The Glenwood post., 1916-06-24

Alan's eyes opened, this time in won
der. A twisted smile came to his lips.
Your he said. your and then the
smile changed to a faint disgust. He
turned his head on the pillow away
from Gerry and slept.
The next morning found Gerry still
ut Lieber's. Outside the heavenly
bowl of blue was virgin of clouds. It
stretched and domed in sphered eter-
nifty of emptiness. Through It's de-
pressing void the sun swan slowly,
pitilessly, as though 1t were loath to
mark the passing minutes. The whole
earth baked. Strong trees wilted and
turned up the wrong sides of their
leaves on the sea of heat like dying
fish turning up their white bellies at
the last gasp. Not breath of air
stirred. Heat rose from the ground in
an unbroken, visible wave. "My God"
said Alan, gazing with wistful, far
seeing eyes beyond the familiar, repel-
lent scene, "a homeward fever
parches up my tongue" There was
such an agony Of longing in the words
that Gerry was frightened. he looked
questioningly at Lieber. r..
mo-" said Lieber, "he's not dying.
He was dying, but he's changed his
mind. He's going to go home instead"
81 believe he's right, Gerry" said
Alan with faint smile. "But didn't
change my mind. He did it for me.
He's in line Tor a life-saving medal.
Lieber's all right" He stopped, tired
out. -,
Lieber began to talk to Gerry.
"How's the water in the ditch, Mr..
Lansing?"
Mighty low," said Gerry. He spoke
almost absent-mindedly. For the first
time in months the ditch was far from
his thoughts. ss-Is1.
ats hard luck" said Lieber. "The
rivers never been SO low before-not
in the memory Of man. We do. not
hear the falls any more. The river Is
asleep. Do you want me to send my
men down again?"
Its no use." said Gerry. II don't
dare deepen the ditch any more. It's
way below the normal level now"
Alan stirred. "What's that about q
d.tch?"
In unhurried phrases and a low
voice Lieber told him the history Of
Fazenda Flores since Gerry's advent
and of the great part the ditch had
played in bringing resurrection to the
abandoned plantation and life to the
neighboring stock.
Alan cast curious glance at Gerry.
Dangerous business" he said, "fool-
ing with the normal level in food
country"
Lieber nodded and went on. He
told his tale well. He had seen more
than Gerry could have put into words.
Gerry listened for a while. but he soon
wearied. What had all that to do with
him now? He wandered OF and start
ed to saddle True Blue. He must get
away from Alan. Alan was drawing
him, but he was bound In chains. He
must remember that. Then, too, what
Alan had said about foollng with the
normal level worried him. he must
go back and station a guard at the
great sluice gate. -a.ls ~c
A sudden pun Of air. then breeze,
then gale, swept down on Leber's
from the southwest. The wind was
hot, a furnace blast from the torrid
wilderness. h carried with It whiris
Of dust, light dry sticks, and, finally,
small pebbles that huftied along tho
ground. Gerry and his horse sought
shelter BY the house. rHefdees came
running out FROM their quarters and
igathssed in front Of the veranda- The
wind suddenly turned cold, dropped
and ceased. The dust settled. The
sun blaxsd as before. There was not
cloud in the sky. The herders all
looked atsLieberT They did not tain.
They were waiting lom ses ta
Lieber shrugged his shoulders.
Somewhere" hs said with q wave Of
his hand TO- the southwest, ''there- has
been rain and hail and that sort OF
thing. Temperature fell and droye
the hot air on the desert" He told
the men, but they did not 60 away.
They stood around, their eyes sweep
ing the horizon to the southwest. At
last one of them grunted. His eyes
were nxed on distant pillar Of dust.
ft came towards them. : Lieber used
his hsld glasses. Without taking them
from his eyes. he spoke. "It's man,
riding, LOOKS IKE hs,s riding for life.