The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-25

w Nv
As seoved HE hand as hc passed me.
end shouting madly as they brought
6orTyipg In the stragglers that lad
wondered mp or down the river. Evc-y
IAN was trying 10 90 the work Of three
0en. Mounted ON a gentle pony, and
1eening hard on ora stirrup to ease the
seher foot. I tried to help. but with an
I'm In 4 sling md an ankle incapaci.
ented one does not succeed well in
herdins cattle.
a couple Of cattle had broken away
nom the herd. and I vas trying to
chase them back. failed signally. I
oould not follow their twists and turns,
q account Of my ankle. which was
hurt BY the pressure against tho stirrap
every time my horse suddenly changed
The direction In which he was going. I
lad resrly given mp when Spider, his
pony cn the keen Jump. flashed by and
took mp the pursuit. He waved his
land a ho passed me and tried to
~ehout. but his throat was filed with
Dust. and the nearest he could come to
his usual shrill cheer was a sort of
spluttsring gasp.
In . very few minutes the cattle
were safely reunited with the herd. I
had never seen Spider work with cattle.
end his ready skill surprised me. Ger
tainly be showed none of the awkward.
ne@ OF which the Ballet Girl had CON-
pSained. I was returning to the herd.
when Spider emerged from the cloud Of
Gust that surrounded Il and cantered
1orward 20 meet me.
Look s-yerl'; he cried In a tone of
authority rs soon az he was close
enough 20 be heard ''You ain got no
business here. You amt no good. no.
bow. In the shape like you are. an
you'll only do yourself up worse. Go
Up on that there little rise. where You
can zee everything an won't hurt YER
cell. Men the boys. we'll tend ter the
cattle all right"
Spiders command that should re-
eire was 50 plainly prompted by solici.
sude for my welfare that could not
bave resented his tone even had il not
amused me as il did. Besides. he was
perfectly riabt. was of no use what.
ever N the herding. Evidently intend
tng to sec that his orders were fully car.
ried out. Spider rode by my side as
eiowly cantered toward the rise that he
had pointed out to me. Though the stir.
rup feathers OF the borrowed saddle
were Tar too long for him. though they
were pulled mp as far as they would go,
and though the saddle itself was so
large that u would have had room in il
Tor several boys of Spiders size. still
spider rode superbly saw that when
he wsa after those cattle. The pony he
was riding on was one of my own. and
Enough Spider had had the choice of
several he had chosen the most unman.
sgeable animal of them all Cappy Lee
was the last man who had Attempted to
ride the brute. He had beer promptly
bucked Off. He told me afterward that
he had turned a somersault so quickly
that he bad seen the canvas patch that
decorated the back OF his trousers.
"How does the pony carry you.
Spider L asked as we rode along to-
gether.
Like bird. Concho an mes OF
tkien's. lie like some. He won try no
funny business when I'm ridin IN. =" re-
Piled Spider. with happy grin. as he
leaned forward and patted the pony 3
neck. Concho generally carried his ears
pointing directly toward his tail. He
rolled the whites Of his eyes in nc.
acknowledgement of the caress and cooked
bis ears for nm instant: then he laid
shtm back again. 10 mo his conduct
wa not reassuring.
III l were in your place. l wouidn' Z
try any Of those tricks of yoars, said
j. was speaking only Of tricks Of
snsomanship. but Spider misunderstood
uIe.
"You amt seen me doin no tricks
terday. recaon. no said in tone
tha,t showed that he was rather hurt at
what l said. "You amt a-goin ter see
more. neither. I'm bcrdin now Its
business. an I'm in il fer all / IN worth.
Yon watch'n seef I amt | mus go
bocl: now" Wheeling around on mis-
hind legs. Concho bucked himself to-
ward the herd as I mounted the rise TO
which l had been bound.
The lean. hungry looking cattle gath.
cred on the plain were blended into an
indistipguishable muss by the thin cloud
Of dust that hung over them. thrown
mp by their hoofs as they paved the
loose sand. Here and there flashed a
giirt 1t dull light. where the sunlight