THE NEW RANCH
For a moment the two remained with clasped hands, looking deep into the
eyes one of the other. Then Dave, with a deep breath, murmured:
"Brothers! Is it possible?"
"Not only possible, but probable!" cried Mr. Bellmore. "We are brothers, I
tell you, Dave! Your mention of that cork life-preserver almost proves it
to me."
"Why so?"
"Because, before I went away to the East, to visit, I made one just like
that with which to learn to swim. I did learn, too, with it. Of course I'd
have to see this one to be dead sure, but it isn't likely that there would
be two cork life-preservers made in that way. I'm sure it was mine you had
on when you were rescued. Come on, we'll gallop to the ranch and find
out."
They set off at top speed, Dave's heart beating madly with hope.
"Oh, if it should prove true, after all!" he murmured over and over again.
"That I really have some folks at last!"
As they rode Mr. Bellmore briefly told how, as a boy of about ten, he
wanted to swim in the stream that ran near his home.
"This was in Missouri, too," he said, "so that adds to the assurance I
have that we are brothers, since it was in Missouri that you were found by
Mr. Carson. I made that life preserver out of a design from my own head. I
know I had to beg and borrow corks from all the neighbors before I had
enough. But with that on I simply could not sink, and so I learned to
swim.
"I wanted to take it East with me, but my folks persuaded me to leave it
at home. And poor mother or father must have fastened it on you when the
flood came. Oh, I'm sure it's the same one. We are brothers!"
Once more they clasped hands and looked into each other's eyes.
It was two excited individuals who burst into the ranch house of Bar U a
little later. Fairly leaping from their steeds Dave and Mr. Bellmore
sought Mr. Carson.
"Dad, where is that cork life-preserver?" asked the young cowboy. The use
of the word "Dad" seemed perfectly proper under the circumstances.
"The life-preserver?" repeated the ranchman, wonderingly.
"Yes, Mr. Bellmore--Benjamin," said Dave, using the name for the first
time, "Benjamin thinks it's one he made, and if it is I'm his brother!"
"His brother?" Mr. Carson looked from one to the other, as if doubting
whether he had heard aright.
Slowly the cattleman again produced the old relic. At the first sight of
it Mr. Bellmore exclaimed:
"Yes! That's it! I'd know it anywhere! Dave, there's no doubt but that you
are my brother! Shake!"
"But are you sure?" asked Mr. Carson.
"Positive!" exclaimed the young engineer. "See, I can point out a dozen
little points about this belt that makes me certain it is mine," and he
did. He even recalled where he got certain oddly-shaped corks from the
neighbors.
Then he related his story--how he had lived as a boy in the town where,
later, the flood came and swept away the Bellmore home, taking Dave with
it. The future engineer was away at the time of the disaster, and he knew
nothing of the particulars of the rush of the waters, save what relatives
told him afterward.
"But they said my whole family was drowned, including my little brother,"
he went on. "His name wasn't Dave, by the way, but Charles."
"I named him Dave," said Mr. Carson.
"And I'm going to keep it," Dave said.
"It's just as well," decided Mr. Bellmore. "But, as I said, all I know is
what I was told. I was only about ten years old at the time, and you must
have been about two, Dave. How it happened we can only guess, but mother
or father must have put my odd cork life-preserver on you when they saw
the waters rising, and it probably saved your life when the house was
carried away. What a strange coincidence!"
"Isn't it?" agreed Mr. Carson. He could add little to the story, for all
he knew was the finding of the baby. His inquiries had come to naught, so
it was assumed that all the rest of the Bellmore family had perished in
the high waters.
"And what did you do when you heard you had no folks left?" asked Dave of
his brother.
"Well, I was too young at the time to realize all that it meant. My
Eastern relatives came to Missouri with me in the hope of finding some of
our folks, but we never did. Then they took charge of me until I grew up,
and entered upon my profession.
"And all these years I've been thinking I had not a near living relative,
when, all the while I had a brother!" and he looked fondly at Dave.
"And to think I believed myself a nameless nobody!" Dave returned.
"Well, you're Dave Bellmore, from now on."
"Dave _Carson_ Bellmore," corrected the other softly.
"Oh, I see!" Mr. Bellmore exclaimed. "Of course."
