After a time, Chet and Spencer left the group and went into his office to go over the line building plans step by step.
“First we need a surveyor to stake the line and mark each pole hole.”
“Sixty some feet apart except across hills that may require more to provide clearance,” Chet told him.
Spencer shook his head at the numbers. “That means thousands of poles.”
“Right. A glass insulator bolted on each one.”
“It all has to be there. Workers, holes dug, and tamped in. Insulators on every pole standing up. Then wire stretched on each of them and secured to the insulators.”
“One slip in supply and we pay for men to sit on their asses. If we start at New Mexico we will be two hundred miles from Gallup at Center Point. That's a two-or three-week haul to get it there.”
“You will need a real supply person to keep that going,” Chet agreed.
“Any break in the supply link will cost you money.”
“We can't start it without half our needs ready to lay out. Then supply will really call for fast delivery.”
“There are bound to be problems in delivery.”
“Yes, but we must minimize them for this to work. When you get that many people working, it is the same as building a house. You need the lumber and nails there and ready.”
“Look over this schedule they sketched out here.” Chet handed him a new folder.
Spencer made a discovery. “They have a livestock contractor to supply beef. Why not hire some hunters to harvest a few antelope or deer? That would be cheaper and a much easier deal the way we will move. We can hire a hunter for a dollar and a half a day.”
“Good.”
“When we get a week under our belt we may need to hire more workers.”
Chet nodded. “What else can you see?”
“The lack of material; one item will suspend our construction.”
“I will go over that with Hannagen. You will be there for that meeting.”
Spencer said, “Cole has too much to do to work on our pole needs.”
“I know. I have a man coming from Toby's outfit. Harold Faulk and his family are your kind and I think they can handle it.”
“That the Harold and his family that built the pens?”
“Yes. He knows northern Arizona and the people. He would be worth talking to.”
“I met him when we were running down the stage stop raiders.”
“He works hard. After you talk to him, when you feel everything is ready, I think we need to go over to New Mexico and see if they can supply the material all the way.”
“I'll read through all these reports again in our room. You moved Lucinda and the children up here so smoothly. Thank you. She even brags on you. Moving two small children can be tough, and you did a helluva job. I think this telegraph business will be exciting. You've done a good job starting to set this up.”
“And now I've dumped it on you to get it done.”
“Hey, I am honored to be here.”
Lisa told them to come eat supper; the others were already at the table.
Chet thanked her, then, moving to Liz, put his arm around her shoulder. “You have a replacement for Monica?”
“Lisa and I talked. She will look for someone that fits. She told Miguel she wanted to handle it until we find a suitable replacement. Food may not be as good but she cooked with Monica for months before she was married. He doesn't mind. He gets to eat here.”
“Good. It will work.” When Chet came inside the kitchen he asked them to bow their heads, he would pray. He made it short, mentioned Monica and how she would be missed. Amen.
C
HAPTER
26
Harold Faulk and his family arrived in two loaded large farm wagons the next day. Liz welcomed them to the house and more bedrooms were filled. Chet and Spencer worked more on plans, and they had a talk with Harold about procuring thousands of poles for the line.
Harold sat in the circle of three. He looked very serious and finally spoke. “I think we should start buying poles for cash. That would be the best way to get them. There is no work up there at Center Point. A cash price on poles will make folks bring them in.”
“Can we get thousands of them?” Spencer asked.
“Price is right, they will bury you with them.”
“Chet, what do you think?” Spencer asked.
“You went up there to work on the headquarters to make money. What else could you have done when you finished?” Chet asked.
“Nothing,” Harold said. “That's why I drove down here to find work with you. We can get hand bills printed on wanting poles and my family will pin them up all over.”
“What do you think?” Spencer asked.
“We establish a price. I think Harold can handle it. Then we'll need teamsters to haul the poles.”
“They're around.”
“My man Fred will take you into Preskitt tomorrow to get the bills printed. Think what you want to say. I'd say start at a quarter a twelve-foot-tall solid pole.”
Both men agreed that was fair.
“Your wife may need to shop. Take her with you,” he said to Harold, going for dinner.
“I bet she does.”
“Your daughter might want to go, too?”
Harold agreed. “My boy Ray is riding with
vaqueros
today. He won't care. But Claire will be excited to go along.”
Things moved along smoothly. They devised a way for Harold and his wife to handle the pole payments at the Center Point headquarters and for the collection to be there. There was enough land there to stack plenty of poles.
Fred took the three Faulks to town on a buckboard. Chet noted that Fred did not miss any chance to talk to the cute tomboy Claire. He kept his observation to himself until Liz mentioned it. “Your man sure liked that buggy-driving business today I bet?”
