proximity to death. He was not foolhardy or reckless, for a truly brave man was never reckless. He knew he could skirt the ragged edge of death if need be. He had been there before.
He was an interloper here, yet the man whose place he had taken was dead, and perhaps he could carry on in his place, making the ranch safe for those who loved it. Then he could move on and leave this ranch to Carol and to the care of Tony Costa.
He turned. "I am tired"... He said. "I have ridden long and hard to get here. Now I'd like to rest."... He paused. "But I shall stay, at least his Jed Asbury was already fast asleep when Carol went into the dining room where Tony Costa sat at the long table. Without him, what would she have done? What could she have done? He had worked with her father for thirty years and had t lived on the hacienda all his life, and he was past sixty now. He still stood as erect and slender, not a young man. And he was shrewd.
Costa looked up. He was drinking coffee by the light of a candle. "For better or worse, Senorita, it has begun. What do you think now?"
"He told me, after I warned him, that he would stay."
Costa studied the coffee in his cup. "You are not afraid?"
"No. He faced Walt Seever and that was enough for me. Anything is to be preferred to Walt Seever."
"Si."... Costa's agreement was definite.
"Senorita, did you notice his hands when he faced Seever. They were ready, Carolita, ready to draw. This man has used a gun before. He is a strong man, Carolita!"
"Yes, I think you are right. He is a strong man."
For two days nothing happened from the direction of town. Walt Seever and his hard-bitten companions might have vanished from the earth, but on the Rancho Casa Grande much was happening, and Tony Costa was whistling most of the time.
Jed Asbury's formal education was slight, but he knew men, how to lead them and how best to get results. Above all he had practical knowledge of handling cattle and of range conditions.
He was up at five the morning after his discussion with Carol, and when she awakened, old Maria, the cook, told her the senior was hard at work in his office. The door was open a crack, and as she passed by she glimpsed him deep in the accounts of the ranch. Pinned up before him was a map of the Casa Grande holdings, and as he checked the disposition of the cattle, he studied the map.
He ate a hurried breakfast and at eight o'clock was in the saddle. He ate his next meal at a line camp and rode in long after dark. In two days he spent twenty hours in the saddle.
On the third day he called Costa to the office and sent Maria to request the presence of Carol.
Puzzled and curious, she joined them.
Jed wore a white shirt, black trousers, and the silver guns. His face seemed to have thinned down in just the two days, but when he glanced at her, he smiled.
"You have been here longer than I and are, in a sense, a partner."... Before she could interrupt he turned to Costa. "I want you to remain as foreman. However, I have asked you both to be here as I plan some changes."
He indicated a point on the map. "That narrow passage leads into open country and then desert. I found cattle tracks there, going out.
It might be rustlers. A little blasting up in the rocks will close that gap."
"It is a good move"... Costa agreed.
"This field "Jed indicated a large area in a field not far from the house, "must be fenced off.
We will plant it to flax."
"Flax, Senor?"
"There will be a good market for it."... He indicated a smaller area. "This piece we will plant to grapes, and all that hillside will support them.
There will be times when we cannot depend on cattle or horses, so there must be other sources of income."
I Carol watched in wonderment. He was moving fast, this new Michael Latch. He had grasped the situation at once and was moving to make changes that Uncle George had only thought about.
"Also, Costa, we must have a roundup. Gather the cattle and cut out all those over four years old,
He was an interloper here, yet the man whose place he had taken was dead, and perhaps he could carry on in his place, making the ranch safe for those who loved it. Then he could move on and leave this ranch to Carol and to the care of Tony Costa.
He turned. "I am tired"... He said. "I have ridden long and hard to get here. Now I'd like to rest."... He paused. "But I shall stay, at least his Jed Asbury was already fast asleep when Carol went into the dining room where Tony Costa sat at the long table. Without him, what would she have done? What could she have done? He had worked with her father for thirty years and had t lived on the hacienda all his life, and he was past sixty now. He still stood as erect and slender, not a young man. And he was shrewd.
Costa looked up. He was drinking coffee by the light of a candle. "For better or worse, Senorita, it has begun. What do you think now?"
"He told me, after I warned him, that he would stay."
Costa studied the coffee in his cup. "You are not afraid?"
"No. He faced Walt Seever and that was enough for me. Anything is to be preferred to Walt Seever."
"Si."... Costa's agreement was definite.
"Senorita, did you notice his hands when he faced Seever. They were ready, Carolita, ready to draw. This man has used a gun before. He is a strong man, Carolita!"
"Yes, I think you are right. He is a strong man."
For two days nothing happened from the direction of town. Walt Seever and his hard-bitten companions might have vanished from the earth, but on the Rancho Casa Grande much was happening, and Tony Costa was whistling most of the time.
Jed Asbury's formal education was slight, but he knew men, how to lead them and how best to get results. Above all he had practical knowledge of handling cattle and of range conditions.
He was up at five the morning after his discussion with Carol, and when she awakened, old Maria, the cook, told her the senior was hard at work in his office. The door was open a crack, and as she passed by she glimpsed him deep in the accounts of the ranch. Pinned up before him was a map of the Casa Grande holdings, and as he checked the disposition of the cattle, he studied the map.
He ate a hurried breakfast and at eight o'clock was in the saddle. He ate his next meal at a line camp and rode in long after dark. In two days he spent twenty hours in the saddle.
On the third day he called Costa to the office and sent Maria to request the presence of Carol.
Puzzled and curious, she joined them.
Jed wore a white shirt, black trousers, and the silver guns. His face seemed to have thinned down in just the two days, but when he glanced at her, he smiled.
"You have been here longer than I and are, in a sense, a partner."... Before she could interrupt he turned to Costa. "I want you to remain as foreman. However, I have asked you both to be here as I plan some changes."
He indicated a point on the map. "That narrow passage leads into open country and then desert. I found cattle tracks there, going out.
It might be rustlers. A little blasting up in the rocks will close that gap."
"It is a good move"... Costa agreed.
"This field "Jed indicated a large area in a field not far from the house, "must be fenced off.
We will plant it to flax."
"Flax, Senor?"
"There will be a good market for it."... He indicated a smaller area. "This piece we will plant to grapes, and all that hillside will support them.
There will be times when we cannot depend on cattle or horses, so there must be other sources of income."
I Carol watched in wonderment. He was moving fast, this new Michael Latch. He had grasped the situation at once and was moving to make changes that Uncle George had only thought about.
"Also, Costa, we must have a roundup. Gather the cattle and cut out all those over four years old,
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