Arizona Territory Read Online Free PDF Page A

life someday, and he could sure appreciate his big heart.
    They made good time, and by late evening were over the Mule Shoe Mountains and in the border town of Noco. They put their horses up and Cole noticed Roamer’s strawberry roan in the stables.
    Shawn McElroy, Bronc Morales, and Roamer soon found them. They went to a Mexican café across the wide border strip and ate supper.
    â€œWhat’s new?” Roamer asked.
    â€œYou should have seen this beautiful lady who came to see our boss at the Tubac Ranch yesterday,” Cole said.
    Chet held up his hand at their questions. “She wanted to buy a Barbarossa colt.”
    â€œWho is she?”
    â€œHer name is Elizabeth Delarosa Carmel. Her husband’s been dead three years.”
    â€œWhoa,” Bronc said. “She is really rich, too. I know I have heard all about her.”
    â€œMaria said the same thing.”
    â€œOh, she has a hacienda grande in Sonora.”
    â€œWhat are you going to do about her?” Roamer asked, then lifted his glass of beer to his lips and took a drink.
    â€œIf I knew that, I’d have already done it.”
    Laughing, Roamer blew part of his beer out and clapped him on the shoulder. “I ain’t never heard you say that before. What did she think?”
    â€œIf things would have worked out—she’d probably say yes.”
    â€œHoly cow, you can find more rich women than a dozen men. And they are all pretty.” Roamer held up his beer stein. “Let’s toast the boss. Number one lady killer in the Southwest.”
    â€œYeah!” they all cheered.
    â€œDid the bank robbers get over here?” he asked, to put off their digging him anymore about Liz.
    â€œBest we could tell, they beat us by twelve hours,” Shawn said.
    â€œThey around close? Maybe we can herd them back across the border like we did that one gang.”
    Head shakes told him no.
    Later, at the stables, forking hay for their horses, the memory of her came back to him. Why had he let her slip away? She was a real witch, a bruja . So much for that. But he couldn’t rest until he’d written to her.

    Dear Liz
    We are in southeast Arizona. Chasing bank robbers, who beat us to the border, and we all went to supper in ole Mexico. Tomorrow brings another day. I hope you are home safe.
    Â 
    Chet

    Wasn’t much else to tell her, or his boss, besides reporting the border bandits were way down in Mexico. The feds might want to close the Force. His bunch had tried hard and brought most of the outlaws to the courts or left the others to feed the buzzards.
    He mailed the letter to her, sent a wire to the Tucson marshal’s office about the gang’s escape, and went to his room in the hotel. His head on a pillow, he thought about her some more. She was damn sure hard to forget.

C HAPTER 4
    When they got back to Tubac, he sent Roamer home. Shawn had no pressing reason to go home. While Roamer was gone, the five remaining tracked down three horse thieves and sent them to Tucson for trial. Cole and Shawn rode guard on a gold shipment from several of the Tubac mines to Tucson without incident.
    Things were simply quiet on the border. When Roamer returned, Chet planned to go back home. Elizabeth sent him two letters, a few days apart.

    Chet
    I miss you so much. I know you have spoiled me. I know you are also busy. But even busy, you would have some time for me. I have never pined this much in my life for anyone. I will try to get busy and forget you, hombre.
    Â 
    Liz

    The second letter read:

    Chet
    Read the last letter. And I am the same as I was then, the very same.
    I miss you so much, hombre.
    Â 
    Liz

    â€œHow far south of the border is Liz?” he asked Maria.
    â€œA hundred and twenty kilometers.”
    â€œA hundred miles, huh?”
    â€œI think so.” She frowned at him. “But you shouldn’t go down there without an army.”
    â€œMaybe I will have her come to my