The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1888-11-10

haps six yards, pretending she was Q
pony. / knew that Jane Mason never
would have done such q thing, which
possibly may have been one reason
why did it.
Phillis was beautiful as q fawn, with
the dark, mousy stripe down one Of
her front legs, like the mark on her
mother, who bore the aristocratic
name of Lady Bellipgham, and who
had passed her infancy on that Chan
mel island which is 30 favorable to
beauty in cows and women.
At last / pulled away from the
cali, and hurried on, Phillis following
me on her side of the fence as long as
she could. Then, with a flirt, she was
away up the slope, and began feeding.
This interview had soothed my irri-
tation little, and when at last l
reached Mr.. Shepsrd's, l was very hot
and tired, but l was in q good humor.
The "balmy Gilead" was received
with reclamation, and Immediately
applied.
al believe you be s-growin' a little
now, amt YEP asked Mrs. Shepard,
peering at me over her glasses. 81
tell 'em you'll take start all at once,
and taper right up, like q weed"
This reference to my size had the
effect of making me rise to GO home.
As l started, climbed the wall op-
posite the house, and nearly jumped on
something crouched on the other side
"What on earth % cried out shrilly,
swerving In my leap as well as could
on such short notice.
"What on earth yeself!" was the
instantaneous, sharp rejoinder, and
Jack Shepard, completely clad in blue
overall cloth, rose to his feet, and add
ded, with some temper, you've scarf
'em offw
"What?"
"a snake and little atom of q
chippie. thought the snake was q
charmin' of the bird"
ppm glad ! jumped, then. l wish
I'd lit on the snakes head"
Bill turned his shoulder toward me,
as If girls were not worth his words,
and walked on. l had not gone far,
when he called out:
"Be you goin' home acrost?"
eyes"
"Oh myi You'll git lost, " he jeered.
turned round. "You always come
over to our house across" / said.
ayes, but Pm boy" was the re-
"ThaIk goodness, Pm not |" l an
swered, with more emphasis than was
necessary, considering my contempt
for Bill, who looked at me a moment
through the gathering dusk; then put
some fingers in his mouth, and pro-
duced one of those screeches which
nothing on earth but boy can pro-
duce. l heard him scramble back
over the wall, but / would not please
him by looking behind.
felt that nothing now would tempt
me to go home any other way than
"acrost," and if l ran a good deal, / be-
lieved could reach the top of the
pasture back of our house before the
long twilight should BE gone. But
scorned to run while I was within
sight of Bill Shepard; i knew he was
watching me, and just as / entered the
thicket of pitch-pines he gave that
screech again, and shrieked out, "I'll
bet you'll git lost"
The next moment l was In the mid
die of the thicket, which was very
dark, and two or three acres in extent.
l thought knew this part of my way
perfectly, and go did not pay much at
tention, but rushed on as swiftly as
was possible among the low-growipg
branches. which slapped against my
face, giving out strongly their pleas
ant odor. The air was full of sweet,
damp scents. The birds were flying
low and singing their evening songs.
In a meadow near the frogs were 60
ing on at their shrillest.
My fight through the pitch pines
had just enough of excitement in 1t to
make it more than usually enjoy able.
/ could 60 fast, for it was down hill,
and in spite of the thick boughs
rushed on at great rate.
/ suppose now, as l look back upon
the time, that must have gone wrong
almost Immediately, but / did not be-
gin to suspect this fact for some min
utes, time enough tor me to cover
quite distance, under such Roadway
a. was.
This slope was partof one Of those
large, rocky pastures which abound in
the eastern parts of Massachusetts,. In
the middle of the pasture was 9 de-
preston where grew willows and
poplars, horse and swamp
buckle berries, and where there were
places, even in dry summers, that were
never dry.
It was not like other swamps; It
was q curious place, where cattle
would secrete themselves for days
ssmetimes, and would be spoken Of
az probably in the pulk-hole." III
they were not cows in milk, they were