“Naw.” Sam chuckled. “He can’t believe anyone wants it. We’re going to buy it if you’re damn sure you and them Injuns can make it a ranch. I don’t know you, but I know you have fought like hell for this country and never run from fire. We’ll be sixty-forty partners. But if you fail me, you lose it all.”
“I am not going to fail you, Mister Cline.” A wagon rattled by, followed by two riders. Mark held a hand over his ear to hear what the man was saying.
“No, no. If we’re partners, you call me Sam. I want you to go to Mayer for the signing of the papers when he gets them ready. For now, you go get a Kodak box camera and five or six rolls of film, go up there, and take pictures. When you get back, I’ll have them developed. You take pictures of the buildings and everything pretty, too.”
“You know we’ll have to ride in there to do that?”
“I guess. Hold on.” Sam spoke to someone else. “No, we need two running bulldozers. If one breaks down, we can use it for parts. And some diesel fuel barrels.” He came back to the phone. “Sorry, Mark. We found two bulldozers. We’re going to need them. But, yes, you ride on up.”
“Yes, sir.” He gazed at the brim of his cowboy hat. Bulldozers—wow. “Sam, I’ll get some supplies and load up some pack horses to go up there. I expect to be gone over a week before I can call you again.”
“Guess it’s the only way we can do it. Get to a phone and call me next Monday.”
“Sam, there aren’t any phone lines up there.”
“You’re right. Come back before two weeks is up—like two weeks from today—and be ready to go sign those papers. Take those pictures and bring the rolls of film to me. And try to keep all your expenses written down. I’ll reimburse you for them. Food and everything. Have you got a gun?”
“A Broomhandle Mauser pistol.”
“Find a .30-30 rifle and shells. Buy one, borrow one, whatever. Hell, up there you might find a grizzly bear.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll leave in the morning for the ranch, take pictures, shoot a bear, and be back all in ten days or two weeks.”
Alma startled when he said that. She mouthed, ”A bear?”
He chuckled.
“Excuse me?”
“It’s nothing, uh—Sam.”
“Fine. Keep all the receipts. Buy that rifle. You got the money to do that?’
“I’ll be fine on that.”
“Good, good. Mark, you be careful up there. I’m counting on this working because you’re my partner.”
“It will, Sam.”
“See you when you get back.”
“Thanks—” But he’d already hung up. He put the receiver up and stood, a little shaken. He looked over at Alma. “Let’s go sit down.”
“You look about to faint. You all right? What was that about a bear?”
“It was nothing… at least I hope not. He was teasing. It’s not that. It’s that this is really about to happen. Hard to believe we’re getting that ranch.” He hugged her. “It’s going to be a happy life.”
“I sure hope so. Maybe if you shoot that bear we can have a big bear rug for the floor.”
Both seated on the truck dock, he laughed and hugged her. “My God, Alma. I still can’t believe how you came into my life that night in Mesa. This ranch is coming the same way. Like God delivered it to me, like he did you to me.”
She smiled, pleased by his words. “What do we need to do?”
“Buy a box camera and ten rolls of film. Take pictures of everything up there. We need to go do that for him and get back in ten days. We will own forty percent of the ranch. We have an expense account and I need to buy a thirty-thirty rifle.” The words tumbled out like he couldn’t stop.
“How come?”
“He don’t want that grizzly bear to eat us up.”
“I guess I don’t either. Good idea to have a rifle.” She doubled over laughing, “What will Jones do?”
“He can come along and be a partner, too. I won’t cheat him.”
“I guess it will work. He’s having fun breaking horses.” She slanted a glance at him. “And you are, too, I think.”
She was sure right there.
A dust devil whirled across the road and between two buildings, churning up chips of wood and bits of gravel. Mark held onto his hat. “Let’s start. I want a saddle for you. I can’t go to Chandler on horseback to get mine from Dad, so let’s buy one. We can charge our needs here.”
Her feet became of great interest to her all of a sudden.
