San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-10-06

one with peculiar white mark. some
thing like cross, ON its haunch."
@Why, that's Small's old brindle.s
cried Mr.. Babcock. II know the MARI
as we'll as I know the nose on my face.
She had balls on her horns, didn't she p
Eyes, 80 Isaac said" slf Is
"And kind Of hump ON her back ?"
"A perfect domedary," said Miss Lee
titia. II noticed that myself"
"They were Smalrs cows, no doubt
OF that at all, said Mr.. Babcock, rub.
bling his hands. "No sheep with them,
heyP"
"Well, now, I think Of it, there were
sheep-they ran away as soon rs they
saw Isaac. Yes, certainly there were
sheep" said Miss Letitia.
II knew it-they always 60 with the
cows; and what do you want of meP"
"It's to fix the damages" said Miss
Letitia. "As I said before, women
folks are no judges about such mat
ters." $780,. .., n
Mr.. Babcock meditated moment,
and then said:
@Well I wouldn't take q cent less
than $75 if / were you-not a cent"
"Seventy-fve dollars! Isn't that a
good deal. Mr.. Babcock? You know !
don't wish to he hard on the poor man
all I want is fair compensation for the
mischief DONE" Ags ~
@Seventy-fve dollars is fair, ma'am..-
in fact, I might say, it's low. I wouldn't
have had q herd of cattle and sheep
trampling through my premises in that
way for hundred" ..,.s srl
"There is one thing I forgot to state
the, orchard gate was open, or they
couldn't have got in; that may make a
difference" #
"Not, bit-not bit. You'da right
to have your gate open, but Small's
cows had no right to run loose. ]
hope Isaac drove them to the pound,
II heard him say he'd shut 'em ur
somewhere, and didn't mean to let 'enl
out till the owner calls for 'em. But
Mr.. Babcock, what if he should refuse
to pay for the damage? I should hate
to go to law about it,"
HE won't refuse; and if he does
keep the critters till he will pay. Al
to law, I guess he's had about enough
of that"
II am sure I thank you for your ad
vice." said Miss Letitia, "and I NEAR
to act upon it to the very letter"
Scarcely was he out of sight, wher
Miss Letitia sent summons for Mr.
Small, which he obeyed as promptly a
his neighbor had done.
She made to him precisely the same
statement she had made to Mr.. Bah
cook, showed him the injured property
and asked him to fix the damages.
It was remarkable before he did thil
that he should ask the same question
Mr.. Babcock had asked, namely, .wheth
er she had any suspicion as to whom
the animals belonged.
"Well, one of them I observed hao
terribly crooked horn"
"Precisely-it's Babcock's heifer;
should know her among a thousand
She was black and white, wasn't she p
"Well now think of it, she was; one
seldom sees so clear black and white
on cow
"To be sure. They're Babcock' ami.
mails fast enough. Well, let me see
what you want is just fair estimate, !
suppose"
Certainly"
"Well, I should say $50 was as low
as he ought to be allowed to get of
WITH" :.
"Oh, but I fear that it will
seem as if I meant to take advantage.
Suppose we call it-say 1852"
"Just as you please, of course; but
hanged if I'd let him of for cent less
than 800, if it we're my case"
"And if he refuses to pay?"
"Why, keep the animals until be
comes around, that's all"
"But there's one thing I neglected to
mention-our gate was standing open
that may alter the case,'
"Not at all; there's no law against
keeping your gate open; there is against
stray animals.