Carbon County news., 1945-01-18
W.R.u
s SERVICE

for it can be cut for hay or grazed. =
Indeed. Who told Don Leonardo
all this?"
''He learned it at the University
of Arizona. He had this soil tested
there, for Don Leonardo is not one
to leap before he looks-and he
looked into the future and saw him.
self the owner of nearly two thou,
sand acres of pasturage that would
support three thousand cows and
their increase. He would have built
up a herd of pure-bred Herefords to
sell to other cattlemen for breeding
stock at prices double or triple what
thew would bring for beef. With this
home ranch developed and under
fence he would have abandoned the
open range. There would be no
round-ups, he would have a short
payroll and there would be no
chance for thieves to run his cattle
off in trucks! Poor Don Leonardo!
If he were a cry-baby he would
weep when he reflects on what he
lost that he might triumph over Mad
Halter. warned him not to stay too
long on that brute, but he would not
listen to me. He over-estimated his
strength, and now" Pedro spread
his hands despairingly.
So this was what she had de-
prived him of when she made that
foolish bet with his father. To win
that bet for her he had taken a
risk that had cost him the dearest
wish of his life! Mary could have
wept. And then came the thought:
If he had the home ranch he wouldn't
need the open state range, so he
would be safe from clashes with
cattle thieves! And l bought the
state range lease to save him from
that! Tumble Tom is a brother of
minei
"Of course" Pedro went on, as
they rode along, Don Leonardo
would not have given up the state
lease until he had the home ranch
in shape and well stocked, and to
earn the money to do this he would
have had to run cattle on the open
range. 1t would have been many
years before his dream came true,
but what of that? One must work
and one must fight to be happy, and
is life not like tunnel? One travels
far in the darkness and then comes
the light at the other end and it
grows brighter and brighter until
one emerges into the sunshine"
"And out there in the sunshine is
a cemetery" she said bitterly. ''Pe-
dro, I think I shall be happier if I,
too, do some working and fighting.
Fortunately, shall not have to live
my life in tunnel; have the power
to make my entrance and my exit
swiftly-like train
He pulled up his horse and looked
at her eagerly. His brown hand swept
the landscape. "You mean-you will
take up the dream of Don Leonar-
do?"
She nodded. II live a very USE
less life, Pedro. do nothing to JUS
tify my existence The thought
has just come to me that it might
be fun to make millions of blades of
grass grow where none have grown
before; that there may be some
quiet satisfaction in doing my bit
toward feeding the world"
"Dona Maria" said Pedro with
deep feeling, "you are a different
dude lady! At the moment I am en-
ployed by Don Hamilton Henley but
would it might be my fortune to
help you with this dream. l am only
a poor man but I am not stupid. /
have been to high school in this
country and l am not a peon. My
father was a hacendado. He was
killed in the Madero revolution; Don
Hamilton found me at Aqua Prieta
with the soldiers; there was a big
fight there and I was sent across
the line. I was just a poor little
fellow and so frightened well,
am an American citizen now"
When they returned to headquar-
ters Mary borrowed the station wag-
on and asked Pedro to drive her
in to Congress Junction, where she
telephoned to Sheriff Hank Wade at
the county seat. "This is
Miss Mary Sutherland speaking.
Sheriff Wade" she announced, and
spelled out her name for him. 81
have just purchased the Wagon
Wheel ranch and find on it one of
your deputies guarding a couple OF
mich cows, some rather obsolescent
ranch equipment and some cow
ponies that ought to be retired on
pension. This livestock is being held
IN my property and fed on my hay.
or I took that over with the real
estate and improvements. Also the
water those animals drink is mine
md it isn't attached and can't be.
And 1 don't want that livestock or
hat rusty old equipment cluttering
Up my ranch after today"
She heard the sheriff laugh softly.
What? Would you begrudge a crit
er bite to eat an a drink O. cold
vater?"
81 would" Mary laughed back,
you're a dude, take it?"
"Yes, that's what they call me
llt here"