Dead Man's Ranch

The phyeical features of "Dead Man'i Ranch" :irc far froni forbidding. I saw it iirst on n warm, hazy aftornoon in the latter part of Ootober. lt lajs in the canyon of the Rio Grande with the swif running river washing its feet and tal rugged cliiis in the background. These cliffs circle the ranch in the form of a horseshoe and slope in the center of the bend, allowing yon to desceñe) from the alkali mociü stretching away for miles to the Mountains of Death, the tallest peaks of which are just discernible on a clear day from the rim of the clin'. Special eorrespondents rarely isit Doad Man's Ranch. I happened therc election day by accident. For weeks I had been oontemplating a huntinatrij througli the ('lirisis Mountains. Ju tin latter pari, of October I paid a visit to my friend Jones, who owns a bijr sheet ranch in Buckhorn Canyon. Whcn 1 tseached his ranch he was just preparing to leavo. In a few worda he explainci himself. "Eleckshon koms oft' ther soventh viv nex' month," he said. "Ilit's pine blcnk sartin we'll hev a tighl race in Ihis county for sheriff. Thar's no rog"lar ticket an' throc candidates in the field. A sorr uv er go-as-you-j)lease. Hit depends on who dozther most work ez ter who is our next SherilF. Tlic presen! incumbent hez a power o" friends an' a Mexioan wife. Ile'll poli a big vote, bnt Kunnul Smith hez abont I an ekal number o' friends an' a Mexican wife, too. Hit will be nip an' tnek 'twixt them two. The people at ther .settlement air for one or ther tother uv these men. We ranchmen air solid for ther dark horse - 'ther Major.' Ye know 'ther Major?' Mighty elever man. Will make agood Sheriff. Well. ez I wuz a savin', we're for 'Uier Major,' an' we air jes' pine blank bound tew elect him ef we manage ther river precinek right. I bed a pollin'-box sent tew Dead Man's Ranch an' eleckshon effleers appointed thar. I'll ménage thet pre-einek an' she kin bé safely counted on for jest 88 majority for 'ther Major.' " "Where is Dead Man's Ranch?" I asked. "Down liyer in ther Cheeses," answered Jones, and then continuing, "Never been thar? Well, go 'long with os. We'll hev lots uv fun, and ther's ded loads of pretty Mexican gals thar." Tliis Jatter inducement decided me, and an hour later I was rilling across ; the plain in company with my friend ; Jones, two other ranohmen, and thrèe . Mexicans, bound for Dead Man's Ranch, and ;i rousing majority for "the Major." It was a three days' journey to the Dead Man's Ranch, and on the road thither I learned a few thinga which ratlier shattered my belief in the childlike simplicity and primitjve honesty of my fiiend Jones. In conversation with one of the ranchmen I incidentally mentioned that üoad Man's Ranch must be a lown of considerable Importan cë. "Jones located hit," was the reply. "I don't reokin ez how liit's much bigger than San Atonio. I know the river coontiy tolerbul well, an' 111 bc davncd of ever I tteard teil hv l)cad Man's Rancli lili Jones jumped hit up." "15ut, sir," J remonstraled, "Mr. Jones told me that the ranch woiild give nearly six Imndred majority for his candidate." "Wall?" drawlcd the ranchman. "Unless it has a large population it certainly can't return sueh a number of votes unless " "Wall?" again drawled the ranchman, al the same, time eycing me quizzically. I hcsitalod a moment, and then nolicing that my companion looked peaceable, continued: "Unless yon falsify the returns or Stuff the ballot box."" "Look a hyar," saiil the ranchman, le-aning over in his saddle in a eoníidential wav, "von're from the States, ain't ve?" I noiided assent. "Wall, up where ye come from this hyar falso returns and stuffin' may do very well. Down hyar on the fronteer it won't work. We" ave an ignorant people, an' tolerbul rough in manners, but we're honest.'r He delivered this infonnatioii with considerable emphasis. and I hastener to assure him that my belief in the Jionesty of the frontier people had nevei been and eould never be shaken. Mv coufidfince in tneir integrity was blind, implicit. This frank atlmission seemed to mollify the ránehmañ, and he eontinued: "Ye see," lie saic1. "we have to register cv'ry vote thet's cast, an' unless we register ther votes wlly we gits no níajonty. Sabe?" He winked mysteriously, and a sly smile wriukled his tobáceo staineíl month. I did not fully comprehend the meaning of his expianation then. I learned all about it afterward. We rcaehed Dead Mau's Ranch safely and were hospitably received by the owner, Don Patricio O. 