The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-08-23
HOW TILDY DROVE THE COWS
HOME.

"Where is that boy 'Bimelechp" said
Aunt Huldah, in an aggrieved tone.
There amt a chore done, and the
white turkey has gone across the field
to steal her nest again, and the guinea
pigs are squealing for their supper
enough to deafen you, and the wood
Wantin' TO be chopped, and Jonas gone
to see his mother. Why he couldn't t
have mother ivin' in this town in
stead of ten miles off / don't see; but
hired men have no consideration for
other people, any more than boys have.
lshould like to know who is going for
the coWs!'
Aunt Huldah was a little cross, but
then-poor woman!-she had had a
hard time to manage the farm and
make both ends meet since Uncle
Joshua died. And although she did
scold sometimes, she was very kind to
'Bimelech and Tidy.
"Iwili go and bring home the cows
said Tidy. II can ride Lightning
bare-backed. / have done it ever SO
many times k
4 don't think poor old Lightning
will ever run away with anybody, said
Aunt Huldah. 'sBut it's hard work
for you to take down the bars and put
them up again. / don't believe in
girls doing such things, when it S what
boys are for. But there's no telling
what time that boy'l be home. Per-
haps you may as well go. And you'd
better hurry, for it's lonesome road,
and II will be dark before long"
Tidy had old Lightning out of his
stall and was on his back in a twink
ing. But there was no such thing as
nurrying old Lightning. He knew as
well as Tidy did that they were only
gong for the cows, and he didn' mean
70 hurry hls stiff old bones on any such
commonplace occasion. 1t was a long
ume ago that lightning had earned his
name Jonas, the hired man, said he
vas slower than stock-still'' now.
lildy broke off a beech switch, and
nied that as persuader. She did
want to get the cows home in good
ane, SO that Aunt Huldah need not
nlnk too much about 'Bimelech's alb
sehee. He had a bright new half-dollar
mat ne had earned by picking berries.
suo mere was a circus over at Gran
perry Center. Tidy didn't Enow that
ne mad gone there, but she was pretty
sel acquainted with boys. You couldn' t
being. AoA "i'iiou'
instead of having his pace quickened
p the beech switch, LIGHTNING. not
Selag accustomed to such things.
aopped short, and turned his head
aioahd to look at it. Then he twitched
mOue OF 1ildy's hand and serenely
uaached the green leaves.
M1er that Tidy returned to moral
saaslon, and told him how important It
n;Il NM y q, nave the cows MIXED, and the
- a,aa sata 'aken care of at the proper time.
ps'a I,ne cream was to be made Aunt
~ uan a.aal goldenest, sweetest, fragrant
sr;. Daeeer, that was expected to take a
pi.ae pise u tne Agricultural Fair, and out
n. sae prize money Aunt Huldah had
H. saiased 20 buy her, Tidy, new cam
s'.c dress bright blue with tinv snots
+ wear to the Sunday-school picnic.
t0uosas Ss'l say that old Lightning was
bsr;;s basuea oy these arguments, but he did
Tfea 70 go little faster, and before
bsss bs nad fairly decided what color to
Ha,I HlJ the hat trimmed with which Amt
bsu bu'Ian I might have money enough to
rssol ~ her' to go with the dress, she had
sssaed the pasture.
ss ssd seead OF being close beside the bars
wesa \, saey usually were at night, the cows cows
eoss nv hnddled together In a distant
fr;ahtsOt fsssr Of the field, as if they were
Iishhseened, and suddenly as she stopped
sh|yag ssnlng at the bars. he BEGAN m to
,,v,d M and pant with terror.
Tlds "a, can it possibly meanp'' said
sers "a aloud. But before the words
10 ~ sso out Of her mouth her heart seemed n, a
5 sela lave stopped beating. From behind
pessaap mp OF bushes there suddenly an
ihss ss huge shaggy brown creature. re
ars;.sas walked with a NUMBERING Gait
Ng Ssght toward her. sai'
aaY bas knew in a moment that If was
aassrsl Bimeleeh was very yAf fond N iof Of
aOoa, nsas history and knew as mr. mueh j,
slf sssa ssaalmals as the school-master him
ana ne was always showine nint- ,int