“Isn’t it unusual to have armed men guarding the opening to a mine?” Sage commented.
“Well, I’ve never seen it done before, so yeah, I’d say it’s unusual.”
“Wonder why they would do that. Who would want to go into a mine, dig ore, and steal it? You would need a wagon to haul enough to make it worthwhile, and then, where would you sell it?”
Joe replied, “Yeah, that’s kind of unusual all right. What do you make of it?”
“I don’t know. It would be difficult getting into that mine without being seen, but I’ve got to know what is going on. Let’s go back to town and talk to Pat. Maybe he’s found out something that will help.”
When they got back to the hotel, Pat was there talking to Grant Davis. Joe told Pat and Grant about the armed guards at the mine entrance.
“Yeah, that fits with what I’ve found. They’re storing the bullion in the old mineshaft,” Pat informed them.
“Why would they do that,” Joe questioned, “when they have a ready market for it here in Santa Fe?”
“I don’t know, but there’s something fishy going on out there. We’d better do some more looking. Let’s all have breakfast at Maggie’s tomorrow morning,” Sage said.
“Okay,” Joe said, “but I want to see Bonnie tonight. We have to make plans for our wedding. Her folks are not sure she should be marrying a mountain man.”
“Joe, I want to start a ranch and raise some high-quality horses,” Sage commented. “Would you go into the horse-raising business with me? I’ll pay you well for your help until we can get the herd started, and then the sale of the animals will make it a profitable business, and you won’t need any pay.”
“That sounds good,” Joe said excitedly. “Maybe her folks would feel better if they knew Bonnie and I would be living here in Santa Fe and that I wouldn’t be going back into the mountains. That sounds like a good idea, Sage; the beaver pelt business is running out anyway.” He turned to Pat. “Pat, we need to get into something else. Yeah, I think they might feel a little better about me being in the business of raising horses. I’ll talk to Bonnie about it tonight and see what she thinks. But I don’t want to break up our partnership, Pat; we’ve been a good pair.”
“Don’t worry about me, Joe,” Pat piped up. “Grant Davis wants me to scout for his wagon trains. That way, I would see you guys every once in a while. I’ve scouted the California Trail before, and I think I can save some lives by showing them what I have learned about traveling through Death Valley. The lady who lost her husband in the Indian raid needs help getting her wagon and her two young sons through to California, and I’d like to help her.”
“I think we’re beginning to see why the Diego Ranch is going broke,” Sage said. “We should be able to bring this problem to a conclusion before spring. Then we’ll all be ready for something else.”
“Okay, Sage,” Joe agreed. “I’ll talk to Bonnie and see what she thinks. If she likes it, we’ve got a deal!”
That evening Joe rode to the wagon camp to see Bonnie. He was in high spirits and eager to share the news with Bonnie and her parents. Bonnie ran to meet him. She was a delight, so full of life and so beautiful, how could he be so lucky as to have won the heart of such a wonderful girl. He took her hand, and they walked along the Santa Fe River. As the light was fading, and shadows were deepening in the valleys, Joe told Bonnie of the business proposition Sage had made. He told her that they planned to raise high-quality saddle horses and that he would manage the ranch. They could build their own home, and he would be home each evening. No more trips into the high mountains to trap the beaver, and no more long trips to St. Louis to market the furs.
Bonnie was ecstatic, but she was torn between the desire to hurry back to tell her parents and the desire to spend more time alone with Joe.
They sat on a grassy knoll overlooking the river, watching the sun set behind the mountains to the west silhouetted against the brightly colored sky. To anyone who might happen to see them, they were just two young people in love, contemplating their lives together.
Before the darkness settled in, they walked back to the camp to discuss their plans with Bonnie’s parents. They were relieved to hear the news and gave their consent. Joe and Bonnie would be married in a few weeks.
* * *
Sage, the two mountain men, and the wagon master met at Margarita’s for breakfast. Maggie helped the cook prepare their breakfast and brought it to them. Maggie sat down with them and handed Pat a pouch containing ore from the Diego mine.
