Dumb Walls 



ago the Todds were still in control and 

 lived upon the ranch in a long, low, 

 rambling one-story headquarters situ- 

 ated some ten miles from the front 

 gate. These great propertied under 

 fence were really like principalities in 

 the old world, presided over with an 

 iron hand by the owner or manager, 

 with the aid of course of a Roman 

 Catholic priest to teach and confess the 

 numerous Mexicanos constituting the 

 help universally employed indoors and 

 out. Quite a town this Laureles at 

 the time of our visit, with its as- 

 sembled tenant houses, church, stabling 

 and the various buildings and corrals 

 usually to be seen about the seat of 

 power on a modern cattle ranch. 



Here remote from civilization, long 

 leagues from any neighbors, surrounded 

 as far as eye could reach by the dead 

 level reaches of enormous pastures, 

 where the coyotes called about the 

 house at night, and rattlers were a 

 common sight. Captain John Todd, an 

 [83] 



