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

EZ1O6A6I
Lieber, with Gerry and Kemp, sat In
the shade of the veranda, smoking after
the midday meal. The stock had been
corralled, but, on Kemp's advice, the
start for Fazenda Flores was to be
made halfway through the afternoon.
There was to be great moon that
night and the drive would be robbed Of
the perils of darkness to cattle as we'll
as of the horrible heat
The three were silent, half somno-
lent, when a passing herder grunted
and pointed westward with his chin.
Lieber stood up and looked. A pillar
Of dust was coming across the desert.
He could see men riding and some
thing else. He took his field glasses
from a peg and looked again. "Fu-
neral, or sick man." he said and sat
down to wait. Kemp started whiting
to keep himself awake. Since the hour
Of Lieber's confession he had hardly
spoken.
When the cavalcade came within
easy view Gerry stood up and watched.
He could not hide his curiosity like
Lieber and Kemp. In front Of the
horses came four men bearing a sag
ging hammock on a pole. They were
running in quick, springy steps that
made the hammock sway gently from
side to side. The pace they kept up
under the burden was marvellous.
They were followed closely by eight
horsemen. At the first signs Of falter-
ing among the bearers, four OF the
riders would throw themselves off
their ponies and run under the pole.
The change of relay was made without
a stop, wit out pause. The freed
ponies stood with hanging heads and
straddled legs. Even from distance
one could see that the burdened men
had run the wiry little beasts off their
feet. They were all in, but the men
were still erect-keen. With a final
squirt the cortege drew up before the
yeranda. Lieber stood up. Dead or
dyingY he asked.
master, we do not know" an
swered the oldest of the men, their
leader
"Fever or smallpox?' asked Lieber
Fever"
With a look Of relief Lieber went
down the steps to the hammock. A sheet
had been thrown over the pole to keep
off the worst of the sun. He pulled
1t off A CHASTITY sight met his eyes,
but he did not shrink. Bring him up
here" he said, springing up the steps
and sweeping a saddle harness and
some old magazines off great raw
hide settle on the veranda.
They laid the sick man on the settle
and Lieber started to strip him with
gentle, deft hands. Kemp strobe for
ward and helped but Gerry stood by,
powerless to move. He had recognized
Alan, the man he had sworn to break
If ever he met him. Somebody else
had broken Alan, terribly, pitilessIy
Gerry's eyes shrank from the sight A
lump came into his throat Alan was
dead. Alan with whom he had wan
dered barefoot through those quiet
lanes of home, with whom he had
fished and swum. and once had
fought What a little fury Alan had
been In that boys battlei 1t had not
been fought to a finish. On one i'm
pulse they had stopped and looked at
each other and turned away, ashamed
to shake hands.
Lieber, once heavy, fiorid and clum-
sy. was transformed He worked
quickly, with sure hands. The body
lay stripped on the settle Under 1t
still Law the hammock and dusty bIaD-
kets. The pillows and a board had
been tossed on the floor. Lieber ex-
amined his patient infinitely, without
haste The spleen was frightfully dis
tended and pushed out across the alb
domen. He could feel its hard, IN
Welding margins. The feet were swol-
len The face was yellow with the
sickly gray-yellow of nodded straw.
Coma had set In.
Lieber dragged a great medicine
chest out from his room. With alcohol
he rapidly washed out the Justified
nostrils of the stricken man and
body. Then he took Qua a hypodermic
syringe and graduated glass. In the
glass he dissolved a powder and with
steady hands added measured drops
Of liquid of faint amber hue.
Gerry found bis tongue. what is
it?' he asked.
"Quinine and arsenic" said Lieber
shortly.
arsenic? Isn't that dangerous2"
said Gerry.
Lieber glanced at him at will prob
ably kill him"
Then why-why-" protested Ger
~. A great desire to protect what
was left Of Alan had come over him.
"Why?" said Lieber dryly, "I'll tell
you, Mr.. Lansing. Because 1t Is less
cowardly to kill man than to let
| him die"
He mixed the solution in the syringe
and then, grasping Alan's arm, he