The Desert Fiddler, Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  Reedy Jenkins lighted a very good cigar and sat studying Rogeen with aleisurely air. Bob was a good salesman and began at once: "Understandyou have been buying up leases, and I came up to sell you some farmmachinery."

  Reedy took the cigar from his wide mouth and laughed at the joke. "Idon't raise cotton, I leave that to Chinamen--I raise prices. I'm nota farmer but a financier."

  Then returning the cigar to the corner of his mouth he remarked with apink judicialness:

  "I should say you have a way with the ladies."

  Bob blushed. "I never discovered it, if I have."

  "I have, myself." Reedy bit the end of his cigar and nodded with adoggish appreciation of his own fascination. "But I'm too busy justnow to use it."

  "Rogeen"--Reedy laid the smoking cigar on some papers on his desk andfaced Bob--"I've had my eye on you for some time. I am buying upleases across the line. I need a good man to work over there. What isDayton paying you?"

  "Twenty a week." Bob was surprised at the turn of the conversation.

  "I'll give you a hundred and fifty a month to start, and there'll be afine chance for promotion."

  "What am I to do?" inquired Bob.

  "Here is the whole thing in an eggshell. No doubt you are acquaintedwith the situation over the line. You know, excepting one or two bigconcessions, no Americans own land on the Mexican side. The land isall farmed under leases and sub-leases. If a Chink or a Jap or awandering American hayseed wants to open up a patch of the desert, hetakes a five-year lease. As it costs him from ten to twenty dollars anacre to clear off the mesquite, level the sand hummocks, and get hisditches ready for water, he pays only one dollar rent the first year,two dollars the second, and so on.

  "Now"--Reedy picked up his cigar, puffed a time or two, and lookedspeculatively over Bob's head--"if a fellow wants to speculate on theMexican side, he doesn't deal in land; he buys and sells leases. Thatis my business. Of course, once in a while I take over a crop that isplanted or partly raised, because I have to do it to get the lease.But you can say on general principles I'm about as much interested infarming as a ground hog is in Easter.

  "The price of cotton has been low, and for various and sundry otherreasons"--Reedy squinted his large eyes a little mysteriously--"a lotof the ranchers over there after getting their land in good shape havegot cold feet and are willing to sell leases that have three or fouryears yet to run for nearly nothing.

  "I'm acquiring a bunch of them and am going to make a fortune out ofthem. One of these days the price of cotton will take a jump, and I'llbe subleasing ten thousand acres of land at ten dollars an acre thatcost me three.

  "Now what I want you for"--he brought his attention down squarely toRogeen--"is to buy leases for me--I'll give you a list of what I wantand the prices I'll pay. If you get a lease for less, I'll give youhalf the rake-off in addition to your wages."

  Bob thought fast. This looked like a fine opportunity; perhaps he wasworth more as a buyer than as a salesman.

  "I'll have a try at it," he said. "But I won't sign up for any lengthof time until I see how it goes."

  "That suits me," Reedy assented readily. His one fear had been thatBob might want a term contract.

  "I'll see Dayton," Bob arose, "and let you know how soon he can let meoff."

  Dayton liked Bob and hated to lose him, but was one of those employerswho prefer to suffer some inconvenience or loss rather than stand inthe way of a young man's advancement.

  "A hundred and fifty dollars a month is more than I can pay, Rogeen,"he said. "You'd better take it. Begin at once. I'll get Jim Moody inyour place."

  At one o'clock Bob was back at Jenkins' office and reported ready forwork.

  Reedy reached in his desk for the map on which all the ranches belowthe line were carefully marked.

  "The ranches I want to get first are along the Dillenbeck Canal. It isa private water system, and the water costs more; but the land is richenough to make up the difference.

  "The first one I want you to tackle is here"--he made a cross with hispencil--"Belongs to a little dried-up old geezer named Chandler. He isready to sell; talk to the girl. Five hundred is my top price fortheir lease and equipment."

  As Bob went down the outside stairway he passed a Mexican going up--aMexican with features that suggested some one of his immediateforefathers was probably a Hebrew. Rogeen recognized him--his name wasMadrigal; and he remembered that someone had told him that the Mexicanwas in the secret service over the line, or rather that he was anunofficial bearer of official information from some shady Mexicanofficials to some shady American concerns.

  When the Mexican entered the office, Reedy got up and closed the door.Then he took the map again from a drawer and opened it out on the desk.

  "I'll get Benson's lease this week." Reedy put his pencil on the RedButte Ranch. "And these," he pointed to smaller squares along theDillenbeck Canal, "are the ones I have marked for early annexation.How many of them have you seen?"

  "Thes, and thes, and thes." Madrigal pointed off three ranches.

  "I've sent the new man down to see Chandler," said Reedy. "He's thesort that can win over that girl. I must have that ranch. It is oneof the best of the small ranches."

  "_Si, si._" Madrigal grinned, and smoothed up his black pompadouredhair. "Eet will be easy. I gave them big scare about the duty oncotton next fall."

  "And then my friend who manages the Dillenbeck system gave them anotherabout the price of water this summer," smiled Reedy. "But"--hefrowned--"if the girl should continue obstinate, and they refuse tosell?"

  "Then I'll attend to the senorita"--the Mexican put his hand on hisheart and bowed gallantly--"the ladies are easy for Senor Madrigal."

  "Yes," said Reedy, shutting his wide mouth determinedly, "and if hefails, I'll 'tend to Rogeen."