“What is it?”
“I did not mean to make you buy a saddle. That one of Jeff’s. It made me miss him, so I left it somewhere.”
“Is that what happened to it? I wondered. Don’t worry. It was yours to do with as you pleased. I’m sorry you’re still sad. Jeff was a good man and it’s too bad he was killed in the war. But you have a new life ahead of you.”
“I gave it to a man who had no money and a dumb little bony horse. Hard to ride bareback.”
“That’s a good thing to do. We have money to buy you a new one.”
“You are not mad with me?”
“Of course not. You’re my sweet girl. Don’t worry a bit. Come on, let’s get moving. We have lots to do and finding you a nice saddle is first.”
Her eyes danced. “Buying all these things. I’ve never done anything like this before. It’ll be fun.”
He hadn’t either, but he just smiled at her enthusiasm.
Mr. Wayne Pierson, who owned the store, came out on the dock to check on the weather. “Nice day.” He nodded toward them. A short, stout man in his forties, he always wore a suit and tie and polished, low-cut shoes.
“You know Sam Cline, sir?”
“Yes, I do. Mister Cline owns several farms and cotton gins. Why’s that?”
“As of ten minutes ago, I became his ranch partner. Alma and I need to go in by horseback and look at this ranch for him. We will need several things and we have his okay to charge our needs.”
“A big job, is it? Well, congratulations. That’s quite an increase in your work. My goodness. What can I get you?”
“A Kodak camera and ten rolls of film.”
“I can have them here by five o’clock. What else?”
“A .30-30 rifle.”
“I bought one a week ago. Will a used one work? It’s been well cared for.”
“How much?”
“Twenty-five?”
“That’ll do. Put two boxes of shells with it.”
“Come on inside. We can figure this out better on paper.”
He took Alma’s hand. “And this little lady needs to pick out a saddle. I’m sure you have some nice ones.”
Mr. Pierson glowed. He was making a good sale and Mark could see he was happy about it.
It was no surprise to Mark that she chose a used saddle that had been well kept. Sitting in it, feet dangling above the stirrups, she rocked back and forth. “It is more easy to ride in than a new one that needs broke in.”
He helped her down. “Then we will take this one.”
After listing the other things they would need, they left the store. An hour later, Pierson sent them to a guy’s place to pick up some packsaddles from a man who had sold them to the store keeper. His .30-30 and ammo in the wagon, they were to come back and pick up the rest in the late afternoon.
He took Alma’s hand. “Want to go and get a soda?”
“Oh, yes! I have never had this soda.”
“Well, you don’t know what you’ve been missing.”
In the Five and Dime, he went to the counter and ordered their sodas, choosing for her when she asked him to. He led her to a booth, sliding in on the red vinyl to sit on the same side as she did. He took a nickel from his pocket and set it on the table. “Put it in the jukebox. You can pick a song.”
She studied the buttons for a while, then turned to him with an abashed look on her face. “I cannot read, so you will need to pick the song for me.”
He cupped his hand under her
chin. “That makes no difference to me. You are a fine cook and a good helpmate, so what does reading matter?”
He chose a Hank Williams tune for the offering and she patted her foot to the music until the sodas came.
Some of the people who came into the Five and Dime looked overlong at him and Alma. It was still not accepted by many to see mixed couples, but in Arizona, you saw it more because of the population of Indians. Mostly men with no family took what was referred to as squaws as wives or simply lived with them without marriage.
He and Alma were married, according to her, and so he accepted that as right and proper. He ignored the stares and kept talking to her to keep her from seeing it. What could really be wrong when they loved each other and helped each other? It hurt no one. He wanted to stand up and shout at those being so rude, but he held his temper. It would only hurt Alma.
Instead, he sat beside her while she drank her strawberry soda with a shudder at the first sip, then delight while she sucked it all down.
“Like it?” He couldn’t help laughing with her when she finished. He had so much fun with her because she enjoyed even the simplest of experiences.
