Chapter 11 [Rancho Rivertree]

Manolito rode down the dirt trail along the water's edge. In contrast to Desert's heat, the elevated grasslands held onto Cool's breeze. The grass and trees relaxed him. His eyes drank in Landscape's harmony all around them. His ears picked up on the birds in the trees.

This would be Mercedes and his….all theirs….

We will work and make this our paradise, I think! He rounded the bend in the road. Right in front of Patterson's old corral, he pulled up on Makadoo's reins. He dismounted and opened the corral's gate. "I think we'd best go over there, Amigo." He guided Makadoo over to the house and tied his rein there. Then he rushed back over to the corral.

Bart and three vaqueros drove the cattle up that road. They kept careful watch to make sure no strays escaped from the herd. They guided the animals into the corral and stopped at that point.

Behind them, Blue and Buck drove the buckboard towards the shack. In the back, new posts, shovels, a tarp and tools piled high.

Ricardo and the other vaqueros followed last. Much as Manolito did, they looked out over the landscape. Unlike the former, they watched for signs of Comancheros or banditos on the road or in the hills around them.

Manolito secured the corral gate. He shook a post. "That will not keep them in."

"That's why we got them posts with us, Manolito," Bart reminded him.

"Si. It is." Manolito whistled and motioned to everyone. "Hey, Compadres! Gracias. We have a nice day. ¿Si? We should get work done. Rafael, Pedro, keep watch for the first two hours. Bart, Buck, Blue and you can start digging some holes by the road over there." He pointed to where the road snaked around the hill's base.

"Right." Blue nodded. "Come on, Uncle Buck. We'll get the new corral closer to the new house."

"If that's what Manolito wants, that what he gets." Buck started the horses again and rode toward the spot in question.

"¡Gracias, Amigos!" Manolito expressed. "Everyone else, we dig up on the hill. I wish to start on the cellar. La hacienda necessita ser a construida rapidamente. ¡Andale!" He pointed to the hill top.

"Very good, Manolito." Satisfaction prompted a nod from Ricardo. "You have this in control." He removed his cloak to reveal a patched shirt and pants. "I shall help Buck and Blue at the new corral." He walked toward the buckboard. There, he picked up a shovel and went to join Buck and the others.

Manolito smiled. Admiration raised his opinion of Ricardo another notch. So many Dons will not dirty their hands. Yet he does. ¡Increible! He grabbed his own shovel and hustled up the hill. He walked the area around the hilltop. He reached the point overlooking the water, the new corral and road. He scooped a few shovelfuls of dirt out. Then Imagination and Memoria visualized his father's Rancho in his mind. He walked diagonally to a point twenty feet from the plateau's edge. There he scooped out another shovelful. He paced off thirty yards and scooped out more dirt. He did the same thing toward the tree line. He put the last marker-hole parallel with his first. "All right, Compadres! We start digging! Keep within those points. Vamanos!" He started shoveling away.

The vaqueros followed suit. The dirt started to fly around that place.

[Sunset—Shack]

Sol called it a day. The cattle moved around inside their new corral. The hacienda's cellar hole sat half-dug on the hill. With that, Ricardo and several vaqueros returned to the High Chaparral. Rafael and two other vaqueros however stayed behind with Buck, Blue, Bart and Manolito.

With the day's work complete, meals and relaxing could take place….

Buck stirred the beans on top of the old cookstove. His arms and shoulders tensed up from digging post holes and driving the posts into the ground. "I thought the bachelor party was supposed to be fun." He narrowed his eyes at Manolito.

"We stay out of the ladies' way. They plan their party. There are places for everyone to sleep. We are cooler up here than in the desert." Manolito shrugged. He turned a side of beef in the fireplace. "It is better to be useful. Is it not?"

"Yeah well, I'd rather spend my last days as a free man in Tucson." Buck sighed. Pain twinged through his shoulders as he stretched. "As it is, we're going to have to take turns on guard duty tonight."

"Si. I know." Manolito glanced out the door. "Blue will let us know if he sees anything."

"You'd better hope that boy don't run into any banditos out there." Buck shook his head. "This here's too big of a place for Blue Boy and them vaqueros to look under every rock."

"Blue and I would be in Tucson to hire ranch hands. Bart, Rafael and the vaqueros would watch the cattle and horses. Patterson was by himself for twenty years, Buck! Twenty years! Big John has a dozen ranch hands on the High Chaparral. We start with six. We will get more," Manolito explained.

"And what happens when Daddy Ricardo goes back to Mexico City? What then? Where will the money come from?" Buck supposed.

"We will earn it." Manolito turned the meat in the fireplace. "Are you like my father, Buck? Look around. We have everything. We will find a way. We have timber, cattle, horses, water and that silver. Everything is paid for. We have to pay the vaqueros and the hacienda. It could be worse."

"Yeah. A bunch of Comancheros come through and gun you all down." Doubt squinted through Buck's eyes.

"Big John deals with them at the High Chaparral. My father and every other rancher deal with them. We will deal with them. It is part of running a ranch. Is it not?" Manolito raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. It is. I just hope you're ready for this." Buck insisted.

"We're ready for that, Buck." Bart stepped into the shack. Sunburn reddened his face and arms. "Thanks, Manolito. I ain't had a chance at a regular job in a while. We believe in each other."

"Si." Manolito grinned. He held his hand out. "Together."

"Yeah together." Bart shook Manolito's hand. "Señora Mercedes is counting on us."

"All of us." Blue clomped into the shack. Confidence spread a big grin across his face. "Rafael and I just got back. Everything's looking good on the south range. Mustangs and Patterson's cattle are grazing by the creek." He put his hand out. "Hope you don't forget about your foreman."

"Will you listen to him?" Bart snorted. "You are going to shake his hand."

"Si." Manolito nodded. He shook Blue's hand. "We are in this together, Compadre. Get your beans and beef."

"Yes, Sir." Blue saluted him with a saucy air and went for the bean pot.

A foundation had been established….