CHAPTER XI
Wrangling Dudes
"That is a very dangerous statement to make unless you have proof,"Connie replied gravely.
"Jim Barrows' bank roll is proof enough for me," the foreman answeredgruffly. "He knew you were carrying the prize money home with you,didn't he?"
"Yes," admitted Connie reluctantly.
"And where was he last night? No one saw him in town. He came back tothe ranch about four o'clock this morning. His horse was just about doneup."
"The idea sounds ridiculous to me," Connie said scoffingly. "I thinkyou're inclined to be entirely too suspicious, Mr. Blakeman."
"All right," retorted the foreman with a shrug. "I knew you wouldn'tbelieve me. But don't say later that I didn't warn you."
After Blakeman had walked away, Connie stood for a long while gazing offtoward the distant mountains. She knew perfectly well that the foremanbore Jim Barrows a grudge and would enjoy seeing him involved introuble. For that reason she largely discounted his words.
Yet the accusation he had made served to arouse a certain distrust inher mind. Little things which had seemed insignificant before now tookon greater importance.
It was true, as Blakeman had said, that Jim Barrows knew she intended tocarry the rodeo prize money on her person. His sudden acquisition of abank roll did seem rather strange. She was almost sure the man had beenwithout funds when he first came to Rainbow Ranch.
As Connie mulled the matter over in her mind, she saw Jim Barrows emergefrom the bunk house and walk toward the barn. She was tempted to summonhim, but could not quite bring herself to do it.
"The idea is ridiculous!" she told herself again. "I'll not think anymore about it."
But Connie found that it was not easy to dismiss the matter from hermind. She caught herself studying the cowboy and pondering ForestBlakeman's words.
Late afternoon brought a message from Mr. Postil in the form of atelegram sent out from Red Gulch.
"Expect three more guests Monday," it read. "W. P. Grimes, son Cecil,and daughter Helena, arriving with me."
Connie scarcely knew whether to feel elated or dismayed. But at leastthe message served to shake her from the lethargy into which she hadfallen.
She promptly set Marie to work cleaning and preparing the guestchambers. The rooms were pleasant enough but they were barren. Therewere so many things needed--curtains, rugs and linen.
"I'm going to town now to buy supplies," Connie told the servant. "I'lljust have to get credit, that's all. And I'll try to find another womanto help you."
At the dry goods store in Red Gulch, the girl made her selections. Asthe owner wrapped up the package, he remarked casually:
"Well, so you're going into the dude business?"
"Only in a very small way."
"Reckon the fever's struck everyone around here," the storekeeper wenton. "Hear your neighbor's going to try it too."
"My neighbor?"
"Sure, Pop Bradshaw. He's fixing up the ranch and planning on quite anumber of city folks spending the summer there. They say he's going tobuild a swimming pool."
"Things like that cost money," Connie said gravely. "I didn't know Pophad it to spend."
"Oh, he's just the front so they say. I hear that the banker is behindthe deal."
The news filled Connie with deep resentment. It seemed unjust to herthat the bank, while refusing to grant an extension to her loan, wouldrisk a large amount in trying to develop Pop Bradshaw's run-down ranch.
She was offended, too, because Enid had told her nothing about theproposed plan.
"Sometimes I feel as if I haven't a true friend in this community,"Connie thought bitterly. "As for Mr. Haynes, I believe he deliberatelyplanned to get my ranch. And the worst is that he'll undoubtedlysucceed!"
Back at Rainbow Ranch the girl called Lefty and Jim Barrows to tell themabout their new duties.
"In the morning you must be on hand to greet the guests when theyarrive," she declared. "I'll appoint you two to keep them happy andsatisfied. And now we may as well take a ride over your route."
"Route?" demanded Lefty. "Are we supposed to run a milk wagon too?"
"It's this way," explained Connie. "The guests probably will wish toride. Either you or Jim must escort them, and I'd like to have you givean interesting little talk about the different places of interest."
"Jim here is the one to do that," Lefty insisted. "He's the handsome boyand he has style. He could give the ladies a lot of good poses a-settin'on his steed and a-pointin' off dreamy-like into space."
"You'll make a good stage cowboy yourself when you get used to theidea," Connie laughed. "Come on, let's ride up to the lake."
The three riders passed along a narrow trail which led through a densewood of cedar trees. The path soon became steep and narrow, causing thehorses to labor as they climbed single file toward the summit. Uponreaching the top of the hill, Connie dismounted, and throwing the reinsto the ground, said to her companions:
"This is Lover's Leap."
"It's what?" demanded Lefty incredulously.
"It used to be Conner's Lake but from now on we're calling it Lover'sLeap," Connie chuckled. "Didn't you ever hear the story about how abeautiful Indian princess jumped off here and lost her life when herbeloved warrior married another squaw?"
A grin spread over Lefty's face.
"Oh, sure, I get the idea," he said. "Atmosphere."
"The lake doesn't really need any build-up," Connie declared. "Ourguests will not find a more beautiful spot anywhere in New Mexico."
As she spoke, Connie moved nearer the edge of the cliff. The oppositeside of the hill top sheered off into a perpendicular wall of rocknearly sixty feet high. At the base of the declivity was a small pool ofdeep blue water. Beyond, the hill sloped gently away into the woodedvalley.