“Oh, yes. Claire is the toughest working girl he's ever spoke to in his life.”
“You warn him?”
“No.”
She laughed. “I guess he will find that out himself.”
“They are just kids. I am not worried.”
“What were you doing at that age?” she asked.
“Busy running a Texas ranch full time. My dad had already lost his mind.”
“I bet you were looking for a female during that time.”
“There were not many to see. Not working out there.”
“Oh?”
“Not like we have here. A near full house,” he said.
“We do. Lisa is doing a great job. She has talked to me about her doing it full time.”
“What does her husband think?”
“She says they talked about it.”
“I am not opposed. You want her, you hire her.”
“I will think about it. She has a life to live, too. Monica didn't. So I don't expect the same from Lisa.”
“Summer is close. I want to move on the telegraph deal, so we will be leaving again soon.”
“I understand. Do railroads come next?”
He smiled as he shook his head. “I am not a big enough player to do that.” He hugged her and kissed her cheek.
“I don't believe that.”
“Thanks. I want to check on some things before I go to New Mexico.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Planning for then. Or the next day. Might even be after that. I want to run up to check on Toby. I have a feeling something might be wrong over there. He's done well but I need to follow my gut feelings.”
“Didn't Harold just come down from there?”
“I know, but before I get buried in stringing telegraph I want to be certain those two kids are all right.”
“Want me along?”
“I'd rather make a flying trip up and back.”
“Who's going?”
“Miguel and Fred.”
“Takes two days to get over there.”
“We'll try and make it faster.”
* * *
Chet and his two men hurried over on the General Crook Road to the eastern division. They went by the Hayes place, but they didn't stop. It was late when they got to the dark ranch house.
“Hello the house,” Chet shouted.
A lamp come on in the house. “That you, Chet?”
“Yeah. Sorry to wake you.”
“Something wrong?” Toby asked, opening the door.
“No. Just checking that you two were all right.”
“Come in. One of the boys putting the horses up?”
“They are. Sorry to wake you and Talley. You haven't had any more Indian troubles?”
“We have not seen one since you left here.” Talley stood by Toby in her robe.
“Go back to bed. They're bringing bedrolls. We'll sleep on the floor tonight.”
“You three. Is there only three of you?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“I'll make some pancakes. I know you have not eaten. Why were you that worried about us?”
“Yes, I was. I must have had a bad dream to worry about you two. I felt something was bad wrong up here. Strange feeling I guess, Talley. You both should know that Harold and his family got to our place. They're going to buy poles at Center Point to string our wire on. Spencer thought we could do that job as well, short as this country is. Paying twenty-five cents cash for a twelve-foot-long pole.”
“Man, I know some guys would get after that,” Toby said.
“How many will you buy?” Talley asked.
“Way over two thousand are needed.”
Talley was still thinking about Chet's worry. “I appreciate your coming all the way here on your worry. As bad and hard as my life was, this man you have running this ranch is the greatest man on earth to me. I am living up here, wild Indians and all, in a real heaven. We never have a cross word. He keeps me in firewood and he really worries about me. I mean when I came up here, I thought more slaving and complaining. I don't have none of that and ain't nothing going to shatter that. Not renegade Indians, bears, or mountain lions. But I am proud you thought enough of us to come save us even if we didn't need saving.”
She put down the mixing bowl and came over to squeeze his hand. “Thanks, Chet Byrnes. Tell that lovely wife of yours I won't ever forget that dress she gave me for our wedding. I am where I belong.”
“Good. Then forget I came clear over here.”
They rode back the next day seeing no sign of Indians.
“You think Jesus bought that ranch he was talking about while we were gone?” Fred asked them while riding.
“I guess we will know when we get home.”
They spent the night with Rhea, Victor, and Adam at the Verde Ranch. When they rode up the mountain the next day, Liz and Lisa were coming out of the house with two picnic baskets headed for the buckboard.
“Hey, ladies, where you going?” Chet asked.
“Jesus and Anita bought that ranch. Come along; we are having a picnic lunch over there.”
“You want Fred to drive?”
“Lisa can do it. Oh, Miguel, you are moving to the big house when you get home. She wants to be the chief cook and bottle washer for a while.”
He smiled big and winked at his wife. “I figured she would. Saves us buying food, huh?”
“That too.”
From the Preskitt Road they crossed a small spring-fed creek and there sat the large white house with a barn and corrals at the end of the drive. All fenced and tight. In a bright new yellow dress, Mrs. Martinez stood waiting with her husband all decked out in a white shirt and vest.
“Welcome to the Triple M Ranch. We don't have much furniture, but we did buy some benches until we find some.”
Everyone laughed.
