Sage explained, “I didn’t come right away because I didn’t know who was trying to take your ranch and how they were going to do it. I needed to remain uninvolved in the happenings at the ranch to enable me to gather information unrestrained. I had to determine who’s responsible for your difficulties. We heard of the attempt on Carlos’s life, and that started us on a search. We confirmed that your uncle and his employee, Pedro Vacca, are trying to undermine the successful operation of the ranch and force you to sell it to Señor Vacca. I believe your uncle and Vacca are stealing the bullion from your mines and storing it, so they can use your own money to pay you for your ranch. We believe they’re becoming impatient and are planning to do away with you. If you die, your uncle will inherit the ranch, and his problem of obtaining ownership to the ranch will be solved. I believe you and Carlos have reason to fear for your lives.”
Sage then gave Juanita the letter written by her grandfather, and also another paper that had been written and signed by him. The paper transferred one-half-ownership of the ranch to Michael’s father, if he were able to prevent her from losing the land. Juanita read the letters and recognized her grandfather’s handwriting. She said she knew that the papers were authentic. Michael explained that he didn’t feel that she was under any obligation to relinquish half ownership of the ranch to him. He was just trying to fulfill his father’s obligation.
Juanita said, “Thank you for being candid with me, and for offering to help me so unselfishly. Just last night I was contemplating the complete loss of the ranch. Sage, please tell me what I need to do to help you save my land and my home. Many people’s lives will be affected if the land is transferred to my uncle. The vaqueros don’t want to work for Vacca. They know that he is cruel and they fear him.”
“First we have your safety and the safety of Carlos to consider. Does Carlos have the loyalty of his vaqueros?”
“Yes, all of them are loyal. They have their own families to consider.”
“Let’s ride back to the hacienda. I want to talk to my friends, and I want to talk to Carlos. Perhaps you should prepare to stay at the hotel in Santa Fe until we can solve this problem.”
“I’ll stay at the hacienda,” Juanita replied. “I have people I can trust. If there’s anyone I feel I can’t trust, I’ll discharge them. Thank you, Sage, for coming to my aid. You don’t know how much it means to me to have someone to depend on. I had about given up—I felt so helpless.”
She hugged him. He felt her trembling and was glad he had made the decision to come.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Señora Cordova Ranch
“Juanita, my desire to buy a ranch is sincere. I want to raise good saddle horses. Riding horses are always in demand, and I have the start of a good herd with this stallion and a mare. I’d like to see the ranch Carlos told me about, if it’s not too far, and perhaps you would like to show it to me.”
“I would be pleased to introduce you to the señora who owns the ranch. She, or one of her vaqueros, can show it to us. We can easily ride there and back before dark.”
Juanita led the way. The trail followed the Rio Grande to the neighbor’s hacienda. Señora Cordova greeted them warmly. Juanita explained the purpose of their visit.
“I’m pleased to see you for many reasons,” the señora replied. “It has been too long since I last saw you. I’m eager to sell my ranch, so I can return to Mexico City to join my family. It has been difficult since my husband died. The vaqueros try, but they need guidance, and I’m unable to provide the guidance they need.”
“If I buy the ranch,” Sage said, I’ll need help to work it, and I’d be pleased if your vaqueros would stay and work for me. I hope you and I can reach an agreement.”
Señora Cordova replied, “That would be wonderful. I was worried about what would happen to my vaqueros if I sell the ranch.” She called out, “Manuel! Bring two horses! We’ll be riding for a couple of hours showing the ranch to Señor McBain and Señorita Diego.” Then, looking back at Sage, she said, “Manuel is my foreman. This will give you a chance to know him. If you buy the ranch, he would be a good man to have working for you. He has been a capable foreman for my husband and me.”
Mounting her horse, the señora said, “Shall we go? You saw a portion of the land as you rode in. To see the rest, we’ll need to ride down the river for about an hour, and then take a ride through the foothills on a trail that will bring us back to the hacienda.”
They rode through fertile river-bottom land with grassy meadows, reminding Sage of the meadow across the creek from his cave. Manuel was a friendly Mexican man about thirty-five, with a wife and three children. Sage liked him, and Manuel seemed to like Sage. On their return, they rode through rolling hills with a few small streams. They passed trees that would provide lumber for corrals and other structures. The ranch consisted of about ten thousand acres. That was considered small at that time and in that location, but it was big enough for what he and Joe needed. He would show it to Joe and Bonnie tomorrow and, if they liked it as well as he did, he would buy it.
Sage enjoyed the afternoon with Juanita. She was a good rider, at ease on the white Arabian mare. Her movements were graceful and smooth. She talked to the señora as they rode. Juanita had known the señora all her life, and they were good friends. When they got back to Señora Cordova’s hacienda, the sun was getting low.
Sage told the señora about Joe Martin, who would be managing the ranch for him. He told her that Joe and his future bride, Bonnie, would be living at the hacienda and asked if it would be all right to show them the ranch.
Señora said, “Of course, I would like to meet them. I came to the ranch as a bride myself, many years ago when my husband and I were first married.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow about midmorning,” Sage said. “If Joe and Bonnie like the ranch, and I think they will, I’ll pay the price you have asked in Spanish gold.”
Everyone was wearing a big smile.
Juanita said, “I must hurry back to my place. If I don’t get back before my uncle does, he’ll be angry. He will not approve of me riding alone with Señor McBain.”
Señora Cordova replied, “Tell him you were not alone; you were riding with me and Manuel.”
“Thank you, Señora; that will help,” Juanita said.
On their ride back, Sage told Juanita that he would like for her to ride with Joe and Bonnie tomorrow, since they were going to be her neighbors. “They’ll want to meet you, and I think you’ll like them.”
When they reached the big house, Juanita’s uncle met them with a scowl on his face. “Where have you been?” he asked in an angry voice. “Why are you riding alone with this stranger?”
Sage didn’t wait for Juanita to reply. Without hesitation, he said, “Señor Alvarez, the señorita was kind enough—at my request—to ride with me and Señora Cordova to see the ranch the señora has for sale.”
“I decide who the señorita does and does not ride with!” the uncle retorted.
Sage told him in a very firm but calm voice, “I will return tomorrow morning, to pick up Señorita Diego. If it is her wish, she will ride with me and my friends to see Señora Cordova’s ranch again. If there is any indication that trouble has been imposed on her, you and I will discuss that difficulty, and I assure you, you will not like the results of our discussion.”
Alvarez replied in a shaky voice, “You do not understand our customs.”
“No, but I do understand my customs,” Sage answered, “and it is my custom I will observe at this time. I hope I have made myself understood.”
Juanita listened to the verbal exchange between Sage and her uncle. She was astonished. She had never heard her uncle addressed in that manner. She was thinking, Sage’s father must have been a very honorable man, because his son turned out the same. He is honoring his father’s pledge. Grandfather and I are very lucky to have met such wonderful men.
The uncle called out, “Throw this man off the ranch!”
&nb
sp; A voice from behind them, said, “That will take a little doing, Señor.” Sage turned to see his friends, Pat and Joe.
“Juanita,” Sage asked, “would you like to come with us? If you feel unsafe, we can provide safe quarters for you for as long as you would like.”
Juanita smiled. “No, I’ll be safe here, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing you with Joe and Bonnie tomorrow.” She turned and entered the house.
Sage turned to Señor Alvarez. “We’ll return tomorrow at midmorning, and there had better be no indications of mistreatment on the señorita.”
Sage and his friends mounted and rode into Santa Fe.
Sage said, “Let’s go to Margarita’s. This has been an exciting day, and we could all use a drink.”
Sage told his friends of his talk with Juanita and of the ride to see the ranch. He said to Joe, “I’ll buy if you and Bonnie like it.”