'Hallan. "Yees are jist in toinie, byes," he cried, as we drew up in the court-yard of his "dRsa." "Howso, Pat?" queried the ranchman who had given me the registration informatioii "We expicted yees," answered the Don, "an' me an' the ould woman iixed np a ball, wid plinty uv music an' slathers of mescal. Iíow'sthe Major?" ïhis latter was addressed to my friend Jones. "He's tolerbul. Sent his best regareis an' he pino blank depends on their ranch for his majority." "Sure, he'll get it an" it's ther trooth I m tellin' yees. I bought up ould Justice Juan José this blissid day for $15 'and a jug uv mescal. All we her ter do now is ter register their votes." The Don bustled about, ovdered our aorsei cared for, and cursed the peon hostie in choice C'astilian. The supper was a capital one, and as soon as the remains were cleared awaj, pveparatioiis begm for the "ball." This latter was a grand affair, and I enjoyed myself hugely. I danced eight times with the prettiest señorita, and was callee! "Amigo Americano" by all the men in the room. The electioc took place three davs afterward, and the night before the allimportant day Jones assured me conlidentially that "the Major's" election was a settled facfc The votes wero deposited in the reeeption room of the casa. Justiee Juan Jo.se was udge of the election; the two ranchmèn wer inspectors, my friend Jones was clerk, and he pressed me into service as his assistant. Voting hagun early. The flrst thirtr Votes cast for Sheriff were equally divideil- fiftcen for the "present incumben t" and fifteen for "Kunneil Smith." "Thet thar's tew makc the thing look ïolid." explained myfriend Jones in a whisper. "We'll begb (o rol] 'em in now for 'ther Major.'1 That dia roll in at sucli a rapid rato tiiat for two honra my peu Uew aeross the registration book. writing down long and almost unpronouneeablo Castihan names. At the end of that time we rested, drank ubottleof aquavdiento and smoked a fragrant puro. I took a stroll outside. Abont thirty Mexicans were rauired in front of the casa, eaeh with a ballot in his hand. l'hc Don was bustüng about orders in his nativo tongue. I nóticed thou that sovoral of tho incoa of the j waiting votéis looked familiar, hut it was not until we adjourncd for dinner tli.it f learned that these thirty retainers of the proud Don had cast all the votes, whicli tlicn footed up :i;0. By i o'clock that eveníng 600 votes had been cast. "Iíow miny more duz 3'ecs wanl, bycs?" queried the Don, thrusting his hcad into the room. 'Let me seo, said Jones. Consulting the book. '-Ther Major hez 570. I promised tew bring in 588 majority We want essackly thirleen votes more." "Wo'll give ther wimmin an' oMlder a whack et it," cried the Don, and he disappeared. In a few moments he reappeared with a crowd of blnshing señoritas - my partner of the "ball" being of the mímber - and several big-ej-ed ehildren. "Hoorav for the fronteer, be Jove!" shouted the Don, as the Senoita Isabella de Gasa Something-or-Other bluahinglr deposited her ballot and was regfstered as Juan Manuel de Casa. "Hooray for tli; fronteer, where we have universal sufl'rage, an1 the fullest liberty for man, womao an' ohild!" 'Ihè last to vote were two little children, and the Major still needed one vote to make up the promised majority. Just then a burro tpCBaáng in front of the casa lifted up his voiee, and for a few minutes drowned even the ehatter of the women and the shrill cries of the ehildren. "Howkl on, bycs, " cried the Don whcn the vocal salute was finished, "here's one more voter, be Jove," and amid the shouts of the amused peons and the laughter of the "officers of elcction," he led the solemn jackass up to the window, and his vote was received and registered as José Murrillo! This ended the election at the Rancho Muerto de Hombre. The Major was elected by 2G7 majority.