Chapter 5 five

The ranch, which is less than a hundred miles from Los Angeles, is large but a bit outdated in modern society, but it has a history of seventy-five years.There are large areas of oak trees in the ranch, continuous plateau fields, canyons full of lush trees, and mountain peaks covered with bushes and thorns. The snow-capped distant mountains stand quietly in the distant sky. A team of horses came out of the rugged and remote mountain village, and the horses lined up quietly, one by one, along the trails scattered with high and low, and the traces of the trails were almost blurred in some places.The ranch headquarters is located in a tree-lined valley below the mountain.The dry air, the cloudless sky, and the scorching sun turned the green grasslands in the mountains into a burnt brown.

Della.The pouch to the right of Streeter's saddle contained a notebook filled with the locations of out-of-the-way places, tree marks, abandoned roads and burned trees.She rode with ease and was oblivious to the wobble of the saddle. Tired?Mason asked. Not tired, very happy. Rancher Harvey.Brady half turned around on the horse, you must have memorized it all?He smiled and asked Della, if not, I could walk again. I'd better eat something.Della laughed. The rancher pushed back his sweat-stained sombrero, and as he looked out across the vast expanse, nothing escaped his shrewd eyes.The small horse team walked on a road that people used to walk at this time, and the reddish golden dust fog enveloped them, and they became indistinct in the fog under the sun.Fine dust fell on the riders.The horses' sweat dries and forms salt grains on them, which makes the horses also quicken their pace.

Further down the hill, a horse is resting with one leg off the ground, its head hanging forward.The reins drooped to the ground. Although the horse was not tied, it was motionless. It was obviously a well-trained cattle horse. Harvey.Brady said: Why would they put horses in the sun.It must be waiting. Yes, no, here comes one. A cowboy in chaps and high-heeled boots lumbered out of the ranch cabin, picked up the reins, threw them over the horse's neck, and clutched the pommel.The action of getting on the horse was not stupid at all. He jumped onto the saddle and sat firmly on the saddle bridge.People and horses merge into one, where the dust rises, the horse runs across the valley and climbs the winding mountain road.

The rancher urges his horse on, and it looks like something is wrong.He said. In a few minutes, the messenger came to them.This is a narrow-waisted, bronze-faced cowboy. He pulled the rein and the horse stopped on the side of the road. On the edge of the steep slope, his mount struggled to find its balance, moving restlessly, obviously afraid of accidentally slipping off. slope. The cowboy sat easily on the pommel, his body swaying with the horse, not paying attention to the steep slope behind him, pulling the rein lightly to control his mount. Long-distance call to Los Angeles operator, ask for Perry.Mason searched all day.About twenty minutes ago they called several times to say that the matter was urgent and they would put him on the phone as soon as they found him.

Thanks, Joe.We'll go right away.said the rancher. Della.Street yelled: "Hey, be careful, that horse will lose its balance!" The Messenger, whose bronzed skin set off his teeth white, said: Don't worry, madam.We all know where there are slopes. Rest assured, exclaimed Mason, all clients think their business is urgent.Anyway, thanks for letting me know, Joe. The cowboy smiled friendly.The horse team passed him.Dissatisfied with the loss of his leadership position, his mount shook its head back, rolled the whites of its big bony eyes, and snorted loudly.I just wanted to let you know about it as soon as possible.The messenger said, and followed behind the horse team.

The hills are less steep and the trails are less winding.The rancher walked ahead to determine the route for everyone.They rode their horses at a gallop, bypassing a short slope, and rushed down the hillside. The horse's body leaned to one side and sometimes to the other due to the change of direction of the trail. Mason, swaying from side to side in the saddle, looked stiff and clumsy compared with the rancher's riding skills.They dismounted and walked down a corridor to the door of the house.The door says Office, and when you walk in, you can see that the floor has never been painted and is worn out by the heels of boots, and the counter takes up almost two-thirds of the room.In the middle of the room is a stove made of oil drums that can hold fifty gallons of gasoline. The girl who is reading at the counter is very interested in Perry.Mason smiled and said: Mr. Mason, the phone is here.

Mason nodded his thanks, walked over to the phone, picked up the receiver, and asked to call the Los Angeles operator. Della.Streeter caught sight of the morning paper that had just arrived in the mail, and while she was waiting for the call to connect, she wanted to see the important data column. Let's find the body, huh?Mason said with a smile. She said: You don't understand romance at all, you don't know it, here it is. what is it Notice of Intent. Della.Streeter folded a page of the newspaper and circled with a pencil an article that read: Prentice.Bren Bowles, forty-two, St.619, Motian Street, Roberto; Lucille, 33 years old, St.704 Sixth Street, Roberto.She to Perry.Mason smiled and said: "I'm so happy they're getting married.I've always felt that romance might run into legal rocks.there are so many

The phone rang and Mason picked up the receiver. It's Banning.Clark's excited voice: Is that you, Mason? Yes, I'm Mason. Been looking for you all day, they said you were somewhere on the ranch, so I always thought you would call me soon, how big is the ranch? Mason laughs: You need to ride a horse all day to get to the other side of the pasture and back. Hell, I guess that's the ranch, let them find you about half an hour ago and I can't wait any longer. I see, what happened? I'm a mess here, I'll see you as soon as you come.no no.I mean now today you drive here right away.They dug up some old articles of association of the company, and there seems to be a regular annual general meeting today.They have been lying to me.They got a smart lawyer to try and kill me.

I'm sorry, Mason said firmly, I've spent the day surveying the disputed border, and Last night someone gave my mother-in-law and Jim.Bradisson was poisoned.Someone also shot my nurse twice.Arsenic was also found A smile appeared on Mason's face: the shooter did it.I'll go to your place as soon as I arrive. Remember to come in by the back door, Clark said, I want to see you before anyone else knows you're here. Mason put down the phone and turned to Della.Streeter says: Fancy a quick trip?he asked. horse riding? Certainly not on horseback. That's completely different.she replied.