Years in the
untempered sun and wind of the southwest had given her a sturdiness of
body unusual in a girl so slenderly fashioned. The responsibility of
large affairs had added to this an independence of judgment that would
have annoyed Don Manuel if he had been less in love.
Against the advice of both Pesquiera and her foreman she had about a
year before this time largely increased her holdings in cattle, at the
same time investing heavily in improved breeding stock. Her
justification had been that the cost of beef, based on the law of supply
and demand, was bound to continue on the rise.
"But how do you know, _Dona_?" her perplexed major domo had asked.
"Twenty--fifteen years ago everybody had cattle and lost money. Prices
are high to-day, but _manana_----"
"To-morrow they will be higher. It's just a matter of arithmetic,
Fernando. There are seventeen million less cattle in the country than
there were eight years ago. The government reports say so. Our
population is steadily increasing. The people must eat. Since there are
fewer cattle they must pay more for their meat. We shall have meat to
sell. Is that not simple?"
"_Si, Dona_, but----"
"But in the main we have always been sheep-herders, so we ought always
to be? We'll run cattle and sheep, too, Fernando. We'll make this ranch
pay as it never has before.
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