"I'd be careful, Miss," warned Jim Barrows uneasily. "It must be seventyfeet down to that lake."
"Not quite so far," replied Connie, moving back from the cliff. "Butit's a long drop."
After viewing the scene for a few minutes the three riders mounted againand rode down to a fork in the trail.
"This path leads to the cliff dwellings," Connie explained for JimBarrow's benefit. "There are two trails, but for an inexperienced riderthis one is best."
"Alkali was telling me about those cliff ruins," Jim Barrows remarked."Your father discovered them years ago, didn't he?"
"Yes, and they're in an almost perfect state of preservation. Dad hadsome excavation done and cut away brush. If you've never been over wemight go now. I could spend hours there."
"I've seen Blakeman over this way a lot," Barrows commented as theystarted down the trail. "I reckon he's interested in such things."
"Not that I ever heard," laughed Connie. "Blakeman's hobbies aren't sovery cultural, I fear."
"He was probably over this way lookin' for a stray cow," Leftycontributed.
The trail wound down into the valley and then ascended at a steep angle.A little farther on, Connie halted her horse so that Jim Barrows mightview the cliff dwellings from this particular point.
"Of course you know the cliff people were widely distributed throughoutthe Southwest in prehistoric times," she remarked. "The most noted oftheir ruins are at Mesa Verde, the national park, but I think ours arejust as interesting if they're not so large."
"What was the idea of building their homes up under the lip of thecliff?" the cowboy asked.
"Oh, that was for protection against their enemies," Connie explained."Then too, it gave them shelter from the cold. As we go farther you'llfind that the cliff dwellers used many devices to guard the entrances oftheir homes."
"It takes an acrobat to get to the place," Lefty added. "On the othertrail you have to go through a narrow tunnel."
"This route is much easier," Connie said, "but we'll do a little fancyclimbing."
She urged her horse on again and for a time they rode single file,circl
ing the cliffs as they ascended higher. Presently, tying theirsteeds to a tree, they continued afoot.
By means of a knotted rope, Connie swung herself down to the lower levelof the cliff.
"The old cliff dwellers didn't need ladders to get up and down as wedo," she told Barrows, pointing out toe holds which had been chipped inthe rock. "They climbed like flies."
The three companions now stood on a shelf of rock and earth. Backbeneath the lip of the cliff were visible the geometrical ruins ofsquare granaries, round towers and oblong rooms cut with tiny windowsand doors. Connie told Barrows that seven different families once hadoccupied the site.
"How do you know?" he inquired curiously.
"Why, by the number of kivas," she declared. "Here, I'll show you what Imean."
She pointed out a deep, circular hole in the earth which had been roofedover. It was large enough to have held perhaps twenty or thirty people.
"A kiva such as this was used for ceremonial purposes only," sheexplained, "but each little tribe or family had its own. There is agreat deal of lore connected with them but I'll not bore you with that.Would you like to go down into it?"
"How would I get out again?" he inquired.
"Oh, one of the other kivas has a ladder. Dad put it in years ago."
"Let's take a look at it then," Barrows agreed.
Connie crossed over to another kiva which had been hidden from view by ahigh wall.
"Why, where is the ladder?" she asked in surprise.
"Looks like someone has swiped it," Lefty declared peering down into thedark opening. "I'll have to make another before our dude season gets infull swing."
"We could let you down on a rope if you'd like to see the inside,"Connie offered. "But there's nothing down there."
"I'll not bother this time," the man returned. "It's getting lateanyway."
"Yes," agreed Connie, quickly, "we really should be getting back to theranch."
They retraced their way, finding themselves winded by the time theyreached the horses.
"It's funny about that ladder," Lefty muttered as they started down thetrail. "I'd like to know who swiped it."
Presently they swung back into the path leading from Lover's Leap andConnie pointed out a site which would be excellent for picnics.
"You've really given a lot of thought to this dude ranch business,haven't you?" Jim Barrows asked soberly.
"Yes," Connie acknowledged; "it seems to me we have wonderfulattractions here. A dude ranch has been one of my dreams. A silly one,I'm afraid."
To hide her emotion, she quickly rode on down the trail. Presently shereined in to indicate a large cliff across the ravine. At this hour ofsunset it was a shimmering wall of color.
"Echo Cliff," she said softly. "Be sure to point it out to our dudes."
"Say, you sure have picked up a lot of fancy names," Lefty complainedgood naturedly.
"They are the names I gave these places when I was a child. I was agreat one to pretend, you know."
"Will the rock really echo?" asked Jim.
"Listen!" commanded Connie.
Cupping her hands to her mouth she gave a long, clear cry which cameback not once but several times.
"Say, that's a real echo!" Lefty exclaimed. "In all the years I beenworkin' here I never knew you could get an echo like that."
"Maybe I'll be able to teach you a few things about this ranch," Connielaughed. "I know and love every rock and stone here."
"If you lose the place," said Lefty, "it will be a rotten shame."
No sooner were the words spoken than he regretted them. Connie's smilefaded and a tired look came over her face.
"Yes," she replied.
And then, pulling her jacket more closely about her throat, she added:"It's getting chilly. Let's be going home."