The Caucasian., 1911-07-16

THE MEDICINE IN THE A1R STAYS"
my ranch don't have to pay anything,
and they very scarcely ever offers it.
Supper IL be ready in half an hour"
"Where's the beIl?" asked Mcclure.
"Bell for what?'
BELL to ring for things. can't
see here" he exploded in a sudden
weak fury 81 never asked you to
bring me here. l never held you up
for a cent 1 never give you a hard
luck story till you asked NE. Here l
am fifty miles from a bellboy or
cocktail. I'm sick. l can't hustle"
Raider went to the door and called.
A slender, bright complexioned Mexl-
can youth came quickly. Raider
spoke to him in Spanish:
'.Ylario, it is in my mind that I
promised you the position of vaquero
on the San Carlos range at the fall
rodea."
Isl, senor, such was your goodness"
Listen. This senorito Is my friend.
He is very sick. Place yourself at his
side. Attend to his wants at all
times. Have much patience and care
with him. And when he Ii well or
and when he is well instead Of va
quero viii make you mayordomo Of
Rancho de Las Piedras. Esta buenoT'
ISL si-mil gracias, senor.e
Ten minutes later Ylario came from
kcGuire's room and stood before Raid
ler.
'The little senor," he announced.
presents his compliments" Reidler
credited Ylario with the preliminary
"and desires some pounded Ice. one
hot bath, one gin feez-z, that the win
dows be all closed, toast, one shave.
one Eewyorkheral'. cigarettes and to
send one telegram"
Raidler took quart bottle Of whis-
Ky from his medicine cabinet. Here;
take him this" he said.
Thus was instituted the reign Of
terror at the Solito ranch. For few
weeks Mcclure clustered and boasted
and staggered before the cowpunch-
ers, who rode In for miles around to see
this latest importation Of Raiders.
He was an absolutely new experience
to them. He explained to them all
the intricate points Of sparring and
the tricks OF training and defense. He
opened to their minds view all the
indecorous life Of a tagger after pro-
fessional sports. His iargon Of slang
was a continuous joy and surprise to
them. He was like q being from q
new world.
Nearly two months after his arrival
he began to complain that he felt
worse. It was then that he became
the ranch's incubus. its harpy, its Old
Man Of the Sea. A flush on his
prominent cheek bones each afternoon
limited that g clinical thermometer
might have revealed symptom and
percussion might have established the
fact that MCGUIRE was breathing with
only one lung. but his appearance re-
mained the same. The air-the mans
only chance for nfe-he commanded
to be kept ont by closed windows and
drawn curtains. The room was al
ways foul with cigarette smoke.
The attitude OF the invalid toward
the cattleman was something like that
Of peevish, peryerse child toward an
indulgent parent. When Raider would
leave the ranch Mcclure would fall
into a ct of malevolent, silent suIlen-
ness. When he returned he would be
met by string of violent and stinging
reproaches.
One day Raider said to him: .sTry
more air, son. You can have the
blackboard and a driver every day if
you'H go. Close to the ground-that's
where the medicine in the air stays.
Try little hossbaek riding now.
There's gentle pony
'sWhat've I done TO yer?" screamed
Mcclure. did ever double cross yer?"
Did ask you to bring me here? Drive
me out to yer camps IL you wanter or
stick q knife In me and save trouble
- - 1s = s.zz e