Carbon County news., 1945-01-18
CHAPTER XII

dark man with handle-bar mus
taches whom Pa introduced, with
out naming him, as the deputy sher
iff guarding everything the injured
dude spinster had attached under the
Judgment rendered her against the
Burdans. The democracy of the
southwest was apparent, for the dep
uty sheriff had been invited to ea
with the new owner and her EN-
ployees. Mary decided to change
that custom promptly.
Luncheon had just been finished
when the dog commenced to bark
and into the ranch yard rolled Pc
dro with Len Henley's pickup truck
and Lens two horses in the trailer
attached. Behind came the old Sc
dan and the trailer house with q
pretty brunette young woman driv-
ing and beside her on the seat, two
small boys about five years old who
appeared to be twins.
The Burdans gave Pedro unstinted
welcome and Pedro was plainly sur
prised at seeing Mary present. He
introduced his wife, Carlotta, and
his two sons, Victoriano and Juan,
and Pa Burdan said: Meet the
new owner O. the Wagon Wheel,
Pedro. This is Miss Mary Suther-
land. Friend O. Lens" he added
parenthetically.
Pedro bowed low and almost
swept the ground with his SOM
brero, but he did not indicate that
he and Mary had met before. His
wife said to him in Spanish, How
is this, my Pedro? We have been
sent out here by Don Hamilton (she
pronounced it Hamil-tone) and now
we are informed this lady is the
owner"
Il am embarrassed" said Pedro.
"You need not be, Pedro" Mary
assured him. Until yesterday Don
Hamilton felt so assured the ranch
would be his, following some trifing
legal formalities, that. he anticipat-
ed his right to send you out here to
represent his interests. But since
then the situation has changed and
it is now my pleasure to welcome
you to the Wagon Wheel. Mrs. Bur-
dan, you will please assign the Or
tiz family to one of the dude cot
tages and then prepare luncheon for
them"
1--WE thank you, Dona Maria" said
Pedro. Il was pretty tired camp
ing out on the deserted rodeo
grounds, so I came in to see Don
Hamiltone to ask what I should do
with the property of Don Leonardo.
1 am about to buy the Wagon Wheel
ranch,' he told me. Take the prop
erty of my son out there and bring
your family with you and look after
things for me. "
"You and your family and Don
ASOAAoi w . PAOPCAbJ al WSlCOIIlG
here, Pedro, until other arrange
ments can be made for you. Don
Leonardo would not be happy if he
thought stranger was in charge of
his horses. The cattle on the Wagon
Wheel belong to Don Hamilton, so
if he desires you to do something
for him in connection with them you
must remain to do so. Enter your
house."
So Pedro and his family entered
their house and carried in with them
an assortment of groceries, while
Mary continued her inspection of
the ranch headquarters and after
luncheon Ma Burdan drafted Car
otta for brisk sweeping and dust
ng campaign in what she called the
Dude House. At Mary's direction
she set a small table before the
fireplace in the living room and
hat night Mary ate dinner in the
ISOLATION her position as boss of the
'ancho demanded Carlotta very
orettily asked permission to serve
Ter in the capacity of waitress and
maid, in which, prior to her mar
'iage, she had had some expert |
,nce, and Mary promptly engaged |
Ter on salary. She had already un-
packed Mary's trunks; she could |
aunder fine garments and was an
Expert needlewoman and Mary felt
| little recession of the suspicion
hat she was hardy pioneer when,
lpon retiring, she found a fire in
he small open fireplace in her room,
Ter bed turned down and her night
own, robe and slippers laid out.
The following morning Pedro sad
led Lens horses and invited her to
ide with him over the home ranch.
he accepted nor did she consider
worth while to inform him that
he was but a bird of passage on
ne Wagon Wheel and not remotely
Interested in acquiring it for an in
estment, that her presence here
vas the result of impulse. The
ONE ranch, she discovered, consist
d Of three sections contiguous to
ach other, practically level mesa
ising perhaps hundred feet above