The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-08-17


50 nearly alike it would have puzzled
that additionally wise person, Phil
aGelphia lawyer, to know one from
the other. They were heifer calves,
dun, with white spot on the fore
head and the barest tip of white in the
tails. Dun was rare color upon the
range round about, so both the young
sters were looked at with interest.
They sucked morning and night
through the summer, were weaned in
the fall, and turned out next spring
to find their own living in the natural
blue grass meadows along the creeks.
Food was abundant; the creeks had
many windings, with here and there
in secluded places remnant fringes of
cane. The dun heifers throve so finely
andfell so in love with freedom they did
not come home in tn fall as did other
well-conducted young cattle. Just
what they did do, indeed, was never
known. The spring they were two
years old, one owner went looking for
his property, and discovered a fine,
saucy young cow, with pretty frisky
calf at foot, grazing happily ten miles
away.
Neither yearling had been marked
before turning oyt-that is to say, its
ears had not been cropped. nor slit,
nor shallow forked, nor under-and-
over bitted to show particular owner
ship. So the finder was quite justified
in assuming that he had found his own,
and took it home rejoicing. There his
neighbor at once claimed it, saying he
knew it by a peculiar indenta ton in
the white star As the other dun was
still missing, there was room for a
pretty general quarrel until it was
agreed to let the old COWS decide it.
The three were turned together in a
pasture. At first both the old. cows
looked askance at the young one, and
after little made a rush at her as if
to bear her to her knees. But as they
got within three yards of the young
ster, who stood tossing her horns de-
family, the claimants cow had
wheeled, butted the other in the flank,
sent her Keeling, shifted gently at the
stray, then began to lick her on the
neck and brisket, just as she licked
her own new calf. The demonstration
was conclusive; the men shook hands
on It, and the stray dun went home
with her mother.
The prodigal calf gets Z rough re-.
ception upon his homecoming: The
herd looks him over at long range,
then keeps on with it's own affairs. If
the prodigal hangs modestly back,
feeding upon the outskirts for day
or maybe week, never obtruding him.
self, and running from each lowered
head or brandished horn, he may in
the end be grudgingly accepted. But
if he comes boldly in, crowding for
salt, snatching at forage, answering
bellows with low, disdainful moo,
he must conquer peace or go to the
wall. At first the herd leader rushes
at him, butts him to his knees, and
tries to roll him oyer, but does not
gore him. If the stray stands up
stoutly or gives the leader fair ar
gument, he may win out right there
But if he is badly worsted yet lacks
the sense to profit by defeat and keep
in place, next time there will be- a
combined rush that will leave him with
whole bones, it is true, but a badly
scratched coat, and sore all over from
the pummeling horns.
Cattle are great pathmakers. For the
most part, they go straight almost as
the crow flies, and always in Indian
file, one right on the heels of another.
In every pasture there is leader, who
chooses the way. Commonly the lead
er is the bell COW, but if the bell-bearer
grows old and weak she may be disre-
garded. Another instinct, no doubt
going back to the days of wolf and bear
ravages, is that which makes them 70
to the same place to sleep, and choose
that place on the highest available
ground. A new herd put into the pas
ture will sleep in the old place:
The going to it is generally about
dusk, except In the height of summer
and fly time, when cattle Craze all
night and spend the days in water or
the thickets. Commonly the going, is
slow, stately march, but now and
again the bell COW breaks causelessly
into furious run, and the rest 70
tumbling at her heels. Negroes say
then: "Ole Sir Bell Cow, she dohe seen
er ghos'." They add that next morn
ing's milk will be scant and lack
cream; and oftener than not results
in the dairy bear out the saying. The
blacks, indeed, believe firmly that both
cattle and horses can see many things
invisible to mortal eyes. 49,: