narrow escape. But she also knew that the Slaters would never forgive Pa for whipping Shoestring. It would be harder than ever to be friends with them after this.
Essie and Zephy rushed out and beat at her with their fists. They told her to go away and not come back. She had always been kind to the two little girls, no matter what their parents did. She thought they were her friends. Now they began throwing sticks at her new Sunday hat.
Quickly she climbed up into the wagon seat beside Pa. Mrs. Slater was still scolding at the top of her voice.
"All you folks do is make trouble!" she wailed. "After what your wife done . ."
Boyer let the reins drop. "What's she done!" he asked quietly.
"She bought herself a Bible from that feller who come around sellin''em," said Mrs. Slater.
"What's wrong with that!" asked Boyer.
"The Bible-sellin' feller done role me she bought one, so I was obliged to buy one too."
"Why on earth!" asked the man, puzzled. "Nobody's forcin' you to buy a Bible iffen you don't want one. But it might do ye a heap o' good to read it now and then. Did you not want it, why buy it!"
"I heard tell hit's unlucky not to buy one," admitted Mrs. Slater.
"Wal--read it then," said Boyer. "Hit says somethin' about lovin' your neighbor." He picked up the reins and drove off.
CHAPTER XI
Spotted Calf
Things were pretty quiet for the rest of the winter.
"I wisht them cows would never come back," said Mrs. Boyer, "so we might could go on livin' peaceable."
"So do I, Ma," said Birdie.
But they were not to have their wish. The return of the cattle from Lake Weller in the spring stirred up immediate trouble.
Things began to happen fast. It began with the spotted heifer calf.
Buzz and the Slater boys, Gus, Joe and Shoestring, went on the cow hunt to bring the cattle back. They were gone ten days, rounding up the cows that had strayed. One of the Boyers' cows could not be found. After several days they located her several miles away from the others. She had a pretty spotted heifer calf.
When the boys got back, the Boyers all came out to see the calves.
"We got to brand 'em right away," Pa said, "before anybody gets their hands on 'em."
Pa felt good to see so many. He tossed Bunny up in the air.
"The spotted calf belongs to Bunny," he said. "Can’t start too young to make a cowman out of him. Time the boy's growed, he'll have a herd of his own."
Pa's brand was the double B brand: BE for Bihu Boyer. He created a new one For Bunny; the diamond B. The first time he went to town, he had a branding iron made at the blacksmith shop, with the new mark on it. On the day of the branding, he made a fire of lightwood knots in the barnyard, and put the branding irons in to heat.
Buzz and Dan had fenced the calves away from their mothers, in one of the cowpens. Now they brought them out one at a time. Joe Slater came over to help. Birdie and Dovey hung over the fence to watch.
The men took one calf at a time. Joe threw it to the ground, Buzz put his knee on the calf's neck, then Joe and Dan held its feet. Pa took the red hot iron from the fire and pressed it firmly on the calf's hip, just long enough to make the mark. The burned hair and flesh smoked and smelled, while the calf blatted piteously It made Birdie feel sick. She turned to go into the house. Then she heard Pa calling for the spotted calf, the one that was to be Bunny's. She waited to see what the new marking brand would look like.
Buzz and Dan had not seen the calf since they penned the others up. Joe Slater insisted he didn't even know they had a spotted heifer. Pa looked at Joe suspiciously and wondered why he was so sure about it.
Birdie and Dovey went to look for the calf- it was nor in the pen or the crib. They looked in the pasture and the fields. but could not find it anywhere. The mother cow set up a noisy bawling.
Buzz decided to go on a cow hunt. He got the horse out, and rode through the woods and scrub, hunting for the calf. He took the hunting
Essie and Zephy rushed out and beat at her with their fists. They told her to go away and not come back. She had always been kind to the two little girls, no matter what their parents did. She thought they were her friends. Now they began throwing sticks at her new Sunday hat.
Quickly she climbed up into the wagon seat beside Pa. Mrs. Slater was still scolding at the top of her voice.
"All you folks do is make trouble!" she wailed. "After what your wife done . ."
Boyer let the reins drop. "What's she done!" he asked quietly.
"She bought herself a Bible from that feller who come around sellin''em," said Mrs. Slater.
"What's wrong with that!" asked Boyer.
"The Bible-sellin' feller done role me she bought one, so I was obliged to buy one too."
"Why on earth!" asked the man, puzzled. "Nobody's forcin' you to buy a Bible iffen you don't want one. But it might do ye a heap o' good to read it now and then. Did you not want it, why buy it!"
"I heard tell hit's unlucky not to buy one," admitted Mrs. Slater.
"Wal--read it then," said Boyer. "Hit says somethin' about lovin' your neighbor." He picked up the reins and drove off.
CHAPTER XI
Spotted Calf
Things were pretty quiet for the rest of the winter.
"I wisht them cows would never come back," said Mrs. Boyer, "so we might could go on livin' peaceable."
"So do I, Ma," said Birdie.
But they were not to have their wish. The return of the cattle from Lake Weller in the spring stirred up immediate trouble.
Things began to happen fast. It began with the spotted heifer calf.
Buzz and the Slater boys, Gus, Joe and Shoestring, went on the cow hunt to bring the cattle back. They were gone ten days, rounding up the cows that had strayed. One of the Boyers' cows could not be found. After several days they located her several miles away from the others. She had a pretty spotted heifer calf.
When the boys got back, the Boyers all came out to see the calves.
"We got to brand 'em right away," Pa said, "before anybody gets their hands on 'em."
Pa felt good to see so many. He tossed Bunny up in the air.
"The spotted calf belongs to Bunny," he said. "Can’t start too young to make a cowman out of him. Time the boy's growed, he'll have a herd of his own."
Pa's brand was the double B brand: BE for Bihu Boyer. He created a new one For Bunny; the diamond B. The first time he went to town, he had a branding iron made at the blacksmith shop, with the new mark on it. On the day of the branding, he made a fire of lightwood knots in the barnyard, and put the branding irons in to heat.
Buzz and Dan had fenced the calves away from their mothers, in one of the cowpens. Now they brought them out one at a time. Joe Slater came over to help. Birdie and Dovey hung over the fence to watch.
The men took one calf at a time. Joe threw it to the ground, Buzz put his knee on the calf's neck, then Joe and Dan held its feet. Pa took the red hot iron from the fire and pressed it firmly on the calf's hip, just long enough to make the mark. The burned hair and flesh smoked and smelled, while the calf blatted piteously It made Birdie feel sick. She turned to go into the house. Then she heard Pa calling for the spotted calf, the one that was to be Bunny's. She waited to see what the new marking brand would look like.
Buzz and Dan had not seen the calf since they penned the others up. Joe Slater insisted he didn't even know they had a spotted heifer. Pa looked at Joe suspiciously and wondered why he was so sure about it.
Birdie and Dovey went to look for the calf- it was nor in the pen or the crib. They looked in the pasture and the fields. but could not find it anywhere. The mother cow set up a noisy bawling.
Buzz decided to go on a cow hunt. He got the horse out, and rode through the woods and scrub, hunting for the calf. He took the hunting
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