Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-10-06
s. !: s: 5: 5: 5: :: $: $: :: 5: $:
:: :: q be BE II :: -
;: $$f?ss ${t!ess.. '::;'::;; :: ;;;:;;: =; Mare =
WILLIAMS Mfna%s"- Hda
e :. s. (. :. :.:: $: :: $: $: s

4R 80 &c a. 80 ID
es - ~ Sp ~ -
QUIRE GLEAVES reined in a
the top of the hill and looked
Il back down at the long. gentle
slope with eyes of pride.
They most make 1t seem like neve
Lad real drove before" he said, nod
ding toward the roadway, "yet I've
followed this droverin' business bet
tern twenty years, an not Il year bu
took some good stock down to thu
cotton country"
Johnny Cope. ut the squire's elbow
answered only with sigh. 1t was
Johnnys mission and privilege to ride
Lightly. the bell mare. Her full name
was Lady Golightly. She stepped
proudly and held her head high. us be
came the wearer of Il silver bell and Q
great OF Diomede. She
was not quite thoroughbred. but blood
like all over. with flat. clean legs; firm
tine grained hoofs and muscles like
steel whipcords playing beneath hel
satiny black coat. If the cold cross
showed anywhere it was in her quar-
tcrs. They were powerful enough fol
cart horse. The fact assured that
she could carry weight any distance
Notwithstanding Johnny. who rcde her.
weighed less than lG0 pounds. though
he 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 compasSionatcly
and later because the lad exactly suit
cd his turn. Johnny was Il born rider,
light yet bold. strong handed. clear
beaded and full OF the curious mag
urtic sympathy which goes subtly
along the rein and makes horse and
rider one.
The squire of course did not phrase
it just that way. He said the stray
boy could feel horses mind through
its mouth down to the tips of his own
toes. Therefore ne 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 hro,:rn and
gated. No wonder tie squire was
proud of tle,u. Two hundred odd.
Sleek all. in perfect fettlc, gray. bay.
brown. black. d;ip:.led and roan there
was not one without Il cross ar two of
blood or one whose condition did not
do equal credit to the - 't,re; and
padGocks of th" GlcavrS Place or to
Judgment OF the places c"urr.
Five TO six abreast they c;i"i2 W the
rold priImell. Now and again these at
the edges halted to snatch at twigS or
scar roadside grass. 1t was late Sep
temOer. Though there had been no
hint of frCst. the black gums were full
of crimson leaves and the taller S:ssa-
frus?s shot through with yellow. New
blackberry briers showed the purple
Of iron cooling from the fcTgr. Every
where else there was the dep S:osScd
green of midsummer. something ragged
in spots and family freitrd 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 Sp&rsciy settled half wilderness
which in The late twen.i"s stretched
between middle Tennessee and th"
Carolina cotton plantations.
Tie road. Il well Travelled trace, ran
mainly through woods. i:cre or there
if crossed Il natural meadow. often
many acres in extent. Grass grew so
tail i'm the low spots of these meadows
that it could he tied either side above
a horses neck us one rode through.
The vanished buffalo had no doIbt
relished such lusty stalks, but til" drove
beasts chose instead to nip the fine
tender upland bents which came at
most 10 higher than the knee.
Thus the big meadow was n 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 G,eaves said. paitins her
neck. $50 you smell grass an rest. Ell.
old gal?" She tossed her head the
least bit. whickering again. This time
the call was louder. more insst"nt ana
compelling. In answer every hoof be-
hind Quickened. necks stretched. muz-
Zles lifted. ears went fiat against the
ncck. In sinuors. tumbl;ng column.
melting. changing momen,ly. the ranks
charged upon taeir 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 blac!!: Sam at his
horses tail and the big covered wagon
rolling pompously behind. shadrach'
wagoner and camp cook. sat nodding
in the saddle. hut still clutched his sim
gle rein and long dashed whip. 1t was
wonderful that lie slept. even with the
wagon at the snail's pace it had been
going. Joe Gleaves and black Sam
had also long whips ana made them
crack like pistol shots over the backs
of the laggards. yet without touching
a hair.
Father! | say! Hadn't you better
ride mp? S'pose Johnny couldn't stop
Lightly" Joe said. thought anxious
ly. His father smiled. Joe WAS the
annie of his eye. This fcrcthouGhtcd
eaution. instead OF youili's natural
recklessness. pleased him through and
through. He said over his shoulder as
he gave roam Mary the spur: Son, I'm
oble4ged 10 you. bat you've no need to
worry. Lightly Knows the business
nigh as well as do. This is the t9Ith
drove Sizes led for me. remember.
EYnnn z ADN