Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-26


they'll find me ready"
They generally go round men they know
to be ready" the stranger said. laughing
sweetly, and looking hard across at Joe.
and down her forearm and on down to the
coronet. then back with sweeping flourish
until it rested upon her throat. Sound
legs-a head that looks over the moon," ne
muttered, as though to himself, then to
Squire Cleaves. Il want her. Name your
price
This time it was the squire who laughed
Joe frowned and essayed to speak. His
father held up his hand. "Wait. 1t takes
a bit O. fgurin','' he said. Lets see-the
drove's a little the rise o. two hundred
That's $50, 900 in lumpn' trade. I couldn't
take less for 'Lightly-not cent less"
Il don't understands don't want to buy
the drove" the stranger began. Squire
Gleaves broke In: II thought you didn't.
doubt, in fact, If you ever saw real horse
drove before"
II have certainly seen loose horses driv-
en-" the stranger said. Again the Squire
cut him short mo doubts! ne SAID.
Everybody must have seen that-four or
five horses, or maybe even dozen. But,
let me tell you that amt horse droverin'.
A real drover has got either to breed MS
own stock or else buy 1t at weanin time,
and let it Craze, and grow UP to follow the
bell. Ever hear of a bell mare? Lightlys
mine. bell mare must never have colt
of her own--then she's ready to mother and
rule everything tnat comes TOuuu HEX
When the colts are wonted to her she can
take 'em anywhere-one mile or thou
sand, it don't matter. If was fool enough
to sell you Lightly, and you took her away,
not one out there in the meadow would stop
feedin' till he was full. But along after
dark, when half of em were ready to lie
down, they'd begin whickerin' whickerin'.
whickerin, and keep it UP till after mid
night. Then there'd come break in spite
Of me and my men and whips and halters.
They'd take right out on her track, and
climb mountains or swim rivers to find her
and they would not stop to eat much nor
drink often by the way
The stranger laughed. "Droving must be
profitable-under such conditions, he said
demurely. LAS 1 understand 1t the bell
mare comes back with you"
''Oh, I'm honest enough to warn folks
Squire Gleaves said, also laughing, but
grimly: Il swear 'em to keep stock they
buy Of me stabbed or hoppled, through two
springs. After that, the beasts either for
get or fall in love with the place they live,
or somethin' about it. But as true as you
stand there, I've had horses come home
after six years. Seems like the springtime
sets 'em wild to see the place they were
foaled inland no matter how far Off 1t is,
they sense the course.
How far have you known them come"
the stranger asked.
Five hundred miles-maybe more"
Squire Gleaves answered The stranger
whistled, then, with a change of manner,
said: "Since 1 must impose on your hospi-
tality-my name is-Robin--Lucas Robin.
thank you very much for a chance of
supper and place at your fire."
Johnny Cope wondered why Joe Gleaves
got white as he heard the strangers
name. But fate and nature had conspired
to make him a silent lad, so he kept the
wonder to himself. Indeed, he never talked
to anybody except blind Miss Alice. He
sat with her Of Sundays when the rest
went to church. And to her he told all he
saw in the woods, the pastures, the farm
o,-I 49, H. Is I,N,, 1,,1t
but intelligibly. the Psalms, the Ten Com
mandments. the Sermon the Mount.
Miss Alice was older than Joe, frail, but
CHEEKY, and the soul of kindness, especially
to Johnny, who seemed to her so pitifully
lost and lonesome. In return Johnny wor-
or for anybody she loved
He fell asleep to dream of her, beside
the campfire after the watch had been set.
Squire Gleaves and Shadrach were to ride
round the drove until midnight-from then
until daybreak Joe and black Sam would
be in charge. Johnny's last conscious sight
was of Joe staring into the fire. while
Lucas Robin spoke low and eagerly in his
ear Lady Golightly, securely tethered a
little way from the wagon, was nuzZling
the remains of her fodder, making little
dry tinkling sounds that somehow wove
themselves all through Johnny's dream.
When they fell silent he awoke with a
start. The fire was dead BY the stars he
knew 1t was long past midnight. north
west wind had swept away the promise Of
Il
clear gray brilliance filled the sky. He
scrambled up and stirred the brands-they
were dank and cold. Water had been
thrown upon them. Just outside the fire
circle Joe lay, breathing heavily. Elack
Sam was snoring yard beyond. Johnny
shook them hard. They did not stir He
sprang toward the blanket spread for
Lucas Robin. 1t was empty, tossed into a
huddled heap Trembling all over, he ran
toward the meadow. In the edge of it
Shadrach sat his horse, fast asleep. Squire
Gleaves was nowhere visible, But the
drove had begun to stir, neighing here or
there, keen complaint.
No answer to the complainings! Johnny
knew what that meant-the bell mare had
been stolen. Lucas Robin was the thief
1ntuitively the lad snatched a halter and
rushed into the thick of the drove now all
standing. and half of 1t whickering distress
The horses snorted and edged away as he
wound in and out. More than one let fly
at him with viciously nimble heels, but he
kept on undaunted until he found what he
sought - Damsel, 'Lightlys four-year-old
half sister and her match in speed and
stay.
In a twinkling he had scrambled up and
was out on the road. There he let his SIN
gle rein fall loose-Damsel herself must
choose the way. Once she was settled in
the course he knew he could come up with
the robber. The others had been drugged
no doubt-he recalled that Robin had made
them drink after supper from his pocket
flask Johnny had refused the offered
dram. because he had promised Miss Alice
never to drink until he was twenty -one
Miss Affect He was going to bring back the
bell mare and save the drove-for her. She
said ingratitude was the blacklist sin of all
so he could not let himself be ungrateful
From the Big Meadow the trace ran
south, straight and almost level for ten
miles. Then it branched, one fork leading
into the foot hills that twenty miles further
on were mountains, the other keeping well
to the plains. Damsel whickered three
times, turning her head now this way, now
that, listened a breaths space, snorted,
then struck into trot, and went que
south. An owl flew across the way a lit
tie higher than Johnny's head, hooting
loudly, it's eyes showing fiery in the dusk
In the dark woods, either hand, there were
long CLEANS of fox-fre-mists rose white
from the damp places, crickets shrilled ard
whip poor-wills sent out their weird cry
ing.
Johnny was superstitious. He had no fear
whatever Of Lucas Robin, but the owl.
the foxfire. the whip-poor-will daunted him
He was about to turn back, but as he pom
dered 1t choice left him. Behind him.
through the star-lit dusk, there sounded
the thunder of 200 hoofs, following new
leader to seek out the old. Damsel was gall
Looping easily. AS she caught the noise be-
hind she swung into a dead run. John could
do nothing but sit still, keep her head IN