wagon. Osceola started on.
They went first to the Slaters.
At first they thought there was nobody at home, then Mrs. Slater came out on the porch with her baby slung on her hip.
"Howdy!" she said.
"Found one of your cows bogged up in the cypress swamp," explained Mr. Boyer. "I pulled her out and brung her home behind my wagon.'
He untied the grapevine. The animal was covered with black, mucky slime and was hardly able to stand on her feet. Under the muck, she looked thin and bony. Mrs. Slater stared at her.
"Don't look like none of our'n," she said.
"She's got your markin' brand, circle S," said Boyer. "She belongs to be scrubbed off and fed up and took care of for a week or two."
"Can't do that," said the woman.
"Your men folks can," said Boyer.
"All gone off," replied Mrs. Slater. "Aint worth it, nohow"
"She needs water to drink," said Boyer.
"I wouldn't tote a bucket o' water for no cow on earth," said the woman. "I purely hate cattle."
"She's worth ten or twelve dollars, do you feed her up a bit," said Boyer.
"I'd not see any penny of it, did they sell her."
"I'd as good to let her bog down and die, then, in the swamp," said Boyer crossly. "You got feed for her!"
"I never see ary cow worth feedin' or totin' water for," insisted Mrs. Slater.
Shoestring came round the house and stopped when he heard voices. He had a fish---a bream--in his hands.
"Hey, Birdie!" he called. "See what I got! Dropped right down from the sky!"
"Huh!" said Birdie. "Expect me to believe that! You been fishin'."
"I was down yonder by the lake," said the boy, "and I looked up and heard a loud squallin' and I see a bream flyin' through the air. I held out my hat and caught it and here it is!"
"You caught it on a hook!" said Birdie.
"Naw-sir-ree!" Shoestring continued in a boastful tone. "Fish hawk dove down in the lake and caught him this fish. Ole eagle was settin' on a dead limb watchin'. When the fish hawk started off with it, the eagle flew up and hit him in the back and they had a fight and made a terrible noise. The eagle got the fish away from the fish hawk, but when he seen me and heard me holler at him, he got scared and dropped the fish--right in my hat! Neither of'em will eat this fish for supper--I will."
"Looky here, son!" said Mr. Boyer, pointing. "That cow belongs to be scrubbed clean, fed and watered and looked after.
Shoestring stared at the animal. "She shore do!" he said.
"Never did a stroke of work in your life, did you, son!" asked Boyer.
"No sir--I mean, yes sir!" said the boy.
"Hit's your Pa's cow," said Boyer. "He and your brothers are gone off. Can't you .. ." "I ain't messin' up with no cows!" said Shoestring, shrugging his shoulders.
"I thought you was a cowman and rode a cowhorse," said Birdie.
"Hit's fun to ride a horse ..."
"So you ain't messin' up with no cows!" Like a gust of mighty wind, Mr. Boyer's anger rose. "Well, you air! But first I’ll whop you good to make shore!"
He grabbed the boy by the shirt collar, pulled a strong but limber branch off a tree and began to lay on strenuous blows. The fish flew up in the air and fell again on the sand. Shoestring yelled at the top of his voice.
Mrs. Slater screamed, "You're killin' him! You're killin' him! You leave my pore Jeff alone!" The baby on her hip cried lustily and Essie and Zephy came running out. "Don't you hurt our Jeffie! Don't you hurt our Jeffie!" they screamed.
But Mr. Boyer did not stop until he had done a thorough job. "Now you do what I tell you to!"
He stood over the whimpering boy and told him how to take care of the cow. After he had seen the animal comfortably installed in the shelter behind the house, he was ready to leave.
Birdie had stood by and watched it all. She knew how much her father loved animals and insisted on proper care and feed for them--even if they were not his own. She herself could not bear to see an animal suffer without wanting to help it. She wanted the poor cow to be taken care of, after its
They went first to the Slaters.
At first they thought there was nobody at home, then Mrs. Slater came out on the porch with her baby slung on her hip.
"Howdy!" she said.
"Found one of your cows bogged up in the cypress swamp," explained Mr. Boyer. "I pulled her out and brung her home behind my wagon.'
He untied the grapevine. The animal was covered with black, mucky slime and was hardly able to stand on her feet. Under the muck, she looked thin and bony. Mrs. Slater stared at her.
"Don't look like none of our'n," she said.
"She's got your markin' brand, circle S," said Boyer. "She belongs to be scrubbed off and fed up and took care of for a week or two."
"Can't do that," said the woman.
"Your men folks can," said Boyer.
"All gone off," replied Mrs. Slater. "Aint worth it, nohow"
"She needs water to drink," said Boyer.
"I wouldn't tote a bucket o' water for no cow on earth," said the woman. "I purely hate cattle."
"She's worth ten or twelve dollars, do you feed her up a bit," said Boyer.
"I'd not see any penny of it, did they sell her."
"I'd as good to let her bog down and die, then, in the swamp," said Boyer crossly. "You got feed for her!"
"I never see ary cow worth feedin' or totin' water for," insisted Mrs. Slater.
Shoestring came round the house and stopped when he heard voices. He had a fish---a bream--in his hands.
"Hey, Birdie!" he called. "See what I got! Dropped right down from the sky!"
"Huh!" said Birdie. "Expect me to believe that! You been fishin'."
"I was down yonder by the lake," said the boy, "and I looked up and heard a loud squallin' and I see a bream flyin' through the air. I held out my hat and caught it and here it is!"
"You caught it on a hook!" said Birdie.
"Naw-sir-ree!" Shoestring continued in a boastful tone. "Fish hawk dove down in the lake and caught him this fish. Ole eagle was settin' on a dead limb watchin'. When the fish hawk started off with it, the eagle flew up and hit him in the back and they had a fight and made a terrible noise. The eagle got the fish away from the fish hawk, but when he seen me and heard me holler at him, he got scared and dropped the fish--right in my hat! Neither of'em will eat this fish for supper--I will."
"Looky here, son!" said Mr. Boyer, pointing. "That cow belongs to be scrubbed clean, fed and watered and looked after.
Shoestring stared at the animal. "She shore do!" he said.
"Never did a stroke of work in your life, did you, son!" asked Boyer.
"No sir--I mean, yes sir!" said the boy.
"Hit's your Pa's cow," said Boyer. "He and your brothers are gone off. Can't you .. ." "I ain't messin' up with no cows!" said Shoestring, shrugging his shoulders.
"I thought you was a cowman and rode a cowhorse," said Birdie.
"Hit's fun to ride a horse ..."
"So you ain't messin' up with no cows!" Like a gust of mighty wind, Mr. Boyer's anger rose. "Well, you air! But first I’ll whop you good to make shore!"
He grabbed the boy by the shirt collar, pulled a strong but limber branch off a tree and began to lay on strenuous blows. The fish flew up in the air and fell again on the sand. Shoestring yelled at the top of his voice.
Mrs. Slater screamed, "You're killin' him! You're killin' him! You leave my pore Jeff alone!" The baby on her hip cried lustily and Essie and Zephy came running out. "Don't you hurt our Jeffie! Don't you hurt our Jeffie!" they screamed.
But Mr. Boyer did not stop until he had done a thorough job. "Now you do what I tell you to!"
He stood over the whimpering boy and told him how to take care of the cow. After he had seen the animal comfortably installed in the shelter behind the house, he was ready to leave.
Birdie had stood by and watched it all. She knew how much her father loved animals and insisted on proper care and feed for them--even if they were not his own. She herself could not bear to see an animal suffer without wanting to help it. She wanted the poor cow to be taken care of, after its
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