The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-08-29
CHAPTER III.
CHAFTEH III.
Introducing the Honorable Russo
Maude.

Introducing the Honorable Russell
Maude.
BALCONIES rancho faced to the east. In
front Of 1t ran Arroyo Pena, q clear
stream. shallow for the most part. but
having deep dark pools in places. Its
banks were thickly grown with will
lows, cottonwoods. Hve-oaks and pecan
trees. Indeed. Lois had esn the line
Of them whom nve miles distant The
arroyo. altar traversing the greater
part Of the rancho land. emptied into
the Rio Grande ten miles below the
house. Being permanent water" 1t
was Of priceless value to the English
colony which had planted itself in that
far spot. The house itself covered
nearly IN acre Of ground. It was Of
one story and built Of adobe" or sun
dried slabs Of clay. and It was painted
Z glaring white with lime. Its roof was
Of "tule." ! description Of water grass.
laid on to = foot In depth and i'm
pervious to the tropic downpours
which, though infreQusnt. yet pre-
vented the country from being . desert.
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the land having lost Its prairie char
acter nve miles to the eastward, and
these hills were. for the. most part,
bare. though there were occasional
small forests Of mesquite and wide
stretches Of cacti of many kinds. The
yellow. turbid Rio Grande wound It's
way to the sea two miles away at tho
back. On this river the rancho had q
frontage Of nor than twenty miles.
In all this portion Of the stream there
were but two known fordsEone called
the Carrie" ford from a growth OF
wild canes near it; the other known az
"Palafox" ford. Beginning . half-mile
behind the ranche-house. suddenly
showing in perfect form on the side
Of q hill and running straight to the
river and beyond, was q wide smooth
road. It penetrated far into the In
terror Of the Mexican Republic, 1t was
said. and had formerly been much used
by goods trains of carts. but Of late not
. wheel had touched 1t. Though dis
used. 1t retained its perfection and the
ho1fs Of straying cattle and horses did
not mar its surface. 1t was supposed
70 be . creation Of early Spanish ad-
venturers. Whoever made It, they did
their work well-those old-time enH-
neers. Near to the ranche-house pro-
per, not more than q hundred feet
away, stood a similar but smalle,
building. which Lois knew intuitively
to be the bachelors quarters" o.
which her companion had spoken
Grouped In the real were various out.
houses, sleeping rooms for servant.
ard cow-hands. . kitchen and 80 forth
The corrals-several Of them-were {
quarter Of . mile distant.
A. the ambulance dashed 10 th,
door, the mules stopping without pres
surs Of rein o. word Of command, +,
pale lady, with limp figure clad In /,
loose wrapper. with hair slightly dis
ordered and . bottle Of smelling salt.
IN her hand, sauntered forward. Thi.
va Mn. 0lynn. She was followed b,
Glynn himself, 4 tall spare man, witt
. pointed beard streaked with gray. ,
high forehead. hooked nose. the Length
Of limb which seems inssparable from
the colonizing E~nglishman and pleas
ant brown eyes. He held in his arm
. pale gir1-child with . tiny, sweet
pathetic face. At his heels, hanging
back. were two small boys, evidentl,
Spruced for the occasion and evidently
uncomfortable about It. Lois recog'
mixed "Toddy" and "Miggs" in an in
slant and smiled at them brightly
They sr1nnsd instantly in response and
came forward = little more briskly
Grouped @ the back were several men
whom me did not notice and to whom
rho w1s subsequently introduced with.
out remembering their names.
Placing his child carefully % tn