Mystery in Arizona Read Online Free PDF Page A

many of the bad men of the West used it as a hide-out. It was not occupied by American troops until 1856 and those Union soldiers were withdrawn at the outbreak of the Civil War. In February, 1862, it was occupied by Confederate cavalry but they abandoned it soon, and in May of that year the Stars and Stripes again flew over the town.”
    “But it really was always a small
city
,” Trixie argued. “I remember reading that it was founded in 1776and that it was the capital of Arizona for ten years after 1867. And the natives always called it Old Pueblo, meaning ‘ancient village.’ ”
    “In Spanish,
Pueblo Viejo
,” Babs agreed. “And the name has stuck to the old part of town to this day. When you go sight-seeing you will find it a most fascinating place. The beautiful Spanish missions will also interest you, and there are several of them which are only a short drive from the center of town.
    “Speaking of that,” she added, “as you drive through Tucson on your way out to the ranch you will be surprised at the people you will see on the streets. There will be Indians of all types, some wearing bright-colored blankets, some dressed like cowboys with big black hats pushed down almost to their eyebrows. The women and girls usually wear velveteen bodices with very full skirts. And even those who are quite poor are always weighted down by jewelry.
    “You will see many Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, cowboys, and eastern dudes trying hard to look like cowpokes. You will pass by palm trees which were imported from California, and many mission-type public buildings. You will see cars from every state in the Union, and in the residential sections architecture of all types from bungalows to huge, sprawling, modern ranch-type homes. On the outskirts of the city proper are many small ranches, tourist camps, and motels. And then suddenly you will find yourself in the real ranch country which extends for miles and miles on both sides of the highway and is unbelievably vast.” She stood up. “My goodness, it’s time I returned to my little galley and fixed luncheon.”

    “Can we help?” Honey asked politely.
    “Oh, no, there is nothing to it,” the stewardess replied. “Everything arrives precooked and frozen. I simply pop the individual plates into my little oven.” She hurried off.
    “She,” Di said dreamily, “is my very own ideal. I mean it. I’m going to be a stewardess some day.”
    Trixie sniffed. “You’ll never be that smart. Why, she’s a walking geography and history combined. And I thought I knew a lot about Arizona!”
    “So did I,” Honey admitted. “Right now the only fact I seem to remember is that the G-i-l-a River is pronounced
heela
. That stuck in my mind because I pronounced it wrong in class and Miss Hooper corrected me.”
    “The Hassayampa River,” Trixie added, “is a tributary of the Gila. There’s an old saying that anyone who drinks from it will never be able to tell the truth again.That’s why if you call anyone a Hassayamp in the Southwest you’re saying that he is a liar.”
    “I know a little something about the Lost Dutchman Mine,” Di put in. “I mean, there really is one and it’s somewhere in the Superstition Mountains.”
    “I’m not very interested in gold mines,” Trixie said flatly. “But I certainly wish I knew more about dude ranches. I just know I’m going to act like a real greenhorn. Tell us what you know about the ranches, Honey.”
    “Well,” Honey said, frowning with concentration, “for one thing you don’t spend all of your time riding horseback. There are all sorts of other amusements such as tennis, golf, swimming, badminton, Ping-pong, skeet-shooting, and archery.”
    “Movies, radio, and TV for rainy days?” Di asked.
    Honey giggled. “Rainy days are almost unheard of in Tucson. It has 3,800 hours of sunshine a year which means an average of—ummm, about eleven hours per day. Is that right, Trixie?”
    Trixie shuddered. “Don’t