Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-04
CHAPTER Xxx.

,r, horses picked up rapidly. the cat
,e more slowly. Two calves added
,,o herd over night, aroused memories
,ne home farm in Gerry's breast. Every
~,rrlnr " he stood by the pasture fence
ro1ed with a thrill on the new life
49,. scene. A nuttering corn husk or
~ Wv of q hand was enough to start
inc wee careering over the fields. Life
tne 5,,rg IN in them anew They
Dau ~ heing afraid. They leaped
piaye .,,,nn1ocls as though they were
mn, mere Heads and tails held high, they
Nstod Nans the morning breeze in vigo-
a',s resounding trot. Here and there
W, were flung high The trot echoed
~ ranjd crescendo that broke ana was
iost in a wild clatter OF nools' oeatlis 3
Ms ',. .ha music of a mad gallop. The cat
vu' ~ uit hut n few that still lowered be-
~ .e, ~ ,ife and death, now stood sturdily
w COW legs, They lifted their heads
o,1,riv W. and gazed mild-eyed at the romp-
ine beo",rrection was becoming a familiar
,,irocIe to Gerry-a sort of staccato ac-
nornnaniment to life. Like himself ike
Tazenda Flores, all these had peen
niunged in young ruin. lie began 10 see
~ line between ruin and death. KUN
VI wy ,I,i,f,,I II holds n seed. He could
,o n in Fazenda Flores, in the horses
ond cattle. and give it name, put ne
Ma not visualized it in himself. He mad
No time and no inclination now 1or m
trosnection. Without analysis he telt
tbat he was at one 18th the world INTO
which he had fallen. 1t hell MN as
though to an allotted place.
The reward of those long menths Oh
rrenaration was at hand. Once every
sSnoda thrust had seemed but the precursor
~ barren effort. Now every stroke OF
tSe hoe seemed to bring forth fresh
green leaf Life fell into an enhancing
monotone. 1t became an endless chaln
that forged it's own links and heightened
out into an endless perspective. Days
passed. The arrival of Lieber'S foreman
10 Sc how the stock was progressing was
an event He brought with him an ola
saddle and bridle-a gift from Lieber TO
Gerry "He SAYS" the foremdn remarked
with :. leer. on making the presentation,
''you can ride anything you can eaten:
Gerry felt the foreman needed putting
IN place He went into the house and re-
appeared carrying something in his hat.
He climbed the fence and called, Ihe
horses raised their heads and looked
Some were lazy after watering, but the
others trotted over toward him. They
stopped a few yards off and scrutinized
him as though to divine his intentions.
Then they approached cautiously, with
tense legs, ready to whirl and bolt.
greedy colt refused to play the game Of
fear to finish. He strode forward and
was rewarded with large lump of sugar
The sugar was coarse and black, hrst
cousin to virgin molasses. but it was
redoent. The horses crowded around
Gerry They paved at him. He had to
beat them back. They made a bold as
sault on the empty but odorous hat. Gerry
laughed and cleared the fence to get away
from them. II think your master must
me Mistaken" he said with a 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 that
the horses 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, very few, of the
cattle were still lying down when they
should have been on their feet and eat
ing. These We're herded into a corner of
their own and old BOnifaCio was tending
them Beside each was a pile of fresh
cut grass. AS they ate they nosed ii
away but Bonifacio made the rounds ana
with his foot pushed back the fodder
Keeping 1t In easy reach.
The fOreman's eyes caught on the two
newborn calves. They had been taken
from their weak mothers and were in a
Loush pen by themselves. The foreman
uia not have to count the stock to see
mar none was missing. He was cattle
oIed. A gap in the herd or the bunch
u horses would have flown at the seventh
sense OF the stockman the moment he laid
ss@ on the field, Instead there We're
EIWHs.F
oelty, you have made up your mind not
70 lose head, You would save even
'lsse little ones, born before their time!'
very NODDED gravely. He had worked |
nalu 10 save all. He WINGED at the mere |
sslough OF death at Fazenda Flores even |
ey~n 10 these least weaklings. He him |
~ ~ had fed them patiently from a warm |
so.ue' In trouble and valuable time they |
a~a as cost him an acre of cotton. But an |
for life. f'i P'
a grip of the hand and the foreman was
" ,, ~ cloud OF dust AT the bridge ne |
tulleu his horse down to the shambIing |
az. lt uot mat spares beast and man. but |
- sleadily into long journey. A bearer
sood udings rides slowly.
f,e'y turned to his work, but a cry
@ IN tne house arrested him. He lis
~ u Inc cry was followed by a moan.
ho,sA NPpeu MS neld tools and ran to the
49, All was commotion. The day of
anssD!ld nad come to Margarita with the
esrsa.ls snddenness Of am event too long
Il She called for Gerry He went
N, she looked a mere child in the
lss,s' s.oush bed he had made with his own
lrnre suffering had struck the light
slps her race. She was frightened and
sa5- tne Old negress, and Dona Maria
Al Al Hethodlcai haste about the room.
~ M second cry from Margarita Gerry
be, mead These women were hard,
Iso,o',s.,s sls iron. They paid no attention.
.sus, 81 must be done Something
~ oe zone, he said aloud in English.
'is,t UNI and the negress worked on in
nsn. Plspafation OF the preparations OF
"a uays' Margarita screamed. They
ssr,s ~ need. Her fTenzied grip bit into
= hahd. we must have a DOCTOR"
so,,a In their own tongue TO the
IscYo.,a 10 you hear2 We must have a
81 Cold sweat was gathering on
noaw lie too, was frightened.
49,, maria glanced at him. "A doc
~ ne cried impatiently. What for?
srl Is not ill"
nll Not mr. roared Gerry.
m maria pickel up two towels and
10 the beds head. She tore
hands som Gerry's; then she
A she towels into ropes ana gripped
handa on them. Hold on to
eAs commanded, Towels have