It was the bird in the bush
that charmed Miss Jean.
Towards the close of March a number of showers fell, and we had a week
of damp, cloudy weather. This was unfortunate, as it called nearly every
man from the horse breaking to ride the range and look after the young
calves. One of the worst enemies of a newly born calf is screw worms,
which flourish in wet weather, and prove fatal unless removed; for no
young calf withstands the pest over a few days. Clear dry weather was
the best preventive against screw worms, but until the present damp
spell abated every man in the ranch was in the saddle from sunrise to
sunset.
In the midst of this emergency work a beef buyer by the name of Wayne
Orahood reached the ranch. He was representing the lessees of a
steamship company plying between New Orleans and Texas coast points. The
merchant at the ferry had advised Orahood to visit Las Palomas, but on
his arrival about noon there was not a white man on the ranch to show
him the cattle. I knew the anxiety of my employer to dispose of his
matured beeves, and as the buyer was impatient there was nothing to do
but get up horses and ride the range with him. Miss Jean was anxious
to have the stock shown, and in spite of my lameness I ordered saddle
horses for both of us.
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