The Snowflake herald., 1917-08-31


hoofbeats, and over all was the hoarse,
unceasing undertone from countless
bovine throats. Out near the grun
wagon the remuda was grazing, and
thither at intervals came the perspir-
ing horsemen to change their mounts.
Benito, wet, dusty and tired, rode
mn TO his employer to report progress.
"Dios This is hot work for an old
man. We will never finish by dark,
said he, whereupon law promptly vol
unteered his services
'Lend me your rope, Benito." Dave
slid out of his seat and, with an arm
around the mares neck, whispered INTO
her ear. Rosa answered by nosing the
speaker over with brazen familiarity.
"DiablO! He has way with horses,
hasn't hep BenitO grinned. NOW, that
Montrosa is wilder than deer
The giant herd milled ana eddied,
revolving like a vast poor OF deep
swift water. The Dulls were quarrel
some, the steers were stubborn, ana
the wet cows were distracted. in an0
out of this confusion the COWBOYS rode
following the animals selected for sep
aration, forcing them out through dust
and brush, until they mad joined che
smaller herd of choice animals which
were to remain on the ranch. 1t was
swift, sweaty, exhausting work, the
kind these Mexicans loved, tor It was
not only spectacular out nelo al
amount of danger. Dave Law MADE
himself one of them.
Alaire sat her morse in the neart o.
the crowding herd and watched the
Ranger. Good riding she was accus.
toned to. But Law seemed TO inspire
his mount. In spite OF the mans un~
usual size. he rode like a feather; ne
was grace and life and youth DersOnl-
fed. Now he sat as erect In his saddle
as a swaying reed; again he stretched
himself out like a whiplash. Once he
had begun the work he would not
stop.
! All that afternoon the cowboys
Ilabored, and toward sundOwn the de-
ipleted herd was driven to the water.
Then through the cool twilight came
the drive to the next pasture, and here
the patience of the cowboys was taxed
to the utmost, for as the stronger men,
bers Of the herd forged ahead, the
wearied, worried, littlest members fell
behind. But now these swarthy, dare
devil riders were as gentle as women; |;
they urged the tiny youngsters onward
with harmless switches or with pain
less blows from loOse-coiled riatas;
they picked them up in their arms and
rode with them.
Once through the gate and safe in
side the restraining pasture fence, the
herd was allowed to settle down. Then
began a patient search by outraged
mothers, a series of mournful quests
that were destined to continue far into
the night endless nosings and sniffings
and caressings, which would keep up
until each COW had found her own,
until each calf was butting it's head
against maternal ribs and gaining that
consolation which it craved.
A new moon was swinging in the
sky as Alaire and Dave rode back
toward Las Palmas. How or when
Alaire Austin came to feel that this
man loved her, she never knew. Ger
tainly she knew tonight, and, strange
to say, the knowledge did not disturb
her. Alaire had been repelled by Luis
LOngoriO's evident love for her. but
a similar emotion in this mans breast
had quite the opposite effect. She was
eager for friendship hungry for affec-
tiOn, starved for that worship which
every woman lives upon. Having a
wholesome confidence in her own
strength of character, and complete
faith in Laws sense of honor, she was
neither alarmed nor offended.
For the first time in years she al
lowed her intimate thoughts free ex-
preston. and spoke Of her hopes, her
interests and her efforts; under the
spell of the moonlight, she even con-
fded something about those dreams
that kept her company and robbed her
world of it's sordidness. Dave Law
discovered that she lived in a fanciful
AdAO VI uIA1 Cd1IlCS1 anu Tic glimpse
he gained of it was delightful.
Supper was waiting when they ar
rived at Las Palmas, and Dolores an
nounced that young Ed'' had tele-
phOned from the Lewis ranch that he
would not be home. Yielding to sud-
den impulse, Alaire said to her COM
paniOn
"You must dine with me. Dolores
will show you to room. / will be
ready in half an hour"
The Austin ranchhouse offered a
contrast to the majority of Texas
country homes Not for many years
had Dave Law been a guest amid such
surroundings, and he began to feel
more and more out of place. With
discomfort, he realized that
the mistress of this residence was the
richest woman in all this part of Tex
as, and that he was little better than
a tramp. Alaire knew how to be a
gracious and winning hostess; of