The Van Buren press., 1895-05-18
TWO BOYS AND A cow.
HOW Pete Found the Best Home
He Had Ever Known.


Hello, Bunkl Come along, good old
creatur'."
Pete patted the shoulders of the COW
he was about to drive to pasture. II
was Squire Hills COW, and the squire
thought great deal Of It. He had a
large farm, on which he raised little
but horses, keeping only this one COW.
The squire was passing, and stopped
70 give a more sturdy caress than
Pets's hand had been.
III you ever let anything happen To
that COW, Pete" he said, "I'll be likely
to break every bone in your body."
"Yessir," said Pete, as soberly as II
the words had not been accompanied
with a genial twinkle In the suuire's
eyes.
you're the first small shaver I've
ever let drive her."
"Yessir," repeated Pete, with an i'm.
pressive shake Of the head.
You'll always look out for the rail-
road?"
"Yessir-sure."
"And the mill. There's a mighty
mean slope down to the log boom II an
animal got started down."
"Yessir-awful!"
"And no fence along it."
| "Not Bit"
"Be sharp, them"
go long, Bunk''
Pete trudged after the COW, very glad
and proud OF being trusted with such
an important duty. He was poor lit
tie stray, who had turned up on the
farm from nobody knew where. After
hanging about for awhile, making
friends with the animals, attracting
attention by his light-hearted, fun
loving spirit, he had gradually fallen
into place as chore boy and general
convenience, rejoicing in every new
labor set him as giving evidence that
he was gaining foothold on the big
farm, on which he soon came to have a
home feeling.
Bunker plodded lazily along until,
coming near the mill, Pete faithfully
frightened his hold on the rope by which
he led her.
The mill and It's surroundings pos
sessed fascination for Pete. He had
| spent hours and hours lounging about
the old-fashioned building, taking a
kind OF awe-stricken delight in its won
derful tangle Of queer machinery. He
had watched, with his breath held, the
great saws eating their way through
the logs which were hauled up an in
cline by the help Of heavy rope and gi-
gantic hooks. The dam, the boom,
every feature bore its charm for him.
The ther Of the squirrels bugbears,
the railroad, passed just beyond the
mill, crossing the road. One danger
passed, Pete always began looking for
the other, always bearing on his mind
the many stories told by the squire OF
valuable animals killed by locomotives
He usually aimed to get Bunker past
the slope abov boom as fast rs posi-
BILE. But just now he made n sudden
pause.
Hello, Billy! What you doing
there?"
Billy was diminutive boy belong
ing to the miller. Pete lad spent
many an hour playing with him before
his duties on the farm had become so
well defined
Billy was playing truant, Pete knew
at a glance. And not only that, but
the truancy was of dangerous char
acter.
"Billy, come hcre!"
me ont" said Billy, with an obsti-
nate shake OF his shoulders.
'Billy, you keep off that logl"
"Me goin' to sail my boat
The small rebel held In his hand a
block of wood, and, with the words,
stepped out on the first Of number of
logs which lay side by side In the boom.
Pete fully appreciated the danger
which the little rascal was Drawing.
"Billy, I'll give you some nuts If
you'll come here."
Billy stepped on the next log.
"a whole pocketful, Billy"
As Billy set his foot on the third log
It gave little roll under him, but he
recovered himself by a quick step on
the fourth.
"Billy!" Pete's voice took on tone
of desperation, III you don't come here
I'll thrash you within an inch of your
lifel'
Billy fastened his step on the fifth
log.
Pete looked around in despair. No
one was in sight. There were still two
or three hours OF the long summer
evenings daylight, but the saws were
stopped and the wheels quiet
What should he do? With every mo-
ment his frightened eyes perceived the
increasing danger to the small boy.
When he should reach the other log
and attempt to launch his tiny craft
what then?
Pete called aloud for help, but was
answered by only the hollow roar OF
the water washing over the dam. The
miller's house WAS beyond the mill,
back out of sight
A switch was so arranged as to back
cars mn for the convenient loading OF
lumber. Pete's perplexed glance fell
upou a loaded car standing on the
track. With rougher pull on the
rope by which he was leading Bunker
than that animal had ever before felt,
Pete dragged her towards it. Another
moment and he had secured the COW to
one of the iron step-ladders and was
wildly rushing down the bank towards
the logs.
"Biliy boy"-Pete said it coaxingiy,
nil the while realizing how gladly he
would have carried out his threat OF a
thrashing-''if you'll wait just one
minnie I'll make you boat with three
masts. Honest, BillyP'