“I can’t wait to tell Bonnie,” Joe exclaimed. “She’ll be delighted.”
Pat and Joe told Sage of their talk with Carlos. Carlos told them that the cattle were being stolen, and that he didn’t have enough vaqueros to guard them day and night. The señorita didn’t have enough money to hire the men she needed to watch over the cattle, and the men she had were afraid of Vacca and his hired killers. Carlos told them that the situation was getting desperate and that the señorita had held out as long as she could. Sage came just in time; there was no money left to run the ranch.
Sage said, “There’s plenty of money in the gold bullion that Vacca and her uncle have stolen from Juanita. We just have to get it back from those two thieves. We’ll start getting it back tomorrow.”
Pat and Sage went to Margarita’s place. It was busy as usual. Joe didn’t go; he went to tell Bonnie about the ranch. Maggie prepared a hearty meal of meat, beans, and tortillas, and two containers of tequila. She sat with them while they ate and told them that the news of their trip to the Diego hacienda had spread all over the valley and that everyone in the cantina knew about it. Some men, who had been hired by Alvarez, thought Sage had stepped out of line. She warned Sage to be careful, that there may be trouble.
Two very pretty girls came to the table to asked Sage if he would like to dance. He answered, “Thank you for the invitation, but the people where I grew up didn’t do much dancing, and I don’t know how to dance.”
One of the girls said, “There are other kinds of entertainment. Come, we’ll show you.”
Sage smiled and replied, “Perhaps later.”
From another table, two men walked up, and one of them snarled, “We hear you want to change the customs here. We know our customs are new to you, but we insist they be observed.”
Sage looked at Maggie and asked, “Margarita, are these men friends of yours?”
“Troublemakers are never friends of mine,” she said. “These bullies work for Pedro Vacca. They’ve been mistreating the miners.”
Pat looked at Sage and gave ever so slight a nod. Sage rose and asked the larger of the two, “Are you drunk?”
The man replied with a sneer, “No, not that it would make a difference.”
Sage said to the ruffian, “A friend told me that if a man challenges you and he is drunk, ignore him. You say you are not drunk, so that changes the rules.”
With one quick move, using a technique his father had taught him, Sage threw the man to the floor on his face and twisted his arm behind his back; a bit more pressure would have broken his arm at the shoulder. Sage then asked him, “Now do you want to continue this conversation?”
The man, with his face showing great pain, shook his head violently in an expression of no. When Sage looked up, Pat had his pistol in the belly of the other man.
Slowly, Sage allowed the man to rise. “You tell Señor Vacca that if he has a message for me, to at least have the courage to bring it himself. You two will remain healthy only if I never see you again.” He violently pushed them out the door.
Maggie whispered to Pat, “I see what you mean. It’s not wise to rub this one the wrong way.”
Pat said, “Nah, he’s as gentle as a cat.”
“Yeah, a mountain lion,” Maggie replied.
Sage said, “Pat, I’m about ready to get some sleep. Are you ready to go? We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“Let’s go. Drinking with you is too exciting for a quiet man.”
* * *
When Joe reached the wagon camp, Bonnie was waiting. He grabbed her by the waist, swung her around, and said, “We have our honeymoon cottage ready for us. Sage and Señorita Diego will show it to us tomorrow and, if we like it, Sage will buy it, and we’ll be in the horse-raising business.”
The news excited Bonnie so much that she jumped up and down. “I like it already,” she said. “I don’t even have to see it.”
“The hacienda will be our home,” Joe said. “I’ll be the manager, you’ll be the mistress. You’ll have servants to help you, but most important of all, it will be our home. We can have the wedding and the reception at the ranch, and decorate the place for the occasion. We’ll invite the people from the wagon train, the people of the pueblo, and anyone else you might want to invite. We’ll have music and dancing.”
Bonnie beamed with happiness. “Let’s tell Mom and Dad. They’ve been worried, but now they’ll be pleased.”
