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

back down at the long, gentle
slope with eyes of pride
They most make it seem like never
had real drove before" he said nod
ding toward the roadway, yet I've
followed this droverin' business bet
tern twenty years, an not year but
l took some good stock down to the
cotton country"
Johnny Cope, at the squire's elbow
answered only with a sigh. 1t was
Johnny's mission and privilege to ride
Lightly, the bell mare. Her full name
was Lady ~Golightly. She stepped
proudly and held her head high, as be-
came the Wearcr of a silver bell and a
at-granddaughter of Diomede. She
was not quite thoroughbred, but blood
like all over, with fiat, clean legs; firm,
fine grained hoofs and muscles like
steel whpcords playing beneath her
satiny black coat. If the cold cross
showed anywhere it was in her quar-
ters. They were powerful enough for
cart horse. The fact assured that
she could carry weight any distance,
Notwithstanding Johnny, who rode her,
weighed less than 100 pounds, though
lie was rising seventeen.
Johnny had drifted to the Gleaves
place three years back from nobody
knew where. The squire, who was
half easy going and wholly shrewd,
had kept him at first compassionately
and later because the lad exactly suit
HH lic fIII.D Tnl,,1nu hor f.1av.
light yet bold, strong handed, clear
headed and full of the curious mag
netic sympathy which goes subtly
along the rein and makes horse and
rider one.
The squire of course did not phrase
1t just that way. He said the stray
boy could feel horses mind through
its mouth down to the tips of his own
toes. Therefore he was kept riding the
greater part of the time. Drove horses,
broken and gated. especially saddle
gated, brought easily as much again
as those merely halter wise. Three
parts of this drove were so broken and
gated. No wonder the squire was
proud of them. Two hundred odd,
OWN oii' III pSllCNl lclliS, gray Ddy
brown, black, dappled and roam, there
was not one without a cross or two of
blood or one whose condition did not
do equal credit to the pastures and
paddocks of the Gleaves place or to
judgment of the places owner,
Five to six abreast they came up the
road pellmell. Now and again those at
the n1Opc holtnh To foh OF
scar roadside grass. 1t was late Sep
tember. Though there had been no
hint of frost the black gums were full
of crimson leaves and the taller sassa-
frases shot through with yellow. New
blackberry briers showed the purple
of iron cooling from the forge. Every
where else there was the deep CLOSED
green of midsummer, something ragged
In spots and family fretted with dust
There had been no rain since the drove
started from the grass country eight
days back. 1t had just got fairly into
the sparselY settled half wilderness
which in the late twenties stretched
between middle Tennessee and the
Carolina cotton plantations.
The road, we'll Travelled trace, ran
mainly through woods. Here or there
1t crossed a natural meadow, often
many acres in extent. Grass grew 80
tall in the low spots of these meadows
that it could be tied either side above
horses neck as one rode through.
The vanished buffalo had no doubt
relished such lusty stalks. but the drove
beasts chose instead to nip the fine
tender upland bents which came at
most no higher than the knee.
Thus the big meadow was noted
camping place. 1t lay two miles ahead
of the hilltop. There was clear creek
between. Possibly it was the scent Of
water which set Lightly whickering,
but Squire Gleaves said, patting her
neck, 80 you smell grass an rest, eh,
old gal? She tossed her head the
least bit, whickering again. This time
the call was louder, more insistent and
compelling. In answer every hoof be-
hind Quickened, necks stretched, muz-
zles lifted, ears went fiat against the
neck. In sinuous, tumbling column,
melting, changing momently, the ranks
charged upon their leader, breaking
from the walk to the trot, the trot to
the gallop, the gallop to the dead full
run.
Squire Gleaves drew out to let them
pass. He knew Johnny and Lightly
could be trusted. Besides, there were
water and the grass. The drove was
sharp set. The monday halt had been
in tall barren woodland, so they had
had nothing more than scant mouth
fuls of fodder from the wagon. His
mare, roam Mary, was wild to join in
the rush, but he held hard until his
son Joe came up with black Sam at his
horses tail and the big covered wagon
rolling pompously behind. Shadrach,
wagner and camp cook, sat nodding
in the saddle, but still clutched his sin
gle rein and long lashed whip. 1t was
wonderful that he slept even with the
wagon at the snains pace it had been
going. Joe Gleaves and black Sam
had also long whips and made them
crack like pistol shots over the backs
of the laggards, yet without touching
hair.
"Father! / say! Hadn't you better
ride up? S'pose Johnny couldn't stop