Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-12-10
CHAPTER 1

RUIN MlCkS SCOOO III Tie SCaDIe UOOI
with the Cuban sun in her face. She
rode habitually without hat and her
short, dark hair was disordered and
damp.
Looking fixedly with an unfrowning
effortless narrowing of lids, she had
family Oriental appearance, for the
blue eyes were almost hidden. She
looked at nothing in particular, also
into the sun, now getting down behind
the great masses of Central San Mario
whose twin white chimneys scared
smokeless on the blue, the batey emp
ty, the railroad yards softened with
the quick growth of Summer grass.
Tie crop was two weeks off still.
There was a sound of hoofs on the
paving of the stable court.
Hello, Daddy"
Lancey Micks sat on his tired morse
svmpathetically. Even to the slight
sag of fatigue, they seemed to feel as
one and moved as one. The sleeves
of a white shirt were rolled up on
L,ancey Mick's brown forearms. Inc
braided leather of worn, but once clad
orately ornate, bride reins was twlst-
ed about his hard wrist. The thumb
of his right hand was caught IN
stained cartridge belt sagging black
SO on his hip. He wore an old fiat
trimmed Stetson, which gave him an
unexpected military touch. From I'M
der the brim, his eyes, blue like Ruths
and frightened a little with fine wrink-
les at the corners, looked from face
lean and perfectly grown. 1t had the
composure and something, perhaps, OF
the beauty, of clean chiseling on fine
hard-textured stone.
"Well, move" he said to Ruth, "the
horse is pretty nearly dead. D'you
think he can climb over you?"
"Sorry," said Ruth, drawing back.
"Where have you been?"
Santa Catalina"
He got out of the saddle with rasp
of spurs on the cement and undid the
fastenings of the saddle bags.
"What are you hanging around
here fort"
"Just waiting for YOU"
He was pleased, softening suddenly
With momentary warmth in his cool
eyes, but he said, "Pretty likely.
Where is young Fondevilla7"
Ramon? Pick on some one your
size, Daddy. Ramon went down toI
the Casa Vivienda 20 minutes ago.
Did Pope Ruiz put one over on you?"
eff he did, he'll wish he hadn't.
Somebody swiped some gasoline for
the tractors down at Martinez's place.
One more break and I'll fire Marti-
nez. I'm just about fed up with that.
They seem to think that because we
leased the Santa Catalina cane to Cen i
trail Baria, I'm going to let things go
to hell down there. They got so used
to Muriedas and that tin soldier Ar
mold poking around while I was away
they think life is one long fiesta"
"Who's Muriedas, Daddy?"
professional damn fool riding the
cane for Central Baria. If he isn't
crooked, I'm President Nachiedo. Tenl
to one he swiped the gasoline him
self. Muriedas is the one worse idiot
than Martinez in Santa Clara province
Though by God, Pope Ruiz gives him
a run for his money. Old Pope thinks
because he runs for the Santa Gaia
lima colona, he's cane expert. Pepe's
boy, Hilario, is the only person worth
a peseta on the whole place. I'm go
ing to see if Briton will give him al
job over at the bank in acarias, be-
fore he goes half-witted like the rest
of them"
"You can ask him tonight"
"To-night?"
"To-night's his party, Daddy"
"Well, if any one thinks I'm going
to Zacarias tonight"
"Wait until you get a bath, and you
can fight it out with Mother. How's
the cane?"
cts all right. That doesn't botherI
me. Central Baria will have to getI
that out. Wouldn't put it past Mu-|
riedas to fire Marin cane up above
just to get out easier and to hell with
next year."
"Now, Daddy!"
what the devil do you know about
it? He'll figure that Central Baria
hasn't anything to lose if he doesn't
burn too much"
OF course, Ruth admitted to herself,
burning cane had always seemed sen
Sihla thino Tn do IT. didn't annear tn