Nogales international., 1933-08-19

changed significant glance, and an
old-tiner-who never lost opportunity
to lament the passing Of the good old
times-opined to neighbor that, when
Charley Thane was sheriff OF this here
county, sheriffs had a heap more to
do with posses than foreclosure sales.
When Old Charley returned to the
street, carrying large government
mail sack weighted with two letters
and post card, young couple and
a five.year- boy were standing un-
certainly in the strip of shade close
to his car. Discomfort ard bewilder-
rnent enveloped the three as one per-
son. The little boy was tightly nloored
to his mothers fore6nger and the hand
of the husband was very near that of
his wife. Old Charley's lower lip
punched slightly with his thought of
"Pshaw, nowl" as he noted the face
of the slender young man; he had
seen many such faces new to Arizona.
Are you Ol-Mr.-Mr.--" the
young man paused and looked toward
the girl at his side.
"Thane," she supplied, "are you
Mr. Thane?"
Old Charley smiled, his eyes on the
, girl. He observed to himself that
!, she was pretty, high toned, and mighty
: warm. "Yes," he said aloud, Il am
T Old Charley Thane."
A tension relaxed. "We were told
, by a police officer" said the young
} man heSitant1y, as though expecting
his words to be cut short at any mo-
ment by cough, that you were go
. ing to a place called San Jorge, car
: rying the mail We were told that
you occasionally carry passengers"
Old Charley nodded. eyes, I can
take you out that way. Where bouts
are you going? San Jorge is pretty
big valley"
| The husband laughed shortly. eve
) are trying to get to farm and the
, post office address is San Jorge"
"a ranch. dear, not farm" said
the girl, "a cow ranch-the Dead
Lantern ranch"
The eyes OF Old Charley narrowed
incredulously. He hesitated for mo-
ment. "Are you real certain it's the
Dead Lantern you want to go to?"
The young man glanced inquiringly
at his wife, then at Old Charley.
why, yes-there is such ranch,
: isn't there?'
eyes, there's Dead Lantern all
right"
'The ranch we want to visit is
called the Dead Lantern and the ad-
dress was San Jorge" spoke the
girl; "it was formerly owned by Mr..
Harry Grey and Mr.. Snavely. Mr..
Grey died recently. Do you know of
the place and can you take us there?"
Il go by the front gate, Nam"
Excellent. Perhaps if we start
soon we shall be in time for luncheon?
We can send in for our luggage later
this afternoon, | suppose"
Old Charley did not miss the tone
in which this was spoken. Also, he
did not miss the fact that she re-
garded his as taxi driver. IF you
want to CO." he supphed, I'D be glad
to take you, but it's eighty-fivc miles
to the Dead Lantern and the roads
nothin' to brag on. You can get them
to put up lunch for you in that ice
cream parlor over there. And if we.
can get your baggage on this car we'd
better do it. There's no machine on
the Dead Lantern and I only make
one trip week"
"Eighty-f fve n,iles?" The girl caught
her breath. Surely there must be a
train-isn't there town nearer than
this ?"
Nom. There's a spur track from
Mexico that runs about thirty miles
from the ranch but they only use it at
cattle shippin' time.
The young woman looked from her
husband to Old Charley do you
mean that this ranch is eighty-five
miles out in the wilderness and there
isn't even a machine on the place ?"
Her voice was trenulous.
That's about the size of it, Main.
| ''But how do they get to town."
) "They don't come in SO very often.
, Kenneth" The girl appealed to
, her husband with questioning eyes
, For a long moment the two young
: people faced each other.
: Then with a shrug of helplessness
: the husband turned to Old Charley.
1--WE didn't understand how it would
( be. I expect we'd better do as you
suggest. We only have a small trunk
: and some bags-they're still at the
( station"
Old Charley nodded cheerfully
5 'Fine. If you'll give me the checks |
t can be getting the stuff loaded while
you folks see about your lunches. I'm
sorry I can't take you any nearer the
: ranch house than the gate, though.
: Are they expecting you?"
| "Oh, yes. We wrote Mr.. Snavely
l some time ago that we intended to
| arrive to-day. 1t can't be so very far
; from the gate to the house, can it?'
: "About FIVE miles, should Judge" r"
"Good Lordp The young man
t glanced curiously at the people on the
: sidewalk. "Well, then, I suppose we'd
better telephone Mr.. Snavely and
{ make sure that he will meet us. We've
: already tried to find his name in the
: directory"
II Old Charley shook his head. "The
| line stops about two miles after you
leave town."
''No teIebhone'" The young mans
| brows puckered. "No-telephone-"
he spoke slowly; the idea was quite
T new to him. "But how do people
he paused and became more thought