Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-07-20

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puff-balls, then charged Addison. He
ran round rock, and by quick dash
escaped across the brook into another
thickef. Losing sight OF him, she whirled
on me, and | climbed the hemlock that
was handiest.
She now ran back where her calf was
hidden, to make sure il was safe, and we
stole away as softly as possible. We
had had enough. There was swift fury
in her movements which made us aware
that we had better stop. Asa had been
in grave danger. He was somewhat
bruised and in towering passion.
'1'll shoot that brute as quick as ever
can get gun % he exclaimed, and went
raging home, bent on loading an old
rifle we had at the farmhouse.
But the old squire forbade it, "She is
only defending her calf according to her
lights" said he. "There has been mis-
management. It's pity she's got into
such way, but will not have her shot
down."
"What will you do with such a crit
ter ?" Asa retorted angrily.
81 don't quite know myself" the old
squire replied, smiling. Leave her
there a while, till the calf is older"
Theodore and Ellen believed that they
could 60 up to the pasture and call Little
Queen out of her covert with nubbins OF
corn, of which she had always been very
fond; but we dissuaded them from at
tempting this. The heifer had now gone
too far to make such tactics safe. "Let
her alone awhile" the old squire said to
us all.
This plan, however, did not prove
wholly practicable. Certain idle fellows
in the vicinity, who had heard from
Willis and Asa that one OF our Jerseys
had run wild, began going TO the pasture
on the sly, some of them with dogs, to
see what Little Queen would do, and
have some sport with her. We heard
that several of them had narrow escapes.
They went there for sport, but had more
"spon" than they wanted, and were so
unSportsmanlike themselves afterward as
to raise a clamor TO have Little Queen
slaughtered. Even some OF our staid
farmer neighbors demonstrated with the
old squire. "That heifer of yours is liza
bic to kill somebody" they said.
'"Not if people keep out of my pasture,
the old gentleman replied, grimly. "They
shall have legal warning" Thereupon
he had five large trespass notices pre-
pared and set up conSpicuouSly around
the pasture fence. remember those no.
ticeS we'll; Theodore and printed them
in large black-ink letters, on pine boards.
WARNING.
DANGEROUS HEIFER HERE.
All persons are Forbidden TO enter this
Pasture with Dogs and Guns.
There was flock of nearly hundred
sheep in this pasture, and some of us
had to 60 there with salt for them once a
week. For a long time, however, we
rarely saw Little Queen. Probably she
fed in the early morning hours, then re-
tired to the thickets along the brook,
where she kept her calf hidden.
Those hemlock thicketS were her small
kingdom. She was queen OF that part
of the pasture. 1t was hers; and for
weeks neither dogs nor boys dared 90
there, or if they did, they had to leave in
haste.
A curious thing about Little Queen was
that she never beloved, paved the earth,
or uttered a sound of any sort. With her
il was all action and no waste OF breath
one straight, sudden rush at the intruder,
with well-nigh incredible vim and swift
ness.
During all this time, too, no one had
actually seen that calf OF hers. II was
not till August that we began to catch
sight OF him out in the open pasture,
grazing near his mother. Even at a dis
tance we could see that he was a hand
some little chap. plump, sleek and glossy.
Evidently he had Jared well.
The life which Little Queen now led
appeared to have sharpeneda all her senses.
Let one OF us approach the pasture fence
a hundred rods away, and she was al
most certain either TO see or scent us,
and would then beat rapid retreat to
the thickets with the calf at her side.
Several times that summer grandmother
asked the old squire what he expected to
do with that Jersey when housing-time
came; and remember that the old gen.
tleman laughed and said:
"Ruth, don't know yet. She has re-
nounced her allegiance TO me" he added,
still laughing. "She has declared her
independence and set up for herself"
One day in October three hunters from
Portland went up the valley OF the brook,
and regardless OF the trespass notices,
fired repeatedly in the pasture at part
ridges or deer. Halstead and ! heard
the guns, and went up there to see what
effect if was having on Little Queen. We
made circuit OF the pasture fence, but
could see nothing of her. The next day
the old squire and Addison searched, and
discovered that she had lett the pasture.
On the north side they found where two
cattle, one having little hoofs, had jumped
the fence and taken to the forest. The
reports of the guns or the smell Of gun
powder had impelIed Little Queen to de-
camp with her calf to the great woods.
at is doubtful if we ever see her again, !"
the old squire said. Probably she IS
miles away, hiding in the depths OF some
cuanin -