Pat placed the ore in a container on the table where they could all see it. Even a green horn could see that it was rich gold ore. They all looked at the ore, then at one another.
“Thanks, Maggie,” Pat said, as he placed the ore back in the pouched, returned it to her, and they left.
When they were out of earshot, Pat said, “I think we have enough information to come to the conclusion that Juanita’s uncle and his cohort, Pedro Vacca, are stealing gold from her and placing her ranch in danger of failing.”
“Why would they do that?” Joe asked.
“It fits with other information I’ve gathered from gossip. Jose is the overseer of the ranch. He doesn’t want to be the overseer—he wants to be the owner. If he can convince Juanita that her ranch is failing, she will sell it cheap. It wouldn’t look right for him to buy his niece’s ranch, which is failing, while he’s the manager. However, he can buy it through the name of Pedro Vacca, using the gold they steal from Juanita’s mines as payment. Then, as per their agreement, Vacca would sell the ranch to Alvarez, and it would be in Jose’s hands at last.”
“What do you know about Pedro Vacca?” Sage asked.
“About seven years ago, Alvarez brought him from Mexico to run the mines. They say he had been running mines in Mexico, where he worked Indian minors to death, disposed their bodies, and then brought in others to replace them. He is from Spain. People who know him say he is cruel and ambitious.
“Several years ago, a man brought a message to the señorita from Don Diego while he was still in Spain. The man who delivered the message was killed shortly after delivering it. Juanita was just a child then, but she remembers the message. It said that her grandfather was sending someone to help her. It was so long ago that she had about given up hope. Juanita’s uncle told her that Vacca has the money ready, and her uncle is pressuring her to sell. They say he’s growing impatient and is considering other methods to force her hand.”
Sage said, “Looks like we got here just in time. I’m surprised she has held out this long.”
Pat continued, “Those who know her—and not many do—say that she is a strong-minded young woman.”
“Why are they trying to kill Carlos?”
“Carlos is loyal to Juanita. It was Carlos who got word to her grandfather that the uncle was plotting to take the ranch. The uncle and Vacca have to get rid of Carlos before they can complete their takeover. The vaqueros are loyal to Carlos, and they have been protecting him. So far they’ve been successful.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Don Diego Ranch
“I think it’s time for me to make myself known to the señorita,” Sage said. “It will probably work better if you and Joe remain in the background for now. Who do you know that could introduce me to her?”
“Carlos knows me, and I think he would be glad to introduce you to his mistress,” Pat replied.
“Okay, please set it up as soon as possible.”
“Let’s ride out there right now,” Pat said. “It’s about a two-hour ride to the hacienda.”
“Let me take a bath, get a haircut, and a shave,” Sage said. “I want to look like someone who has come to help, not someone who is seeking employment.”
Joe smiled and said, “Yeah, I’d clean up a bit, too; she sure is pretty.”
Just before midday, they topped a rise on the trail where they could see the collection of buildings that made up the hacienda on the Diego Ranch. The site was a
wesome. Pat explained how it worked: Animals and their feed are kept in the barns. Tools are also kept in separate buildings. An assortment of adobe dwellings houses the workers. The big house, or La Casa Grande, as it is called, is the dwelling of the owners. This building consists of an assortment of adobe rooms with a courtyard between them. The roof is held in place by huge logs, and the logs join all the rooms into one connected building. Each room is private except for the large center room, which is in the front center of the structure. This room is connected with the rest of the rooms by verandas, and an open center space called the patio. Many people can be housed or entertained here.
The ranch is self-sustaining. The workers provide almost everything they use. They provide the housing, most of the food, all of the water and fuel for heating and cooking. The workers produce their own blankets and most of their clothing. The ranch has cows, from which they get milk, butter, and cheese. They raise chickens for meat and eggs, and pigs for meat and cooking oil. They grow beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and an assortment of other foodstuff in the large fields along the river. They grow corn and other grains to produce flour and meal for making tortillas. These fields provide food for the farm animals, also. They raise herds of sheep and cattle, process the wool for making blankets and clothing, and then sell the remainder. The ranch sells beef to provide meat and leather for the people who live in the settlements.
The workers live in adobe dwellings a short distance from the main house and their children play in the yards. The ranch is a small, self-contained, self-governing pueblo.
It took Sage and his friends about an hour from the time they saw the hacienda in the distance until they reached it. The approach was down a long, winding road. The hacienda was on a wide plain with large trees all around that provided shade in the summer and visual beauty all year round. The hacienda sat in the Rio Grande valley, with the mountains in background.
Sage was becoming aware of what he had obtained half-ownership of, through his father’s agreement with Señor Don Antonio Diego. He felt compelled to fulfill his father’s obligation. He was sure that was what his father would have wanted him to do, and now that he had started the task; there was no way that he would be distracted from completing it. It was also obvious that a great wrong was being done. He just wanted to make sure he was doing what the señorita wanted done, before endangering the lives of his friends in correcting the wrong.
When they first arrived at the hacienda, they didn’t see Carlos. The Spanish custom required Sage to be introduced to the señorita before he spoke to her.
Pat said, “Carlos might be supervising the work of his vaqueros.”
Then Carlos, who was working behind the buildings, saw them and came hurrying to greet them. He extended his hand to Pat and said, “Buenos dias, Señor Connors. I saw you and your friends at the cantina a few nights ago. It is good to see you are back safe. We heard about your trouble with the Kiowa along the trail. They say these two young men provided a lot of help in the battle. I have not had the pleasure of meeting them, but people tell me you were in good company.”
Pat replied, “Buenos dias, Señor Viejo, news travels fast here in Santa Fe.”
Carlos smiled and said, “Si, Señor, there are few secrets in the valley of the Rio Grande. How may I help you?”
Pat introduced Carlos to Sage and Joe.
Sage said to Carlos, “I have come seeking your counsel and to ask for your help. I want to purchase a ranch to raise horses. We have been told that you would know if there are ranches available.”
“Si, Señor, I know of a ranch that is for sale. The owner died, and the señora wishes to sell the ranch and return to Mexico City. I would be pleased to introduce you.”
Pat said, “This is changing the subject, but we need to know, where is Señor Alvarez?”
Carlos, with a questioning look, replied, “The ranch manager is at the mines. He and Señor Vacca had business to attend to there today.”
Then Pat said, “Buena, Carlos, the time is opportune. Perhaps you could introduce Señor McBain to Señorita Diego. He would like to have a private audience with her. He carries a message from her grandfather.”
Carlos expression changed to surprise. “This is amazing. When she saw you at the cantina a few nights ago, she told me in confidence that she thought this young man had come to play a role in her life. Women’s intuition is remarkable. I will tell the señorita you are here, although I’m sure she already knows. Not much gets by her.” He went into the big house. When he returned, he said, “Come, she’ll see you on the veranda.”
Carlos led them to the veranda, and soon Juanita appeared, wearing black culottes, tight at the hips, with the legs pleated to make it look like a skirt. It was a type of garment worn by ranch women who did a lot of riding and didn’t want to ride sidesaddle. She was also wearing high-topped boots, a white blouse with a bolero jacket, and her hair was tied back tight against her head with a simple black lace scarf around her neck. Sage sensed that she had been aware of their presence and had dressed for the meeting. Surely, no one dresses like that just to do chores around the house. Whatever she had dressed for, it was effective. She was stunningly beautiful.
Carlos, with a trace of a smile, introduced them all around. When he got to Sage, he said, “Señorita, this is Señor Michael McBain; his friends call him Sage. He has come for a private audience with you.”
“Why do they call you Sage?” Juanita asked.
“That’s a long story,” Sage replied. “I would be pleased to tell you about it at another time. I would like to speak to you in private.”
Juanita looked at Carlos and said, “Carlos, please show these men around the hacienda while I talk with Señor McBain.”
After they left, Juanita turned to Sage and asked, “May I get you a cool drink?”
“Thank you. That would be nice.”
A middle-aged woman, without being called, entered the room carrying a glass of a very refreshing drink, of a type Sage never had tasted before. He wondered how the servant knew to bring the drink, and then realized that the household staff was observing them.
Sage said, “Señorita, would you accompany me? I would like you to show me some grassland that I’ve been told is available nearby.”
She was pleased to see that he was perceptive and had noticed that she didn’t need to ask for a drink to be served—all she had to do was to mention it, and it was done.
“I would be pleased to show you the property.” She got her riding crop and hat, walked to the front of the dwelling, and called out, “Carlos, bring my horse.”
“Si, Señorita, muy pronto.”
In only minutes, Carlos returned, leading a beautiful white Arabian mare. The mare had been saddled with a small Western saddle. Sage was riding his coal-black stallion, and he was thinking, Here is some fine breeding stock for the horse ranch we want to start. Joe, standing a short distance away, saw what was going on in Sage’s mind. He looked at Sage with a big smile and nodded. Sage knew that he and Joe had been thinking the same thing about the two horses.
He and Juanita rode off in the direction of the river. They rode until they were out of sight of the hacienda and then stopped on a knoll overlooking the river. Sage got off and helped Juanita to dismount. When he grasped her waist to help her, he felt her body, soft and supple, with strong muscle fiber underneath the softness. A tingling sensation passed through his fingers, and he was aroused. He sensed that she also experienced a similar stimulation. As he lifted her from the horse, their bodies rubbed together. It seemed that the very air around them was charged with the force of the sensation. He stepped back, not wanting to frighten her, and not trusting his own responses. Her eyes were calm and steady. There was no expression of fear. He smiled. She, too, was fighting her body’s response.
Sage tied the reins of their mounts to a branch and took Juanita’s hand, leading her under a giant oak tree. The tree’s roots spread out like giant gnarled fingers grasping the earth.
They sat for a calming moment in silence, observing their surroundings. Sage had spent years training himself to be aware of everything, and he was keenly aware of Juanita. She was calm to the point of being serene, but he sensed her eagerness to know what he had to say. He hardly knew where to start, so he told her why he and his parents were coming west, including the story of her grandfather dying in their home. On hearing the news of her grandfather’s death, she hung her head for an instant, and tears came to her eyes. Sage gave her a moment to regain her composure, and then continued. He told her that before her grandfather died, he obtained an oath from his father to help her save her land. Then he told her of the Indian raid, of how his parents were killed in the attack. He told her of his struggle to survive and of his vow to avenge the killings, and that he had brought the vow to a conclusion.
He continued by telling how he rescued the mountain men, how they became friends, and of their commitment to help him.
She sat in silent awe, then responded, “Almost seven years ago, a man came to me with a message from my grandfather. The message was that Grandfather was sending someone to help me. After delivering the brief message, the messenger was called away by my uncle, and he never returned to complete telling me the details. He never told me who was coming to help me, or who was trying to take my land. The messenger’s body was found floating in the river a few days later. No one ever knew what had happened to him, or who he was. I never knew why or by whom the messenger was killed, but his being killed reinforced the truth of what he had told me.”
She stood up and took a couple of steps. Sage stood up, too, and Juanita turned and looked into his eyes and continued.
“The only man I can trust is Carlos. I detest and fear the mining foreman, Vacca. He’s a cold and cruel man, but he’s the friend of my uncle. My uncle employed him, so I don’t feel at liberty to discharge him. I’m afraid of making my uncle angry—there’s no telling what he might do. He doesn’t consider my opinion worthy when it comes to the running of the ranch.
“I’ve never gained control of the ranch. My uncle controls the finances and, without money, I’m helpless. It’s been almost seven years since I got the message from my grandfather that help was on its way. I hadn’t heard anything further from him. Nor has anyone come to help me. I know it takes a long time for help to come all the way from Spain. I was about to give up in despair and turn the ranch over to my uncle to sell to Pedro Vacca until I saw you at the cantina a few nights ago. I waited. Then when I didn’t hear from you, I was beginning to doubt my own intuition. I had about decided it was just hopeful thinking that you were the one who had come to help me.”
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