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


there I've had horses come home after
six years. Seems like springtime sets
'em wild to see the place they were
foaled in, an, no matter how far off
it is, they sense the course"
"How far have you known them to
Gomez" the stranger asked
Five hundred miles, maybe MORE"
Squire Gleaves answered. The stranger
whistled then, with a change of man
ner, said: 'Since l must impose on
your hospitality, my name is Robin
Lucas Robin. l thank you very much
for a chance at supper and a place at
your fire"
Johnny Cope wondered why Joe
Gleaves got so 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 eX-
cept blind Miss Alice. He sat with her
Of Sundays when the rest went to
church, and to her he told of all he
saw i'll the woods the pastures, the
farmyard. In between he read to her,
haltingly, but intelligently the psalms,
the Ten Commandments, the sermon
on 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-
SHIPPED her and was ready to die for
her or for anybody she loved.
He fell asleep to dream of her beside
the camp fire 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
little way from the wagon, was muz-
Zling the remains of her fodder, max
ing little dry, tinkling sounds that
somehow wove themselves all through
Johnny's dream.
When they fell silent he awoke with
start. The fire was dead. By the
stars he knew it was long past mid
night. A northwest wind had swept
away the promise of rain, and, though
there was no moon, a clear gray bril-
lance 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. Black Sam
was snoring a 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 no.
where visible. But the drove had be-
gun to stir, neighing here or there keen
complaint.
No answer to the complainings! John
ny knew what that meant-the bell
mare had been stolen. Lucas Robin
was the thief. Intuitively the lad
snatched a halter and rushed into the
thick of the drove, now all standing
and half of it whickering distress. The
horses snorted and edged away as he
NOuIltl Ill anu Out. hOEc lEdIl Olc lcl
fly at him with viciously nimble heels,
but he kept on undaunted until he
found what he sought-Damsel, Light
ly's 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 single rein fall loose. Damsel her.
al ,l,o
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 twen-
ty-one. Miss Alice! 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 foothills that twenty
other keeping we'll to the plains Dam
sci whickered three times, turning her |
head now this way, now that, listened |
a breath's space, snorted, then struck |
into a trot and went due south. An |
owl flew across the way, a little 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 fire. Mists rose |
white from the damp places, crickets |
shrilled, and whippoorwills sent out |
their weird crying.
Johnny was superstitious. He had |
no fear whatever of Lucas Robin, but |
the owl, the fox fire, the whippoorwill |
daunted him. He was about to turn |
back. but as he pondered it choice left |
him. Behind him, through the starlit |
dusk, there sounded the thunder of 200 |
hoofs following a new leader to seek |
out the old. Damsel was galloping
easily. AS she caught the noise behind
she swung into a dead run. Johnny
could do nothing but sit still, keep her
head up and let her run. The drove
was in mad stampede. If he tried to
turn back it would trample him.
On, on they flew, mile after mile, yet
still the weighted racer led the un-
weighted ones. In that free course, as
upon all others, blood told. Before
half of it was past only the pick of the
drove ran hot uDoD tho vounos mara's