After they finished the ice cream treats, with time to spare, he took her hand to walk along the boardwalks up one side of the street and down the other, studying the offerings in every window. She spied a blue dress in a dress shop and stopped to gaze through the glass.
He stood beside her. “One day, after we have this ranch going, I’ll bring you back here and buy you that very dress. It will look so pretty on you.”
She covered her mouth and turned to him. “Oh, that is so sweet, but you do not have to do such a thing. We will need many other things for our house.” Hand clenching her mouth, tears rolled down her cheeks. “My goodness. I did not mean… mean to say that. About us having a house on the ranch. You have not asked me to… I’m sorry.”
He touched the top of her head, ran his hand down one of the long braids and held it, unable to meet her moist stare. Lord, he didn’t like to see a woman cry. And especially didn’t like to be the cause of it. He was sorry he had never said anything to her about being his wife, but now that he was to have a divorce from Sheila, perhaps he should. It was only right. Though it was frowned upon for a white man to marry an Indian, he didn’t mind about that at all. She was beautiful and sweet and much nicer than his first wife.
“Listen to me, Alma. We will go back up there and take the pictures and let Sam do whatever he wishes. I think we will have the ranch and live there together. We will build a house and break horses and catch wild cattle and it will be a good way to live. You are with me and Jones if you wish, because you have helped every bit as much as any one of us. So, don’t you cry or worry because you will have a place with us.”
He couldn’t bring himself to ask her to marry him yet, but it looked like he might ought to do that soon. They would talk some more about it once they brought the pictures to Sam and learned his plans. Surely, they could build a house and stop living outside with Jones. Now though, he had an idea.
“When we go up to the ranch, you will need a coat and hat. So, we’ll go in the mercantile and see what they have.”
She found an unblocked hat much like his, only tan instead of black, and a long-tailed black coat of wool. “This will keep me warm no matter if it does get as cold as you think.”
He agreed and paid for the purchases out of his own pocket. Sam should not pay for this. He carried her package with the coat wrapped up inside, but she wore the hat, prancing down the sidewalk and singing in her Indian tongue. Some men stopped to watch but went on when Mark glared at them.
They got back to Jones’s jacal after sundown, which came early that late in the year. He came out with a lighted lantern and looked over it all. “What did you buy?” He nodded toward her hat. “Besides that—which makes you look very… uh, white?”
She punched him on the arm. “Be quiet or I will not make supper.”
“I suppose I could do that if I had to.”
Ignoring their bantering, Mark explained the purchases. “Our partner bought this. I bought her a hat and coat, which you will agree she deserves. We need to get up there, take pictures for him, and get back in two weeks to close the deal. By Christmas, we will own a share in the Hancock Ranch. Maybe we can celebrate both events. What do you say?”
“I say it means more damn work.” Jones grumbled and looked over the things. “You did good. You bought plenty of Oreo cookies.”
They both laughed at him. Alma ran off to cook them some supper. Jones climbed down from his perch in the wagon, checking stuff out. He hung the lantern so she could see to make food by the lamp.
“Didn’t I tell you she was a bruja?” he said in a whisper. “She found a truck. We found them horses. Now a ranch. Why, you even got rid of your dumb wife. You watch what I say, she has power.”
Mark shook his head. “I don’t give a hoot what you say about her being a witch. Have you been thinking about some boys to help us round up them cattle? Ones that will work.” He hesitated a moment. “Jones, I need to know if you are staying to help. Yes, it will be work and hard work, and you grumble every time. Do you want in on this as a partner or not? I wouldn’t want you to work yourself too hard.”
Jones grinned. “You bet I do. Pay my grumbling no mind. It is just my way. And as for boys to help, if you can do it all on horseback, I can get a shitpot load of them.”
“I want boys that will work. Carpenters to build fences and shovel horse droppings if needed too.”
“May be a bit harder, but I can find them when we get back. How much?”
