My friend, Duke was as I've said, the island character. I don't mean that in a bad way at all. He enjoyed the image he presented and lived life to the fullest. The movie actor side of him was more or less a means to let him live the life he enjoyed.

Rumor was that Duke had appeared in more than one hundred serial episodes. For those of you unfamiliar with  the movie "serial" days I'll offer a short definition. The serial was pretty much the same as today's television "Soap Opera". Usually reserved for Saturday Matinees, it was a lead in to the main feature. It was a continuing saga that lasted about thirty minutes and would be continued the following week.  Produced in black and white and for probably little money it was good entertainment. Some of the old serials made it to television. Flash Gordon is the best known of all. It still "pops up" now and then.

I don't remember Duke ever having a speaking part. He was strictly a "back ground" figure. A bad guy that the hero might punch or throw a chair at. We'd all cheer when he made his brief appearances. Never knew how much money Duke got paid but I guess being in a "picture show" in itself is rewarding. 

Bert was still at the ranch. He'd picked up the skills to be a real "cow puncher" and was damn good at it. Mr White, the ranch foreman, gave Bert a beautiful solid silver belt buckle and a hand tooled belt to mark fact that my dad was now the "real thing".  

Dad would set and tell Lowell and me about all the experiences he had on the job. He had a way of telling everything in a humorous way. My old man could make you laugh no matter how hard you tried not too.

My favorite story was about the "cattle drive". The ranch foreman had bought twenty head of cattle in Texas and had them trucked to Wilmington. From there they came by barge to Catalina. Mr. White decided not to truck the cows to the ranch. Instead, he wanted to drive them in a group just like the old days. The distance from the isthmus to the ranch meant they'd need most of the day. Good solid cowboy work.

Everything started out fine but soon began to go bad. One big bull decided he didn't want any part of this little walk in the sun.  Mr. White finally told Bert to rope the SOB and drag him if that's what it took. Bert figures what hell? This bull weighs fifteen hundred pounds. Who's gonna drag who?

After three attempts, Bert still hasn't got the rope on the bull. Old bull is smart. He's played this game before. Mr. White rides up and offers to show Bert how its done. Well, Old George pitches that lariat out there and manages to catch the bull, not by the head but by the "balls". We'd call it a "freak" accident. I'm sure the bull viewed it more in depth. What followed of course is kind of predictable. The bull made a few feeble efforts to regain control but he learned pretty quick what it means to be caught by the "short hairs".

It's understandable that no one was going to try and get that rope off that bulls sack. He'd have to walk the rest of the way hoping no other cow stepped on that rope. Good fortune finally intervined and the rope let go. The bull contined on without causing further problems. Bert claims it all in a days work. The bull? No comment!