Middletown transcript., 1916-04-15

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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
low impatient whinnies. Lieber sat his
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 4 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
pltifully-contInually.
Gerry opened the wire gap. The
horses gave an anticlpatory whirl and
then dashed through. They forgot
their weakness. They galloped 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
ber turned to Gerry. Don't let them
back in until tomorrow, please" he
said. "If you do, they'll founder"
What about the cattleY" asked Ger
ry.
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 q warm welcome
up at Lieber's whenever you feel Ike
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 a world.
Man, like a 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
a fresh green leaf. Life fell into an
enhancing monotone. 1t became an
endless chain that forged its own links
and heightened out into an endless
perspective. Days passed. Thea ar
rival of Lieber's foreman to see how
the stock was progressing was an
event He brought with him an old |
saddle and bridle-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 tFotted over to-
ward him. They stopped a 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 strobe forward and was re-
warded with a large lump of sugar.
The sugar was coarse and black, first
cousin to virgin molasses, but it was
The horses crowded around
Gerry. They paved at him. He had
to beat them back. They made a bold
assault on the empty but odorous hat.
Gerry laughed and cleared the fence to
get away from them. Il think your
master must be mistaken" he said
with smile to the foreman. "SOme
70 !
backed"
The foreman looked his admiration.
he began to take Gerry seriously; 1t
vas man to man now. He pointed out !
he horses that were broken to saddle
md named their gaits and nrettle. {
Then his sh-ewd eyes looked around {
or further details to add to his report {
o his master. He noted that a few, {
/ very few. Of the cattle were still I
ying down when they should have s
,een on their feet and eating. These ;
we're herded into a corner of their own J
md old BonifaciO was tending them. a
Beside each was pile of fresh cut l
,rass. AS they ate they nOsed it away. G
,ut Bonifacio made the rounds and
With his foot pushed back the fodder,
,eeping it in easy reach.
The foreman's eyes caught on two Y
newborn calves. They had been taken b
rom their weak mothers and were in a
rough pen by themselves. The fore {
nan did not have to count the stock
0 see that none was missing. He was v
attic bred. A gap in the herd or the g
unch of horses would have flown at O
be seventh. sense OF the stockman the h
loment he laid eyes on the field. In b
tead there were these rwo caIves. Il