The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-03-18

but that | should have them for pets.
BESIDES, the COW was offered mighty
cheap, only SIS, while Id been going
without milk rather than pay the fifty
or seYenty-five dollars asked for a
mich COW; so now l thought was my
chance to close good bargain and get
two nice pets, beside. Yes, sir, even
planned while the men were gone
after those animals how ! would do
mesticate them in a few days"
And it took longer?" l asked.
"Domesticate! | might as well have
tried to dOmes,icate an active volcano
but | mustn't anticipate
My first impression of my pet COW
wasn't exactly encouraging. l had
imagined her ambling serenely up to
the house, mild-eyed and gentle, with
the little calflet trotting at her side.
Instead, she was dragged upon the
scene by four men who had spent al
least an hour in catching her and
bringing her to me. The calf mean
time, after an equally exciting chase,
had been led up and tied to a large
plum bush.
However, | wasn't one to let little
thing like that phase me. / was de
termined to make friends with that
COW; so when, about 200 yards from
the house the men threw her and took
off the rope | advanced with that idea
But l wasn't half so anxious to make
friends as the COW was. AS soon as
she set eyes on me-and if ever an
animal had the evil eye, that COW did
she made bee line for yours truly
Look out shouted the men. But
| was already footing it pretty lively
towards the thicket where the calf was
tied, the COW after me, snorting like
team engine almost in my ear The
next thing that ! knew | had slipped
and fallen on the ice in the north side
of the bushes with the COW on top. ]
believe that | tried to Arab the crea.
ture by her horns, with "a wild hope
that | might hold her down until the
men came to the rescue.
Il might as well have tried to hold
down hurricane AS she rose so did
l, and was on my feet 20 yards away
before she could see where she was at.
Just as she rushed from the bush and
lunged after me, | saw a rope swing
through the air, and the next thing
that devilpossessed COW knew she was
tied to clump of thicket and left to
mediate upon the evil of her ways"
What did the men say to this?" /
asked
"Of course they made out that they
We're awfully surprised at the COW
antics, fearfully scared at my close
call, and all that; but saw them grin
ming and chuckling as if they were
ready to burst as they rode off. and |
felt dead sure they'd planned to have
double funeral, COW and calf both, if
they hadn't found tender-foot 10 un-
load them on
However, ! never was one to give
in that | was beaten by anything. first
off, especially by COW. Besides. that
idea of having two nice pets had got
a great hold on me. made up my
mind that if kindness could reclaim
that erring COW she should be coddled
like an infant. So next morning, bright
and early. | started for the plum bush
where she and the calf was tied. de
termined to make peace. Fortunately.
two gentlemen, who had heard of the
episode of the day before, rode over
to see me that morning and Joined me
on my peace-making expedition No
sooner did the COW see me within 80
feet of her than she gave a fearful
surge; the rope that she was tied with
worn thin by rubbing against the
tree all night-gave way. and the COW
made for me as though so devils had
taken possession of her and were urg,
ing her on.
Il tell you | didn't stop to think
about the power of kindness on the
brute creation. | simply yelled. 'Mur-
der, and made for sand gulch near
by as though band of wild Indians
were on my trail AS | reached the
gulch and dropped ten feet or so down
the steep bank, digging my heels into
the loose sand to stop myself that ac-
robatic COW sailed straight over my
head and lit about twenty yards below.
AT first | thought that she was dead
but no such luck In a moment she
got up, looking foolish and dazed. but
very much alive. and began shaking
her head and paving fiercely. when
the two gentlemen reached down and
lifted me out as much as to say.
This is what I'll do TO you when l
get hold of you "
Which she didn't, hope" I put in
mo, indeed; you can be precious
sure that | took particular care that
she didn't have another chance to get
hold of me or to get back into the ward
again For an hour or so after she
had hoisted herself out of the gulcb
she stood outside the fence that sep
arated the yard from the field, shaking
her head and paving whenever she
saw any of us at the doors or win.
dows. At last, towards evening. she
trotted off with a zigzag wabble down
the bank towards the creek among the
willows, and there she lay in ambush
you might say, so that for week after
we didn't dare to go down to make
garden or do anything else. for fear of
having that COW descend like a wolf
on the fold"
And after that week." | inquired