The Glenwood post., 1916-05-13


Gerry laughed and cleared the fence to
get away from them. II think your
master must be mistaken" ne said
with smile to the foreman. "Some
of these colts can never have been
backed"
The foreman looked his admiration.
He began to take Gerry seriously; it
was man to man now. He pointed out
the horses that were broken to saddle
and named their gaits and mettle.
Then his shrewd eyes looked around
for further details to add to his report
to his master. He noted that few,
a very few, Of the cattle were still
lying down when they should have
been on their feet and eating. These
were herded into a corner Of their own
and old Bonifacio was tending them.
Beside each was pile of fresh cut
grass. AS they ate they nosed 1t away,
but Bonifacio made the rounds and
with his foot pushed back the fodder,
keeping 1t in easy reach.
The foreman's eyes caught on two
newborn calves. They had been taken
from their weak mothers and were in
rough pen by themselves. The fore
man did not have to count the stock
to see that none was missing. he was
cattle bred. A gap in the herd or the
bunch of horses would have flown at
the seventh sense Of the stockman the
moment he laid eyes on the field. In
stead there were these two calves.
MASTER" he said to Gerry, "you have
1o a
You would save even these little ones,
born before their timer
Gerry nodded gravely. He had
worked hard to save all. He WINGED
at the mere thought of death at Fa-
zenda Flores even down to these least
weaklings. He himself had fed them
patiently from warm bottle. In trou-
BILE and valuable time they had cost
him an acre of cotton. But an acre of
cotton was small price to pay for
life.
A grip of the hand and the foreman
was on in a cloud of dust. At the
bridge he pulled his horse down to the
shambling fox trot that spares beast
and man but eats steadily into long
journey. A bearer of good tidings rides
slowly. Nli
Gerry turned to his work but a cry
from the house arrested him. He
dropped his field tools and ran to the
house. Dona Maria glanced at him,
clawed and hustled him out of the
room-ont of the house. The door
slammed behind him. He heard the
great bar drop. He was locked cut
Gerry paced angrily up and down
the veranda. Calm came back to him.
He saw that he had been fool. He
stopped and sat down on the steps of
the veranda. Here. before he had
made his benches, she had often sat
beside him, caressed him, sung to him.
How cold he had been. How little he
had done for her. He remembered
that as she had worked on baby
clothes she had said she wished she
had some blue ribbon. They had all
laughed at her, but she had nodded her
girls head gravely and said, Eyes, l
roll Of blue ribbon" What brute he
had been to laugh!
Gerry still waited. 1t was terrible
to wait. Then she called to him,
"Geree! Geree" he leaped up
and pounded on the door but nobody
came. Yesterday they had all been
servile to him; today he was nothing.
He shouted, "1 am here! shall al
ways be here" She did not call again
he paced up and down the veranda
saying to himself, "a little roll of blue
ribbon-a little roll of blue ribbonw
He stumbled on the saddle that Lieber
had sent him. 1t held his eye. He
picked up the bride and ran down to
the pasture. He caught the oldest and
gentlest of the horses, opened gap
IN the fence and led him out. Then
he called Bonifacio. "Listen," he said,
'you must take the fattest Of the
steers-the red one with the blazed
face-you must drive him into town
and sell him." s .ai-
The darky demurred. "1t is too late
for market, master"
-s"It does not matter. You must do
As l say" said Gerry angrily. You
must sell the steer. II you cannot
sell him you must give him for blue
ribbon. Do you understand7 You
must bring back blue ribbon for your
mistress. She says you must have a
little roll of blue ribbon"
Hours passed and Bonifacio re
turned. He laid little package and
some money beside his master. He un.
saddled the old horse and turned him
into the pasture; then he came back,
sat down at Gerry's feet and slept.
Gerry looked with wonder on his nod
ding head. Then the door opened and
Dona Maria came bustling out. "Come
In she cried: .ttou art the father of