The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-03-10

By night the work was almost done.
Gerry was tired and happy, but he
sighed, How many weeks of toll
would not he and Bonifacio have had
to put in to accomplish that fence!
Lieber stayed the night with them
and Gerry studied and initiated the
older mans impersonality. Lieber
kept his eyes OH his plate or in the
vague distance while the women at
tended them and as soon as the busi-
ness of eating was over he retired to
the room that had been allotted to
him.
He was up early in the morning and
away to meet the coming herd. First
came the horses, neighing and quick
ening their weak tret at the smell Of
grass. Far away and like distorted
echo sounded the lowing of the slower
cattle. The little herd of Fazenda
Flores caught the moaning cry and
lifted lazy heads. One or two lowed
back
The horses were rounded up at the
bridge to await the cattle. They
stretched thin necks toward the call
ing grass and moved restlesSly about
with quick turns of eager heads and
stable-fed stallion stolidly, but his eyes
grew moist as he looked over the bony
lot Of horses. "They must wait for
the CATTLE" he said to Gerry. "a fair
start and no favor. Cad, If you could
have seen them three months ago"'
The cattle came up In rapid sham.
BILE that carried them slowly for they
were staggering in short, quick steps.
Their heads hung almost to the ground.
They had no shame. They moaned
pitifully-continuall
Gerry opened the wire gap. The
horses gave an anticipatory whirl and
then dashed through. They forgot
their weakness. They gaiioped down
the slope, spurning beneath their feet
the food they had longed for. They
did not stop till they reached the rich
bottoms. Lieber smiled affectionately.
There's spirit for you" he said.
The cattle followed but the men had
to beat the first through away from
the gap. They had stopped to eat and
had blocked the way. At last they
were all in and the gap closed. One
or two stood with straddled feet and
continued to low, their lips just brush
ing the lush grass "Poor beasts" said
Lieber. the smile gone from his face,
"they are too weak to eat"
He and Gerry went back to the
house for breakfast. The herders sat
and smoked. They had had coffee; it
would see them through half the day.
Before Lieber left, the horses were
herded once more and with much trou-
BILE driven out upon the desert Lie
Der turned TO Gerry. Don't let them
back in until tomorrow, please" he
said. "'If you do. they'll founder"
What about the cattle" asked Ger
ry.
1.-The cattle are all right. They
haven't enough spirit left to kill them
selves eating. They'll begin lying
down pretty soon. Good-by, and re-
member, you'll get warm welcome
up at Lieber's whenever you feel like
riding over"
Thanks" said Gerry 'Good-by."
He watched Lieber ride away with
a feeling of changes impending. Fa'
zenda Flores, his isolated refuge, was
beginning to link itself to world.
Man, like vine, has tendrils. To
climb he must reach them out and
cling. --'
The reward of those long months of
preparation was at hand. Once every
spade thrust had seemed but the pre-
cursor to barren effort. Now every
stroke of the hoe seemed to bring forth
fresh green leaf. Life fell into an
entrancing monotone. 1t became an
endless chain that forged its own links
and heightened out into an endless
perspective. Days passed. The ar
rival of Lieber's foreman to see how
the stock was progressing was an
event. He brought with him an old
saddle 60 60 -h-..A1e-a gift from Lieber
to Gerry. "He says" the foreman re-
marked with a leer, on making the
presentation, you can ride anything
you can CATCH"
Gerry felt the foreman needed put
ting in place. He went into the house
and reappeared carrying something in
his hat. He climbed the fence and
called. The horses raised their heads
and looked. Some were lazy after wa
tering but the others trotted over to-
ward him. They stopped few yards
off and scrutinized him as though to
divine his intentions. Then they ap-
preached cautiously. with tense legs.
ready to whirl and bolt. A greedy colt
refused to play the game of fear to a
finish. He strode forward and was re-
warded with a large lump Of sugar.
The sugar was coarse and black. first
cousin to virgin molasses, but il was
redolent. The horses crowded around
Gerry. They paved at him. He had
to beat them back. They made bold
assault on the empty but odorous hat
Gerry laughed and cleared the fence to
get away from them. ''I think your
master must be mistaken" he said
VIII Il III lut H. SoLuS
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 sh-ewd eyes looked around
for further details to add to his report
to his master. He noted that a few.
very few, of the cattle were still
lying down when they should have
been on their feet and eating These
were herded into Il corner of their own
and old Bonifacio was tending them
Beside each was a pile of fresh cut
grass. AS they ate they nosed it away.
but Bonifscio made the rounds and
with his foot pushed back the fodder.
keeping it 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