“That’s right. Say! I’ll betcha I’ve seen Terry Ione in Yuma.”
“You prob’ly have, Oscar.”
“I’ll betcha I have. I reckon this place is goin’ to change hands pretty quick, and I’ll probably be back in Yuma, lookin’ for a job. I understand that Kendall Marsh made Charley Long a proposition by mail, and Charley’s goin’ to accept. The first thing yuh know, Marsh will own everythin’ around here. He’ll probably fire me. Oh, well, there’s lotsa jobs.”
“A good man can always get along, Oscar.”
“Oh, sure. I’ll be all right.”
Cultus soon left the saloon and went to the livery stable, where he got his little horse. It was about four miles to the Circle M ranch, and Cultus had never been there, but he decided to ride out and see what he could find out about that stolen gray horse. The road led southeast for a couple of miles, where it forked; the south road leading to the Circle M, the east one to the Bar Anchor.
CHAPTER X: MISBRANDED
The Circle M was typical of its owner, Jules Mendoza. The main ranch-house was of poles and adobe, much in the Hopi style, one-story, threatening at any time to fall down. The stables and corrals were on a par with the house. But it was picturesque and it suited Jules Mendoza, whose wants were few.
Mexico Skinner and Tony Gibbs were Mendoza’s two helpers. Mexico was half-white, half-Mexican, while Tony was Italian and Mexican, with a dash of Irish and a bit of Indian. The name “Gibbs” was easier to say than Tony’s real name, which was something like Aponopolini. Mexico’s right name was Peletero, which is the equivalent of Skinner in Spanish.
The Circle M raised more horses than cattle, although there was little market for horses. Many Circle M horses ranged far back in the hills, half-wild things, some entirely wild. In fact, Mendoza had no idea how many horses he owned, as there was never any round-up of horses for him to make a count of his herd. But he was satisfied.