“How were Toby and Talley?” Jesus asked him.
“Kind of like the Martinez bunch.”
“How is that?”
“Damn proud of what they have. Talley told me she was having the dream life she never thought she would find.”
Anita came and took his arm. “I want you to bless this place. The priest is coming Sunday after church, but I have been around you a lot these past years and you have done this for many people. I want you to bless it for the two of us.”
He felt a little short of words for a second, then gathered his wits. He took off his hat and the others did, too. “Lord, Anita and Jesus have bought this place to raise a family. A place of their own. They never imagined such a place as ever being theirs growing up, working hard, but you have helped provide this acreage. Let this be a holy place to raise a family, to put a ranch together, and some day pass a better place on to their children. Amen.”
Mid-afternoon they went back home. Riding along with Miguel and Chet, Fred asked, “Why did it take Anita so long to marry Jesus?”
“She told him she feared becoming a wife.”
“Hmm, she looks as happy as Talley did over there.”
“Fred, you will learn a lot about women in the next few years. They're different and every one of them is different in a different way. Right, Miguel?”
“Boy, yes. Completely different. A lot of women would have grabbed Jesus in a minute. He had to convince her. They'll do fine, and she is coming out of the shell she was in. In Mexico there would have been no such a step up for her to make, from servant to home owner. You stay where you always were all your life. In Mexico I'd still be a farm hand.”
“Guys, I have a lot to learn. I have been scratching at a living to even eat before I joined you. I feel damn grateful riding with you all everywhere I go. I never spoke to a girl like an equal in my life until I met Claire. I sure didn't impress her, but it sure was nice to talk with her like I was one. You all taught me that.”
“I know how you feel,” Miguel said. “Bandits killed my first wife. I ran away from Mexico and Raphael gave me a job. I thought my life would be in shambles forever. This tall pretty girl who worked in the big house wanted no part of a simple
vaquero
. But when I took my hat off to talk to her, she looked at me like I was funny.
“Boy, she was as cold as the north wind in winter. Then Chet told me part of her story, how she ran away with a man who she expected would marry her. He didn't have her story right, but in the end she told me the details, and they were sad. I had to make her believe I was not there for that. I asked her to go riding on a Sunday. She got permission and we had what you call a good time but at a distance.
“When we got back, I said, âCan we ride again?' I feared she'd say no. She said she would ask Elizabeth again.
“So we rode again on the next Sunday. Then we danced at a wedding here and all those
hombres
who had no wives danced with her, too. But she came and found me that night and told me she had saved the last dance for me. I knew I'd made a step up.
“I was living in the bunkhouse. She lived in the big house. If I asked her to marry me I needed a house. I asked Raphael if she would marry me could I have a house. He laughed and said, âMaybe not for you, but she could have one.'”
They all laughed at that.
“I am learning.” Fred shook his head and smiled. “Lots to learn.”
“Let's move it. When we get back to the house, we will have a lot to do. This telegraph business is about to bust open. Harold is going north to get set up buying posts. The family will tack up signs all over and hope a hundred loggers come running forth with posts. The four of us need to go to Gallup. In a week I hope it will all begin.”
That evening Chet talked to Spencer and his wife about the plans. “Why not wait until we get started. Then we can move you, Lucinda, and the children to the main camp.”
“I agree things will be more orderly by then. Who will move us?”
“Maybe Jesus. He understands moving and handles expenses well. I will supply him some good men.”
“We won't have raiders like the stage line had?”
“I hope not.”
Liz came into the room. “Lisa has supper ready; we better get in there.” She caught him by the arm and whispered, “Did you see Fred sneak a kiss on Claire earlier?”
“No.”
“They did it pretty private, I was upstairs, but I peeked and saw. It was very nice and cute.”
“He said she was the first girl he ever talked to he was so busy surviving.”
“I can imagine.”
They had a wonderful supper. Lisa had a girl to help her named Sonja. She was in her mid-teens and very bashful, but she, too, would emerge out of her shell. Chet thought the girl was very pleased in her new dress on her first day of work.
Miguel was very proud of his wife's cooking. He showed it in his beaming but never uttered a word until they all applauded her.
The next morning Chet's men loaded a supply wagon with wall tents, cots, necessary food items, bedrolls, and extra clothing as well as all the tools they might need. Fred was appointed driver. The plans were to camp the next evening on the far side of the Verde, on top of the Mogollon Rim. They had the ranch's best team of Percheron horses who had plenty of speed and power for the grades they faced. Fred had driven them around for two days, so they felt he was the man. One of Raphael's best teamsters, Tonio, was going to hitch a saddle horse behind and then ride to the bottom of the mountain to be sure that things went well, and then Fred would be on his own.