And so it was arranged. The story created no end of wonder at Bar U ranch,
and Dave and his brother were congratulated on all sides. The Eastern
relatives were communicated with, and one sent a letter mentioning a
certain birthmark on Dave's arm, which would be there if he was really the
Bellmore baby. The mark was found, and thus the matter was fully proved.
"Well, now that you've found your brother, I suppose you'll shake Bar U
ranch--and me," said Mr. Carson some time later.
"Not much!" cried Dave with shining eyes, as his arm went around Benjamin.
"I'm a cattleman first, last and always. If you haven't any room for me
here I'll have to start out and work for some one else, I guess."
"Not while I've got a horse to ride," said the ranchman significantly.
A few days later the matter of trying the various lawsuits came up. It was
a tedious proceeding, with which I will not burden you, but to be brief I
will say that Mr. Carson won nearly everything.
It was settled beyond dispute that the Molick ranch had no right to build
the dam and shut off the water from the fine pasture. So that was saved to
Mr. Carson. And not only that, but certain other water rights that Mr.
Molick had claimed, were taken from him, and restored to Bar U.
"That means I can go into the cattle-raising business on a larger scale
than ever," declared the ranchman.
Mr. Molick was allowed to retain enough of the water for his own stock, so
that his ranch was as valuable as ever. He recognized when he was
defeated, and when the court business was over he approached Mr. Bellmore,
rather shamefacedly, it is true, and requested that he be allowed to come
into the general water and irrigation scheme.
"No, sir!" exclaimed the engineer. "You had your chance and would not take
it. It's too late now. All our plans are made and your ranch isn't
included."
"Then if you won't take me in I'll sue you and make you."
"Go ahead," was the cool response. "You had your chance and turned it
down. We aren't depriving you of any water. You'll have all you need, but
you won't have any over, as the rest of the ranchmen will. Go ahead and
sue."
Molick did, but he was defeated, and then, as his son Len dared not return
to the vicinity on account of the fire indictment, there came an
unexpected turn to affairs.
"I hear Molick wants to sell out," said Pocus Pete, coming to the Bar U
ranch house a few days after the defeat of the bully's father. "And he'll
sell out cheap, too."
"Will he?" asked Mr. Bellmore. "Then I know some one who will buy."
"Who?"
"I will! Dave, I've been thinking for a long time of going into the cattle
business. I think it will pay better than water engineering. I've been
hoping for a chance to get a good ranch, and now that Molick's is on the
market, I'm going to take it."
"Good!" cried Mr. Carson. "I'll have decent neighbors all around me then.
And if you want any money, Mr. Bellmore--you and Dave--"
"Thanks, but I'm pretty well off. I've saved a bit. I think I'll invest it
in Centre O, but I'm going to change the name, with your permission."
"What are you going to call it?" asked Dave. "Bar U-2. How does that
strike you?"
"Fine!" Dave exclaimed.
"Couldn't be better!" declared Mr. Carson. "We'll combine the two ranches
into a new one, and with the water supply we'll have there won't be a
place in this country that can hold a candle to us. Shake!"
"Do you really mean it?" cried our hero, his eyes shining with delight.
"Sure I mean it," answered the man who had been a father to him, with much
feeling.
"It's a fine thing to propose," put in our hero's newly-found brother. "A
fine thing indeed."
"I've got to do it--to keep Dave by me," answered Mr. Carson.
"I'll stay--don't worry," answered the boy, with a happy grin.
And so it was arranged. The Bellmore brothers, as they were now
called--Dave and Benjamin--purchased the Molick ranch and it was added to
the Carson holdings under a general partnership agreement. More cattle
were purchased, and to-day the Bar U-2 is one of the finest ranches in the
West. The water irrigation scheme, planned by Mr. Bellmore was a complete
success, though when he took up ranching with Dave, another irrigation
engineer succeeded to the managership. The Molicks--father and
son--disappeared, but most of the cowboys, with the exception of Whitey
Wasson, were hired by Dave and his brother.
"Though if it hadn't been for Len and Whitey I might never have found you,
Ben," said Dave, with shining eyes.
And that is the story of Cowboy Dave--a "nameless nobody" no longer--but
an honored and respected member of the community. And Mr. Carson, who had
no near kith or kin, has promised to make the Bellmore brothers his heirs.
THE END