After looking the ranch over and
getting his figures, I made him an offer of four thousand dollars
for everything, which offer he accepted, he reserving nothing but
one span of horses, his bed and clothing. We then went to Santa
Rosa, the county seat, to get an abstract of title and a deed to
the property, and now I am once more an honest rancher. While in
Santa Rosa I hired a man and his wife by the name of Benson, by
the year. Mr. Benson proved to be a good man and his wife a
splendid housekeeper. All went well for about five months, and
having filed on the quarter of vacant land adjoining me, of course
I had to move over there. I had noticed a change in Benson's
appearance, but had not thought much about it till one Saturday I
sent him to haul some pickets over to my preemption claim. That
night, having company, I did not go to the cabin on the claim, but
stayed on the other place. Benson was not at supper that evening,
but I paid no attention to it nor thought it strange, supposing he
was just a little late getting home. The next morning I noticed
that he was not at the breakfast table, and I asked Mrs. Benson
why Mr. Bensen didn't come to his breakfast. She asked if I had
not told him to stay on the preemption claim that night. I told
her that I had not and that I had the key and he could not get
into the house, and besides there was no feed there for the mules.
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