The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-09-18


times and kicking vigorously with all
her feet as she lay poised upon her
backbone.
She got up and stood, with her head
slightly dropping, nibbling at a hand
full of grass Squire Gleaves held.
Johnny went up to her and made to
take off the bride. but Squire Gleaves
ter ready first, Jack. No horse, not
even Lightly amt to be depended on
when there's rain in the air. I'm sure
Us goin' to rain tonight. That's what
sets the drove to wallowin' an nick
erin so an coclin' their tails so sassy.
They won't break out without this la
dy," strolling Lightly's glossy neck,
but with her loose thars no tellin'
what mightn't happen. If once she
took the notion to run there'd be the
devil to pay"
The wagon Gathering up drowned
lower sounds, at least to human ears
But all at once Lightly half wheeled,
stretched her neck, pricked both ears
sharply forward, flung up her head and
snorted. Then she stood rigid with
tlaring nostrils, snorting family with
every other breath. She faced the un-
broken woods, thick with underbrush
which lay upon the other side of the
road Squire Gleaves stroked her
shoulder soothingly as he said to John
ny: Il do wonder what she hears or
smells. 1t cain't be varmint If it was
she'd stand forward, ready to jump at
it an trample it. An travellers amt
likely-not unless they're lost"
maybe it's-robbers," Johnny said
in whisper. Squire Gleaves laughed,
but not too easily. Outlawry was a
thing all drovers had to reckon with
He had known of droves stampeded,
of drovers robbed and murdered in
cold blood. though he himself had al
ways gone scot free. He had reflected
that it was foolhardy to have come as
he had, thus light handed with the
biggest drove and the most valuable
that had ever left the grass country.
So he was more than relieved when
single horseman broke out of the bush,
apparently unarmed, well, even fash
ionably, equipped and splendidly
mounted, though his horse, raking
chestnut, seemed something overrid-
den
With civil greeting he got down,
stretched himself nightly, unsaddled
his painting horse, then swung upon
his heels, saying: Il see you mean to
camp here. Will you take me in?"
I'VE are out ourselves. We don't
own the earth and the sky" Joe an
swered with a nervous half laugh.
The stranger did not notice him. In
stead he addressed the squire. "We
are dead beat my horse and 1; have
been lost all day." he said. white
Foot is better off than his master. He
can eat grass if there is nothing bet
ter. l am very hungry
''Well, you won't stay so-not long"
the squire said "You, Sam, make
haste with that wood. The fire ought
to be burnin' by this. l struck a light
the minute l got down.
with your gun fiint?" the stranger
asked. Squire Gleaves looked at him
hard, nodded and added slowly: Eyes,
with my gun flint, but you better be-
lieve l primed the pan well afterward.
1 never yet shot at anything moren
deer an hope l never shall, but one
things sure-if ever horse thieves or
money thieves try to stop me they'll
find me ready"
'They generally go round men they
know to be ready" the stranger said,
1o1Irbinu Nd
across at Joe. Then he turned to
Lightly, ran his hand up and down
her forearm and on down to the coro-
net, then back with a sweeping flourish
until it rested upon her throat. Sound
legs, head that looks over the moon,"
he muttered as though to himself, then
to Squire Gleaves: 81 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 bit of figurin'," he
said. Lets see-the drove's little
the rise of 200 They'll average $3.50
the head. That's $4,000 in a lumpin'
trade. l couldn't take less for Lightly
mot a cent less"
Il don't understand. l don't want to
buy the Drove the stranger began.
Squire Gleaves broke in: Il thought
you didn't, l doubt, in fact if you ever
saw real horse drove before"
81 have certainly seen loose horses
driven" the stranger said. Again the
squire cut him short mo doubt" he
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 his own stock or else
buy it at Weanin' time an let it Craze
an grow up to follow the bell. Ever
hear of bell mare? Lightly's mine
A bell mare must never have a colt of
her own. Then she's ready to mother
an rule everything that comes round
her. When the colts are wonted to her
she can take 'em anywhere-one mile
or a thousand, it don't matter. If /
was fool enough to sell you Lightly an
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 lay down,
they'd begin whickerin', whickerin'
whickerin,' an keep it up till after
midnight. Then there'd come a break |
In spite of me an my men an whips |
an halters. They'd take right out on |
her track an climb mountains or swim
rivers to find her an they wouldn't |