How
pleased he was to show me something he could describe as unencumbered!
I've a description of it among those stupid papers he made me bring
away with me from his office. I'll try to find it."
Octavia found her shopping-bag, and drew from it a long envelope
filled with typewritten documents.
"A ranch in Texas," sighed Aunt Ellen. "It sounds to me more like a
liability than an asset. Those are the places where the centipedes are
found, and cowboys, and fandangos."
"'The Rancho de las Sombras,'" read Octavia from a sheet of violently
purple typewriting, "'is situated one hundred and ten miles southeast
of San Antonio, and thirty-eight miles from its nearest railroad
station, Nopal, on the I. and G. N. Ranch, consists of 7,680 acres
of well-watered land, with title conferred by State patents, and
twenty-two sections, or 14,080 acres, partly under yearly running
lease and partly bought under State's twenty-year-purchase act. Eight
thousand graded merino sheep, with the necessary equipment of horses,
vehicles and general ranch paraphernalia. Ranch-house built of brick,
with six rooms comfortably furnished according to the requirements of
the climate. All within a strong barbed-wire fence.
"'The present ranch manager seems to be competent and reliable, and is
rapidly placing upon a paying basis a business that, in other hands,
had been allowed to suffer from neglect and misconduct.
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