Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-10-06

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 a 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 lad. 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 a
single horsc:.ian broke out of the bush,
apparently unarmed, well. even fash
ionaIly. equipped and splendidly
mounted. though his horse. a raking
chestnut. seemed something overrid-
den.
With a 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?"
Eve are out ourselves. We don't
own the earth and the sky" Joe an
swered with nervous half laugh.
The stranger did not notice him. In
stead he addressed the squire. 1--WE
are dead beat, my horse and |; 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. AIN 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. struck light
the minute | got down."
with your gun flint?" the stranger
asked. Squire Gleaves looked at him
hard. nodded and added slowly: "Yes.
with my gun flint, but you better be-
lieve primed the pan well aftcrward.
never yet shot at anything more'n a
deer an hope | 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.
laughing sweetly and looking hard
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 q sweeping flourish
until it rested upon her throat. Sound
legs. IL 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 frowncd and essayed to
speak. His father held up his hand.
"Wait. 1t takes a bit of figurin'," he
said. "Let's see-the drove's n little
the rise of 200. They'll average $50
the head. That's $4,000 in lumpin'
trade. | couldn't take less for Lightly
not cent less"
81 don't understand. l don't want to
buy the drove"- the stranger began.
Squire Gleaves broke III: Il thought
you didn't l doubt, in fact. If you ever
saw a 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 a
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 1t Craze
an grow up to follow the bell. Ever
hear of q 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 thousand, 1t don't matter. If l
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 1t up till after
midnight. Then there'd come 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
stop to eat much nor drink often by
the way"
The stranger laughed. "Droving
must be prof,ablc-under such condi-
tions," he said demUrely. "As under
stand it, the bell mare comes back with
YOU
"Oh, I'm honest enough to warn
folks" Squire Gleavcs said. also laugh
ing. but grimly. 81 swear 'em to keep
stock they buy Of me stabbed or hop
pied through two springs. After that
the beasts either forget or fall in love
with the place they 1--we or soncthin'
about 1t. But rs true as you stand
there I've had horses come home after
six years. Seems like springiime sets
'em wild to see the place they were
foaled in, an. no matter how far or
it is, they sense the course"
"How far have you known them to
come" the stranger asked.
give hundred miles, maybe more"
Squire Gleaves answered. The stranger
whistled, then, with change of man.
ner, said: "Since I must impose on
your hospitality, my name Is Robin
Lucas Robin. I thank you very much
for a chance at supper and 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 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 ha
saw in 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 oldef
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.
Ha fell aslppD To dream of her beside