“We pay fifty and found. And the first thing we’ll fix is a proper bunkhouse. One of the outbuildings can be fixed up for that. It’ll keep them and us warm in the cold.”
He nodded. “I bet we can get some good ones for that much.”
“I bet we’d better. Now let’s go eat. I figure she’s got us some supper by now.”
She had fixed them steaks and fried potatoes from the store to celebrate and looked elated about everything.
Later that night in their bedroll, she hugged him. “Thank you for what you told me today. It was a fine day, was it not?”
He put his arms around her. “Yes, it was indeed a very fine day.”
Closing his eyes brought him thoughts of the new life they could have together, and about the ranch the three of them would build and share. The good times didn’t follow him into his dreams, though. He walked in the valley of the shadows and woke in a sweat.
CHAPTER SIX
MARK, JONES, JIM BURKE, AND Alma left Lehi in the pack train on a frosty dawn. Jones took the lead, riding one of the new bay horses. Alma led the string of loaded horses seated in her newly-acquired saddle with the new felt hat Mark had bought for her, and she wore the black wool coat instead of her usual blanket. The horses they left behind followed until the end of the fenced pasture, then whinnied at the departing horses. They’d be alright. Jones had arranged for a couple of Maricopa boys to look after them.
Mark brought up the rear with the .30-30 under his right leg in the scabbard, his breath sending out misty puffs into the cold air. The sorrel horse did some sidestepping and dancing on his toes. Though prepared for him to buck, for the moment he only acted up a little. By the time they were back from up there, he’d be well broke. Meanwhile, he could hardly believe they really were going to his ranch in the mountains.
After they passed Fort McDowell the first day, Mark called a halt to consult the maps Jim gave him. He pointed to a spot ahead along the river where they could make camp.
“This looks like a good place. We’re all tired and we’ve come far.”
Jones agreed. “I have been up this river a long way. I know some trails we can take. But I have never been all the way to Bloody Basin.”
“Don’t worry. My maps will take us there... with a few detours along the way.” Jim folded the map.
No matter the hardships, Mark was r
eady for just about anything. Nothing could dampen his fever for this trip. This might not be his ride to the ends of the earth like he’d planned, but he was making the ride of his life and by God he would enjoy it. He smiled at Alma, coming along and drawing the pack string along behind her. When they made camp, they didn’t unload much so their leaving in the morning would be swift. Mark estimated four days to get them there by this route. They could only travel as fast as the slower pack horses.
That night in the bedroll, she whispered to him. “We saw several deer today.”
“I know, but I may have to dismount to shoot one. Red might unload me if I shot one off him. When we get up there, I’ll get us one.”
She kissed him. “Good. That will suit me.”
Day broke with clouds hanging in a bleak sky. The higher they climbed, the more apt they were to see snow. Some would be fine, but a lot could mean trouble fighting their way to the ranch. If he didn’t think about it, maybe it wouldn’t come. So, he shut his mind to all the bad possibilities. Eagerness to arrive and start his new life drove him on till he realized how hard he was pushing the big red horse, and thus the rest of the crew. His nose grew cold and he pulled a wool muffler up but kept on pushing.
“Why must we be in such a hurry? You’ll wear out these animals.” Jim’s common sense brought Mark around and he reined in his mount. The man was right. He needn’t be so anxious. It would do no good to kill the animals—or the people.
“It’s another cold morning,” Jones grumbled. “He’s going to freeze us to death up here, little one.”
Mark set a slower pace, taking his time to enjoy the surroundings.
Always the one to make light, Alma teased Jones. “You needed to bring that fat girl. She would keep you warm.”
His laughter echoed in the canyon. “How did I forget her?”
Mark smiled at their banter. They were like kids. They were both okay for another day if they were arguing and picking on each other.
They reached a place midday that brought the first real trouble of the trip.
The trail rounded a bend and started a steep climb. Ahead was a steep mountain pass, way too steep to cross over with the heavily-loaded horses.
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