The National tribune., 1901-06-13

l
| her cud. As old brindle stood there, oc-
casionally swishing the flies off with her
| tai, with a countenance which would in
dicate extreme gentienesS, / thought her
! the most amiable creature of her kind.
| so, bossie," said Wells, as he patted her
affectionately on the rump, and squatting
beside the COW he began to draw the warm
| lacteal fluid into his canteen, increasing
my admiration for Wells tenfold.
Reader, have you ever tried to milk into
canteen? II you have not, don't try
| it; unless you have very steady hand,
and the cow Is a gentle one, and don't
| trust to the appearances Of the cow,
either, as appearances are sometimes de-
ceptive. Make sure she is gentle before
you commence operations, and l know of
no better way to secure the result than
to take a fence rail and knock the cow
down and milk her before she can get up.
Had we done this it would have been bet
ter for us.
1 was congratuIating Wells on his
! knowledge of the dairy business, when,
turning his head toward me, he said:
why in thunder don't you milk that
other"-
Poor Wells; he never finished the SEN
tence. The next he knew he found him
self doubled up in a fence corner gasp
ing for breath. The cow had kicked him
in the stomach, knocking the wind out of
him.
dad drat the internal brute" said he,
in an unnatural, wheezy sort Of voice, as
soon as he could get his breath.
Are you hurt?" l asked.
Am | hurt! You fool, do you suppose
fellow can be kicked all over this old
Confederacy by an Internal brindle cow
and not be hurt?"
"WeIl, pard, l am awfuIIy sorry. Is
there anything can do to help you?" He
snappishly ordered me to try my hand
milking the other COW.
After the experience of my comrade
felt timid, and naturally SO, / think, un-
der the circumstances, and mildly sug-
gested that perhaps, after all, these were
not the kind Of cows that gave milk; but
Wells would not listen to me. 1--WE came
for milk" he said, ''and milk we will
have
Urged on by Wells, drew the stopper
from my canteen, and in doing so it gave
loud pop, which frightened the cow that
/ was to milk, causing her to jump and
change her position to that Of facing me.
l finally mustered up courage and started
toward old sookie, saying as l approached
her, so, now; that's nice old COW; /
won't hurt you; come, now; put back your
foot" But just as l was about to do as
Wells had done, lay my hand on her back,
| she turned squarely around and stared me
| in the face.
| hesitatcd, and Wells said to me,
Whats the matterf Are you afraid?'
| This aspersion upon my bravery raised
| my dander, and l said to him: mo, Pm
not afraid of all the COWS in Christen-
dem; but that pleading look from those
! big brown eyes is more than l can stand.
| I'll tell you what Wen do" l said, look
| ing at him to see how he would take it,
| I'm hold her by the tail and you do the
milking"
"Can you hold her?''
Il can, if the tail don't pull out"
We shooed the cow into an angle of
| the fence and at a favorable opportunity
| grabbed her by the tail, set my heels
| firmly in the mud, and, bracing myself,
| told Wells to 60 ahead with his milking.
| He edged up to old sOokie and patted her
on the back in a soothing and reassuring
| manner, and squatted down beside her.
| noticed that he was careful not to get
close to the COW; in fact, it required the
| full length Of his arm to reach her udder.
I He had been in this position but a few
seconds, when, suddenly and with a loud
bawl, the brute gave a frantic lunge for
ward against the fence, upsetting Wells
and yanking me about seven feet in the
air. The COW started around the lot, bel
lowing at every jump, with me hanging
to her tail like grim DEATH about half of
the time my feet in the air and my body
humping up against the COW, and every
time that I would strike her she would
jump little further. and below a little
| louder. To lend interest to the affair the
other cattle in the lot set up bawl and
| started around the lot after u.s.
| During all this time Wells was stand
ing, or rather sitting, on the fence slap
| ping his knees and yelling to me to 'hoid
on to her." 1t was a needless piece of ad-
! vice, for l could not let 60. Finding