age, but I’d guess she’s in her twenties.”
“When you get to be my age, sonny, any woman under forty-five falls into the category of ‘girl.’ Tell me about Ben. He stopped here on his way home last fall. Looked hale and hearty then.”
“I don’t know a lot. All I’ve heard is that it was pretty sudden. My folks went to Tombstone to check out the girl’s story. It isn’t any secret that Ben agreed to give us first option on the land. That spring has been the topic of conversation all year at the Cattlemen’s Association meetings.”
“So now this gal shows up out of the blue with clear claim to your ranch’s main water supply. I think I see how the wind blows.”
“Well, she said she’d give us the same deal we had with Ben. If she doesn’t renege on the bargain, the Triple C, the J & B and probably the Rocking R—that’s owned by Marshall Rogers—will still be able to meet the water needs of our summer stock.”
“Do I hear a but at the end of that statement?”
Jake gave the swing a lazy push with his boot heels. “No. Nothing I can put my finger on.”
“I think I understand. This woman’s a new unknown player in the game. She could get fed up with digging her fingers bloody in the dirt. If she flies the coop without telling anyone, or if she up and turns loose of her claim, any Tom, Dick or Harry could snap up the land. Including the water and mineral rights.”
“You’ve got that right enough to ruin my lunch.” Jake stopped swinging. “I hadn’t got around to putting my fears into words. You summed them up nicely.”
“Is she a looker?”
“Wh-what?” Jake stammered.
“The woman. Is she pretty? If she is, you might want to marry her. Won’t give you automatic rights to her claim. But, boy, you’d be in a position to keep tabs on the situation.”
Jake’s first inclination was to laugh. Somehow the laugh never materialized. “She’s already married,” he muttered, lavishing an inordinate amount of attention on the uneaten portion of his sandwich. “Or she could be in the process of divorce. According to rumors floating around Tombstone, Mrs. Ryan’s hubby took off with another woman after selling Ben’s silver mine out from under her.”
“Then you wouldn’t want to get tangled up with her if she’s already a loser.”
“I wouldn’t classify her as a loser.” Jake didn’t realize he’d betrayed his interest in Hayley, until his companion let out a cheeky laugh, winked and jabbed Jake’s ribs.
“So, the thought of corralling this filly has already crossed your mind.”
“If you want the continued pleasure of my company, old man, stop deviling me. I get enough of that from Dillon. There’s ways to keep tabs on the lady without going to such extremes. I’ve devised any number of reasons that’ll take me past her campsite on a regular basis till roundup starts. If she sticks around that long,” he added.
“You’ve got a point there, son. Ben had the know-how and the patience to work a claim. Most folks get discouraged if they don’t see any monetary gain. To my knowledge, Ben never took a dime out of the Blue Cameo. Still and all, he seemed mighty sure she’d pay off one day.”
“Did he ever mention what he expected to turn up?”
The iron-haired man rocked back in his chair and contemplated. “Can’t say that he did. Last year when he stopped by, I thought he seemed reluctant to go back to Tombstone. Hinted about being close to a payload. But I’ve never met a prospector who isn’t just a shovelful of dirt away from riches. I’ll think about our last visit. If I remember anything more, I’ll give you a jingle at the ranch.”
“I’d appreciate that. Frankly I hope there isn’t anything. All we need is a big gold strike to bring every hopeful miner from both sides of the border converging on us. Can’t think of anything worse.” Jake grimaced.
“Ben was right to play his cards close to the vest. Sometimes all it takes is the
“When you get to be my age, sonny, any woman under forty-five falls into the category of ‘girl.’ Tell me about Ben. He stopped here on his way home last fall. Looked hale and hearty then.”
“I don’t know a lot. All I’ve heard is that it was pretty sudden. My folks went to Tombstone to check out the girl’s story. It isn’t any secret that Ben agreed to give us first option on the land. That spring has been the topic of conversation all year at the Cattlemen’s Association meetings.”
“So now this gal shows up out of the blue with clear claim to your ranch’s main water supply. I think I see how the wind blows.”
“Well, she said she’d give us the same deal we had with Ben. If she doesn’t renege on the bargain, the Triple C, the J & B and probably the Rocking R—that’s owned by Marshall Rogers—will still be able to meet the water needs of our summer stock.”
“Do I hear a but at the end of that statement?”
Jake gave the swing a lazy push with his boot heels. “No. Nothing I can put my finger on.”
“I think I understand. This woman’s a new unknown player in the game. She could get fed up with digging her fingers bloody in the dirt. If she flies the coop without telling anyone, or if she up and turns loose of her claim, any Tom, Dick or Harry could snap up the land. Including the water and mineral rights.”
“You’ve got that right enough to ruin my lunch.” Jake stopped swinging. “I hadn’t got around to putting my fears into words. You summed them up nicely.”
“Is she a looker?”
“Wh-what?” Jake stammered.
“The woman. Is she pretty? If she is, you might want to marry her. Won’t give you automatic rights to her claim. But, boy, you’d be in a position to keep tabs on the situation.”
Jake’s first inclination was to laugh. Somehow the laugh never materialized. “She’s already married,” he muttered, lavishing an inordinate amount of attention on the uneaten portion of his sandwich. “Or she could be in the process of divorce. According to rumors floating around Tombstone, Mrs. Ryan’s hubby took off with another woman after selling Ben’s silver mine out from under her.”
“Then you wouldn’t want to get tangled up with her if she’s already a loser.”
“I wouldn’t classify her as a loser.” Jake didn’t realize he’d betrayed his interest in Hayley, until his companion let out a cheeky laugh, winked and jabbed Jake’s ribs.
“So, the thought of corralling this filly has already crossed your mind.”
“If you want the continued pleasure of my company, old man, stop deviling me. I get enough of that from Dillon. There’s ways to keep tabs on the lady without going to such extremes. I’ve devised any number of reasons that’ll take me past her campsite on a regular basis till roundup starts. If she sticks around that long,” he added.
“You’ve got a point there, son. Ben had the know-how and the patience to work a claim. Most folks get discouraged if they don’t see any monetary gain. To my knowledge, Ben never took a dime out of the Blue Cameo. Still and all, he seemed mighty sure she’d pay off one day.”
“Did he ever mention what he expected to turn up?”
The iron-haired man rocked back in his chair and contemplated. “Can’t say that he did. Last year when he stopped by, I thought he seemed reluctant to go back to Tombstone. Hinted about being close to a payload. But I’ve never met a prospector who isn’t just a shovelful of dirt away from riches. I’ll think about our last visit. If I remember anything more, I’ll give you a jingle at the ranch.”
“I’d appreciate that. Frankly I hope there isn’t anything. All we need is a big gold strike to bring every hopeful miner from both sides of the border converging on us. Can’t think of anything worse.” Jake grimaced.
“Ben was right to play his cards close to the vest. Sometimes all it takes is the
Similar Books
