Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-07-13


the latest OF the cattle will lag be-
hind You see, they're all strong
now"
That's just it," said Lieber
Kemp had gone off to round up his
mule. He came up from the river
driving 1t before him. At every Jump
he caught the mule a flick with his
rope and the mule kicked and sQuealed
but came on with long. stiff legged
strides. "Hfyiw yelled Kemp and
snatched off his hat TO beat his mount
while he kept the pe-end Pickering
over the mule
Gerry and Lieber laughed Kemp
was like a mummy come to Sudden
life. do you know what?' said Ger
~, 81 think I'll come along with YOU"
He led the iron-gray out by his fore
lock and old Ronifacio hurried to help
bride and saddle him. Lieber mount
ed his stallion and turned the borses
as they came out. Kemp suddenly
sobered down to business. When Lie
Der had thrown back the last ten Of
the cattle, Kemp came out and closed
the gap behind him.
Il think I'll go ahead with the
| horses" said Lieber.
you go and take yo' men with YOU"
said Kemp. Il could drive this fat
bunch from here to Kansas with nary
a hand to spell me-"
Gerry had expected a surprise of
some sort when at last he arrived at
Lieber's but the things he saw there,
stranger than anything he could have
imagined, left him calm and unmoved
as though some prescience had pre-
pared him. The house was built on the
usual solid lines of plantation head
quarters. Great, rough-hewn beams:
towering rafters, built to carry the
heavy tiles and to bear their burden
for generations; unceiled vast rooms
with calcimined walls; all these were
not outside Gerry's experience in the
new land. The strangeuess came with
the rugs and the linen, the etchings
and the furniture. and last and most
significant, the shelves and shelves of
books and the tables piled with maya
zines in three languages. Everything
bore the stamp Of quality, everything
had the distinction of a choice.
Gerry did not let his curiosity carry
him beyond rapid glance around the
great hVing-room where they found
L1eber bathed and freshly dressed,
experimenting the making of ice In
the latest ingenious contrivance for
the pampering Of the pioneer. Ice
water in the desert" thought Gerry
and the phrase seemed to him more
than words-it seemed to paint Lie
Der dimly, but as the mind saw him.
The veranda at Lieber's was like
that of Fazenda Flores only much big
ger. 1t looked out upon a wide stretch
Of desert but away at the rim Of the
desert one could feel the river. The
roar Of the falls mumbled in the ear.
1t came from so far away that one
had to strain ones ears to actually
define 1t. After supper they gathered
on the veranda. They sat in rude, raw
hide chairs which were comfortably
strong and tilted them back to the
national angle. Lieber and Gerry
smoked corn-husk cigarettes but Kemp
stuck to his yellow papers. Gerry did
not want to talk. He sat where he
could watch the strange pair whose
companion he was for a night. Into
the souls of Lieber and Kemp the long
sflences Of solitude had entered and
become at home. They were patient
of silence. Speech had it's restricted
uses. They still had their hats on.
L1eber's was pushed back, Kemp's
was drawn forward Kemp was whit
Ting. Kemp's words of farewell came
back to Gerry, ITS a long trail from
the Alamo to New York, but the whole
country's under one fence" Texan,
Pennsylvania Dutchman ard New
Yorker might be social poles but to-
night they seemed strangely near to
each other.
The next morning Gerry was up ear
ly, nervous after his first nights alb
sence from Fazenda Flores Kemp
watched him saddle his horse. ''That
amt one Of the five," he remarked.
"No," said Gerry. 81 traded the
roam for the iron-gray. Do you think
| was done"
ST amt sayin'," said Kemp cautious
~. 81 don't want you should think L
was teachin' you, Mr.. Lansing, but
that boss amt no iron-gray There
amt no such color for a boss as l ever
heern tell on. That boss Is a blue an
he's a true blue"
"All right, Kemp" said Gerry, smil-
ing you've named him true blue and
True Blue he is from this day.
Lfeber came out in pyjamas and
called them for coffee When they
were seated he proposed to Kemp that
he make his headquarters at the ranch
for while. The advantages were evil
dent. 1t was a congregating point FOR
the natives from miles round Goat
skins came into Lieber's from hun
dreds of miles up country. They came
singly, In donkey loads or In whole
packtrains. Sometimes they passed
directly into his hands from the pro-
Queer; sometimes they ran through a
chain Of transfers, from hand to hand.
All news centered at and radiated
from Lieber's. The same men that
brought in goatskins would be glad to
add orchids to their stock in trade