Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1931-02-06
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Valiancy Of Pretty
Callie Thaxter
By CHARLES SLOAN REID


DROF. AARON WILTSHIRE wore
l large, tortoise-shell trimmed glasses
He was near-slghled even with THE
aid of his glasses else he would not
have scaled the rail fence thai IN
closed the small meadow where Buh
gamers sh0rthorn bill had his eNelu-
sive range. There were not more
than four acres in the little pasture;
and the professor might have gone
around the fence with little loss OF
lime, and with considerably more safe
~. But he had chosen to cut across
the meadow toward the Buzzard kuOst
Rock where he hoped TO find some
mineral specimens which might prove
worthy of his attention. Bumgarner
bull had no more respect for col
lege professor than for belligereni
noodle; and the aged man had moi
reached the middle of the pasture be
fore the shprthorn had charged down
upon him from the shade of a single
chestnut oak which grew a short dis
lance from the fence at the right
just behind Professor Wiltshire. as
no had come down the trail toward
the meadow fence. had come tallie
.naxter Calle was eighteen with
tee as sunny as a May-day morning
with her glowing cheeks white, even
teeth. and eyes of the warmest brown.
Callie had paused, with a quick in
take of breath, when she saw the pr"
fessor mount the fence. Once she was
on the poinf of shouting a warnins +"
him: but il occurred to her that he
must have known the bull was here.
and doubtless had his own ideas about
eyadine an unush Then. wher she
saw the huge animal preparing for
the charge. She realized that Mr.. VIII
shire could not have known OF the an
imal's presence. She shouted with all
of her lung power. The professor
looked about him. AT that instant
terrific roar fell upon his ears-and
he saw The avalanche of horns. heels
and animal bulk hearing down upon
him. The old man turned about to
make as has'v a retreat as possible.
Lord" exclaimed Callie. hits
thet nice young mans dad. as stays
over to fuckers.
Young Wiltshire mad talked to Callie
a few days before for d long while,
about birds and butterflies, trees and
flowers. Now, the nice young mans
father was in danger. stout hick-
DRY pole lay a few feet away from
Calie. 1t had been cut for wagon
brake stick. and evidently thrown
away for better one.
Callie's gaze lighted upon the stick
in the first instant OF her SWEEP ng
search for some cudgel with which TO
go to Professor Wilshires rescue.
With the club in her hands she was
over the fence in an instant of time,
and with the improvised weapon up
raised in her stout young hands she
sprang forward to meet the oncoming
torrent of eighteen hundred pounds OF
animal viciousness. There was
whir in the air, as Calle's cudgtl de-
scribed a circle above her mead The
next instant the rough and heavy end
of it haa come down directly across
the muzzle of the enraged animal.
From the side of Black Rock halt
a mile away Tom Wiltshire hal neen
training his field glass upon the 1.-THE
figure of Calie Thaxter. as she made
her way toward Bumgarner's bull pas
ture.
"a pure mountain lily" he ex-
claimed; "innocent of every vile amt
pure as the air she breathes Why
deny myself the joy Of loving her?
With little coaching in her English
and in the art of dress. she would
grace palace
So Tom WIS musing, when the field
of his vision suddenly developed new
features. Tragedy had stalked in
The whole situation of it had been
revealed in one sweep of the lenses
He had seen the girl leap tile fence
with the club in her hands, and had
seen her deliver the blow upon The
bulls nose. The glass clattered from
Tom Wilshire's hands and he fled
down the mountainside in long leaps
His heart seemed striving to escape
through his throat. The most madden
ing fears aSsailed him. and most 81
these were not IN his fathers account
AS Tom leaped from among the
shrubhery adjacent to the meadow
fence, he found an old man. trembling
from shock, sitting upon some moss
outside The fence. young girl siom
beside him apparently unruflled by her
very narrowing experience.
81 reckon yuhGl be all right time
yul rest up Bit she was saving
an tibet varmint'll remember the
whack he gol for long time. Yuh
see, eff yuh can land a crack like thei
right across bulls nose bone, It'll
make him sick enough TO die for
awhile"
Tom Wiltshire halted In front Of
ralie Thaxter Suddenly he seized
her hands. MY dad owes his life H.