Part 5

Deer Springs Ranch was Henry Chamberlain's hideaway. His "big house" was at the edge of a precipitous drop that slid away to a thickly overgrown canyon. That canyon melded with others before emptying into the blue Pacific ocean in the distance. From the arched openings on his front porch we could see Anacapa Island as well as the other channel islands.

Mr. Chamberlain's house was built in a "T" shape with a huge living area, dining and kitchen in one wing, and a square stone tower a full story taller than the rest of the house dominating the main section. This taller structure supported the windmill that supplied water to the ranch. In the other wing were two bedrooms, and one story below the main level was a double garage. The walls of the house were constructed of native stone painted glistening white. The sloping roof and trim was a pretty shade of blue.

The windmill was white with white blades tipped in blue. The blue and white motif used on the place was striking. Sloping gently away from the patio and yard wall was a vineyard and orchard covering about 10 acres. There were apple, plumb, peach, pear, crab-apple and several hundred walnut trees. This fertile flat area narrowed and dropped away into a canyon below.

300 yards of so along this canyon, on the edge near some high rocky ledges, was the barn and stables. The stables surrounded a center patio corral that had a pigeon cote rising from one corner. Hundreds of white pigeons flew wheeling away to feed in the grain fields planted on the steep slopes on either side of the road from the big house.

Set on a slope above the stable area was a modern block house with two bedrooms, a bath, large living area and kitchen. This was to be our home. All the buildings on the ranch were painted in the blue and white Deer Springs colors.

Mr. Chamberlain's big house was seldom occupied. He used it for occasional visits with guests and family members, however such times were few and far between. As sole owner of The Chamberlain Co., and principal stock holder in L.A. Steel Casting Co., Henry Chamberlain was involved in the production of steel products. A life time resident of Beverly Hills, he and Mrs. Chamberlain had two daughters, the youngest married and the oldest engaged to be married. None of the women in his life particularly enjoyed being at the ranch, nevertheless he took great pride in keeping it in perfect condition for whatever occasion might arise.

On Thursday afternoons, often in the company of his insurance agent Tom Day, Mr. Chamberlain would come to ride horseback. We rode for hours up the rough and winding trail leading to "Old Bony," the highest point in the Santa Monica range. These men were 30 years my senior and possessed of experience and wisdom that I found stimulating and educational. I was pleased that they respected me for the way I managed the ranch and the care and handling of the horses.

My ability to ride "Old Buck," a huge buckskin with a rolling "coyote eye" and a mean streak to go with it, who had everyone scared until I arrived, clearly impressed them. Henry had cautioned me about Old Buck saying, "He'll buck anytime he thinks he has the advantage, and I can't let my friends ride him at all."

I began by saddling Old Buck one morning soon after taking charge of the ranch. As I placed the saddle on his back he stiffened, watching me out of the corner of his eye, then bowed his back and swelled up his belly so I could not tighten the cinch securely. To see what kind of game he wanted to play I tied the reins off to the saddle horn and kicked him a hard blow in his swelled up belly, sending him around the corral on his own to see what he'd do. He went around with his back up, tip-toeing on stiff legs, snorting and blowing, half heartedly bucking a few times, then turned facing me and finally relaxed. I tightened the cinch securely with nothing further from him except a few grunts, then left him standing while I finished other chores.