The St. Mary banner., 1902-09-27
we were already tired, and had MADE
only two-fifths Of our juorney.
Eor tho poxt three miles we had lit.


| only two-fifths Of our Juorney.
For the next three miles we had lit
tle trouble. But some Of the older and
fatter hogs were becoming tired. They
took to tagging, and our switches had
very little effect in persuading them to
move on.
Thinking that all were by this time
enough to keep to the road, called in
the dogs to drive from behind, while
Tony and l took their places on the
fanks. The dogs, by nipping at ears
or hams, kept the hogs moving much
better than we could.
We had just reached the Pecan val
ley and were almost in sight of Ell Do
RADIO, when a dozen young hogs sud
denly dashed to the right, passing
between me and the creek. Susie
would have headed them with ease, but
fell into a gopher's hole, and nearly
broke my leg. AS l scrambled to my
feet,I saw the runaways' back glisten
| in the moonlight as they dashed into
clump of underbrush a hundred rods
away.
I Just them we heard a voice calling
from the bridge 1t was John Tobin,
the shipping agent of the firm at the
station, who had ridden out on the
4 chance OF meeting u.s.. ~
Leaving him to help Tony get the
| drove into the shipping yards, l bor-
rowed his pony, whistled for Slicker to
oft Tor bn
pigs. ~r
I Without the borrowed pony | could
never have over taken them, for they
displayed wonderful speed and endur-
Iance, and continued to press on at a
sharp trot for miles, over an exceed
! ingly rough country. And the dog was
just ds necessary to me in the pursuit
as the horse. He followed by scent,
while in the semi-darkness | would
have found it impossible to track the
hogs by sight.
We kept on for nearly an hour, fol-
| lowing the creek bottom. But at the
end of that time the fugitives turned
| toward the low bluffs Slicker was an
eighth of a mile ahead. l was enabled
I to follow because at intervals he
barked, probably whenever the scent
was keenest.
Suddenly he began to bay loudly,
and riding up l found the pigs cor
Isnered in a sort of pocket in the bluns,
apparently formed by a washout. At
the back there was almost a cave, and
in this the hogs were huddled, and
rushed savagely at Slicker when he1n-
deavored to drive them out.
MY patience was at an end. Slipping
off the pony, which left at the down
river side of the pocket. ran toward
the cave, encouraging the dog in his at
tack, and at the same time fumbling
for stones along the side of the bluff.
/ | gathered dozen or more, dropping
into the pockets of my canyas jacket
all | could not hold in my hands. Then
i went for the pigs, hurling the
stones at them and shouting wildly.
i The onslaught had the desired effect.
They broke away and ran in a COM
pact body up the creek valley.
Scrambling on the pony, l followed
them vigorously. They were pretty
tired when we got back to the road,
where I found Tony and MIR. Tobin
awaiting us. Just at sunrise we turned
the last hog into the stock yard enclos-
ure.
There were just five missing, but we
concluded they must have been lost
back in the Cochrane corn-feld. Every
thing considered, it had been fairly
successful drive.
After delivering the drove to Tobin,
I recollectcd that l had not thrown at
the hogs all the rocks had collected.
The two that remained drew from my
pocket intending to throw them away.
Then saw that one Of the stones was
a fragment of marble, Identical with
that so long sought for by: the quarry
company. l said nothing, but put the
fragment back into my pocket.
Tony and then started to drive
home. We had the good luck to find
the five missing hogs by the way. Driy-
ing them before US, we reached To-
wanda shortly after noon. McGillies-
pie cheerfully paid me the twenty-five
dollars, of which l gave Tony ten.
Then set off to- find my older broth
er. Bob. After showing him the frag-
ment of marble, suggested that1 had
stumbled by chance upon the missing
quarry. At two o'clock that afternoon
we mounted our. ponies and rode rap
idly on my trail of the night before to
the pocket where the last hogs had
turned at bay. s@
What l had taken for a blum was a
mass Of debris piled fully four hun
.dred feet in advance of the true bluffs,
which were only about ten feet in
height at that point. The lost quarry
had been buried beneath this debris,
hut its shoulder now was exposed be-
low the cave where the pigs had been
cornered.
With pieces Of crooked stick we dug
away the earth, and'in two minues ex-
posed the long-lost marble ledge. TAX
ing a number Of specimens with us. we
returned to Towanda. and the company
cheerfully paid me the three hundred
dollars within fortnight.-Youth's