“Maybe they’ll be willing to stay here in Santa Fe,” Joe said. “The hacienda is probably a big place with many rooms. They could live there and help us run the ranch. We’re going to have to hire some help anyway, and who could do it better than your mother and father?”
“I don’t know; let’s ask them.”
Joe, Bonnie, and her parents spent the evening discussing the new ranch.
Frank O’Day, Bonnie’s father, said, “We’d better not count our chickens before they hatch. You two look at the ranch, and then tell us what you think tomorrow evening.”
* * *
Joe picked up Bonnie at the wagon camp early in the morning, and they had breakfast with Sage and Pat, at Maggie’s.
Joe introduced Bonnie to Maggie. Maggie said, “I see why they call you Bonnie; you are beautiful. I’m pleased that someone’s going to marry this man and keep him off those mountains.”
After breakfast Joe said, “Let’s go. I want to see that ranch.”
“I’ll go with you and scout the area,” Pat volunteered. “I don’t trust Alvarez. I’ll stay out of sight, but I’ll keep a sharp lookout.”
“Thank you, Pat,” Sage said. “We’ll have the girls with us, so that’s a good idea. I’ll feel better knowing the girls are not in danger.”
They got to the Diego Ranch at midmorning, as Sage had told Juanita they would. Juanita met them at the front of the big house, dressed for riding, and as usual, she was stunning. Señor Alvarez was nowhere to be seen. Juanita said he had left early, and she had not seen him since last evening.
“I don’t like it, Joe said. “He’s up to something.”
Bonnie and Juanita hit it off right away. They were chattering in excited voices, talking about the wedding and the prospects of being neighbors.
As they passed a large boulder, Sage told Joe, “That rock marks the boundary between Juanita’s ranch and the ranch we’re buying. For the next hour and a half, we’ll be riding on our own property.”
Joe called out to the girls, and they rode back to see what he wanted. Joe repeated what Sage had told him. Bonnie was so excited she could hardly stay in the saddle.
“Isn’t it beautiful,” Bonnie said. “The river is so clean and clear, with fish jumping and splashing in the water. Juanita and I have seen herds of deer, elk, and antelope in the meadows. The land in the valley is fertile. The snow-capped mountains in the distance are beautiful. It’s like a dream.”
Sage smelled dust and saw fresh tracks. A horse had crossed the trail. He felt a presence ahead in a grove of trees and asked Joe to remain with the girls while he checked to see who had left the tracks. He rode into the grove, d
ismounted, and proceeded on foot. He found Pat waiting beside a big cottonwood tree. Pat knew that Sage would become aware of his presence and come to check it out.
“Two men are dogging your trail,” Pat said. “So far, they’ve shown no indication that they’re going to do you harm. Would you like for me to get rid of them?”
“Thanks for warning me,” Sage replied. “I’ll let Joe know. We can handle them since there are only two of them.”
Pat rode into a small ravine where he wouldn’t be seen. Then Sage waved to Joe and the girls, urging them to come ahead. They rode up, and he told them what Pat had said.
“Do you want me to lie back and deal with them?” Joe asked.
“No,” Sage said. “I don’t think they mean to harm us. I think Señor Alvarez just wants to know where we’re going. I think he has something hidden, and he doesn’t want us to find it. If the men following us get too close, you and I will drop back and find out who they are, who has paid them to follow us, and why.”
Juanita said, “There are some big canyons west of here where they could hide a herd of stolen cattle. Perhaps that’s what they don’t want us to see. I’m amazed that my own uncle would steal from me. I had no idea he wanted the ranch that much. Thank you for making me aware. He is my uncle, so I don’t want him killed.”
They rode on, but it was difficult to enjoy the beauty, knowing they were being followed.
Around the bend, Pat appeared beside the trail.
“They’ve gone back to wherever they came from. I guess they’ve satisfied their curiosity. I’ll wait for you. Now, go do what you came to do. Don’t worry about me; I’m at home in these mountains.”
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