reited softly. But 7 don't like that sort
OF thing. 1t isn't western"
"Tm sorry now. Dad. Perhaps the
fellow was hurt. But what could I
do?N Let's forget all about it. and I'll
be careful where | rifle in the future
Dad, what does it mean, this
surveying around Forlorn River?'
Il don't know, Nell" replied Beid'
ing, t%houghtfully. 1T worries me. II
looks good for Forlorn River, but bad
for Dicks plan to irrigate he valley.
Lord, I'd hare to have some one fore
stall Dick on that :"
"No, no, we won't let anybody have
Dicks rights" declared Nell.
'Where nave / been keeping myself
not to know about these surveyors
muttered Belding. "They must have
just come"
Bedding discovered that he was, In
deed. the last man of consequence IN
Forlorn River to learn of the arrival
of Ben Chase and son, mine owners
and operators in Sonora. They, will
a force of miners. had been besieged
by rebels and finally driven off theil
property. This property was not de
stroyed, but held for ransom. And the
Chases. pending developments, hac
packed outfits and struck for the Dor
der. Casita had been their objective
point, but, for some reason which
Belding dld not learn, they had ar
rived instead at Forlorn River. L
had taken Ben Chase just one day tt
, see the possibilities of Altar valley
and in three days he had men al WORK
Bekling returned home without go
ing to see the Chases and their oper
ations. He wanted to think over tn
| situation. Next morning he went on
to the valley to see for himself, Mex
leans were hastily erecting adob
houses upon Ladd's one hundred ant
sixty acres, upon Dick Gales, upoI
Jim Lash's and Thorne's. There wer
men stalking the valley floor and tn
river bed. That was sufficient TO
| Bedding. He turned back towar'
town ard headed for the camp o
these intruders.
He came to a big tent with a hue
canvas fly stretched in front. unde
which sat several men in their shil
sleeves. They were talking and smof