Nogales international., 1934-02-10

"You see," explained Will, ''the rair
that falls between the top OF the noun
tain range and the dixie sinks into the
ground and goes down to bedrock
But it can't get past the dixie and /;
;mpounded under the surface. Where
the wall crosses this arroyo IS tht
lowest point, and it's there we founC
wet sand last year"
They came up to the dixie. Fifty
feet above the arroyo bed il rose, form
ing a waterfall during rains, and be
d. low was great sandy hole. The bot
tom of this hole was damp.
Ruth could hardly conceal her dis
appointment-she had pictured pleas
ant little pool, and the bottom of tht
sandy hole looked as though some one
had spilled half a pail of water there
twenty minutes before. But Will wa:
boyishly enthusiastic. There she is
Believe me, when you find a damn
place in this weather, there's something
doing"
When Alfredo and Don Francisco
came with the shovels, Will directed
them in excellent Spanish to dig from
the damp spot toward the wall. 1r
less than half hour there was real
water at the bottom of the trench.
She and Will returned to the barn
for a rock drill and sledge-the plan
was to drill through the dixie into the
water beyond.
Will and Alfredo took turns at
swinging the sledge, while Don Fran
cisco held the drill, giving it quarter
turn at each stroke. The drill sank in
steadily; at every blow little more
water trickled around the inch-thick
bar of steel. Snavely, Ann and the
Mexican woman came to look.
Four hours after they had begun, the
sound of sledge on drill began to
change subtly-''It's coming! We're
almost-through!" Wills voice was
tense with excitement as he swung
the sledge. A few more strokes, and
the drill shot in six inches at one
blow.
No one made a sound. Will
dropped the sledge. Every eye was on
Don Francisco. With both hands he
worked the drill up and down to loosen
it. Slowly he pulled it out and as it
came, water spurted around it in ever
increasing volume. The drill was out
and a muddy spout of water struck
the sand three feet away from the wall.
Every one, from David to old Don
Francisco, made some kind of noise.
Ruth hugged the first person at hand,
until she discovered it was Snavely.
And even Snavely shook hands all
around-real running water was toe
much for the old cattleman.
No one slept that night. They kept
the fire going for its light and SAT
around watching the spout of water
Every now and then, some one took a
drink, and although the water was
still quite muddy, declared that it was
probably the purest water in Arizona
With the proper troughs it would
water every head of stock the Deac
Lantern could ever carry and, Incl
dentally, although Ruth did not sus-
pect it, the value of the ranch had in
creased by some thousands of dollars
since that last blow from Wits
sledge.
By daylight a temporary dam had
been thrown across the arroyo for the
use of the cattle until the water coulc
be piped to a permanent pond
Snavely had actually helped to built
this dam. But when the cattle hac
been driven up the arroyo and every
one was going back to the ranch house
for breakfast, Ruth sensed that
Snave1y was rapidly returning to nor
NAL.
After the midday meal Ruth ane
David accompanied Will to the mai
box to meet Old Charley. Before they
left, however, Will had to take a las
lock at the water. Not single COW
was at the pond; they had all hat
their water and now were scattered
over the pasture.
On the way to the mail box the three
friends talked incessantly. David rode
with Will.
It was when Old Charley's car ap-
peared far down the highway that Vii
said I'm planning a little joke Or
Dad. He is always kidding me about
leaving the ranch for the city-I know
that he hopes some day TIL come home
for good and help him raise cattle
There's piece of homestead property