Callers gradually became rarer; friends dropped away almost
entirely. Since Las Palmas employed no white help whatever, it
became in time more Mexican than in the days of "Old Ed" Austin's
ownership.
In such wise had Alaire fashioned her life, living meanwhile under
a sort of truce with her husband.
But Las Palmas had prospered to admiration, and La Feria would
have prospered equally had it not been for the armed unrest of the
country across the border. No finer stock than the "Box A" was to
be found anywhere. The old lean, long-horned cattle had been
interbred with white-faced Herefords, and the sleek coats of their
progeny were stretched over twice the former weight of beef.
Alaire had even experimented with the Brahman strain, importing
some huge, hump-backed bulls that set the neighborhood agog.
People proclaimed they were sacred oxen and whispered that they
were intended for some outlandish pagan rite--Alaire by this time
had gained the reputation of being "queer"--while experienced
stockmen declared the venture a woman's folly, affirming that
buffaloes had never been crossed successfully with domestic
cattle. It was rumored that one of these imported animals cost
more than a whole herd of Mexican stock, and the ranchers
speculated freely as to what "Old Ed" Austin would have said of
such extravagance.
Pages:
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80