Show had walked with him all the days and slept with him all the nights while the seftor was away dropped from his shoulders somewhat though his heart was heavy and the tears were close “Concepcion” began Seftor Deek The seftor did not call him Concepcion save when he was terribly angry It was “Concho” when he was pleased ‘Concepcion” The voice came like the hiss of a Texas norther “Look at me!” Concho raised his black eyes timidly The unblinking gray ones bored like a dagger The thin lips spoke “1 should lash your kgs under a wild horse and turn him loose on the pasture 1 sliould tie you to the corral slice your belly and let ' He trudged back to the little tent that followed him all around everywhere the goats chose to wander The mama dog lay in the comer surrounded by her family The puppies were more than three weeks old now and played and growled with one another while the mother looked on admiringly It seemed such a shame But Seftor Deek's orders were Seftor Deek's orders With misty eyes he lifted the mother of the puppies in his arms She was very heavy But Concep-ci6- n must return her to the big hou He must carry her Left alone slw would not follow but would return to her little ones the buzzards cat you alive!” Conception's knees trembled as if in a palsy A dripping sweat broke out over all his body though the room was chilly “But instead” said the icy voice “go back to your brothers the goats” “Si seftor” whispered Conception "But first” the norther bit hard “Take those pups to the nearest' water hole and drown them” Concho gasped Two big tears splashed on the steer-hid- e rug on which he stood He loved those puppies! “Si seftor” he murmured through his tears “And bring the mother up to the big house here” This dispassionately “Pedro will take care of her” "Si seftor” This was the crushing blow “Vamoose! Don’t come back unless you are sent for And if anything happens to those ” The goats if the coyotes get into them went unfinished sentence Concepcion slid from the room trembling After he had delivered her to Pedro Concepcion shuffled back to his little tent and to the puppies For a long long time he sat disconsolately and watched thenuomp and roll NOBODY" GETS CLOTHES FISHERMEN ! " A FULL year passed before Conception so much as laid eyes on Seftor Deek again But he must go to him now The seftor had told him not to come to the big house unless he was sent for He had never been sent fur He never would be he knew Always it was only the goats he had for company Except that now and then he was able to slip away to visit briefly with Micacla in the little adobe hut where she lived with her mama and papa But this was different Conception remem- be red what Seftor Deek had threatened should anything happen to the goats And he was afraid very very much afraid It was a cold white bitter night The stars shone like glowing embers Snow and sleet had been over the earth for two weeks now The mice and the littk prairie dogs that ordinarily the wolves fed on were deep in their holes under the shimmering sliect of white The bellies of the wolves were empty Conception had heard the gathering of the coyotes in the gloaming The mournful wailing of the hungry predators their occasional staccato barking as they signaled one to another grew closer Conception knew what that meant True the little goats were lying huddled inside the brush pen that he had built for them just for such perilous occasions True geisooihestheN Only IVHITEST-IVHIT- E f-- - M m s THE SENOK HAD COLD CRAY EYES new-formu- la ' his sheep dog Africano more than fifty kilos in weight the victor of many a midnight battle was with him But Concho sensed that neither he with his heavy long stick nor Africano with all his courage nor the two of them together could weather such a storm as was building IIe sped as fast as his sinewy brown legs could carry him to the back door of the big house His heart thumped against his ribs making almost as much noise it seemed to him in his terror as the wild hammering of his goat stick against the wooden barrier that separated him from Seftor Deck There was a sudden flood of light and footsteps Manuel Continue on next pci you yy-j uulSj©a AND CIEANEST-CIEA-N YOlAE EVER SEEN r f?nrlgives BUtKIQ AS DIKIY AS 'SMALL-FRY- They had no madre now They had no milk They must starve slowly slowly But Seftor Deek had given his order Seftor Deek was a stem man If he did not obey the sett — Concho trembled and shook No one disobeyed Seftor Deek's commands Maybe it was better this way after all now that the puppies had no milk Concho gathered the puppies up tenderly one by one and put them in an old sack Madrt 4 Dios! 1 ' IV): r LuiJIJLuvL I Washes clothes really white really clean! S7 FAB Q3tf the dirt out— really OUtS leaves clothes really clean and white In fact no soap no other detergent gives you so much active plus two such fabulous whitening ingredients To get the really dean white wash you want -- get Fab! ft yes FAD WASHES CLOTHES THE WHITEST-WHIT- E AND dirt-remov-er Fab Is milder to hands than even leading floating "soaps! CSLBATt-PJUJHU- fJO BLUIfJG! NO BLEACHING (Except for Stubborn Stains) -- FSSB0CT CLEAN CST-CU-- AN VOUVE EVER SEEN! |