The “growling” was the muttered bellow with which the cow was wont
to terrorize her feminine victims. But this victim refused to be
terrorized. Instead of screaming and running she continued to advance,
brandishing the book and repeating her orders that the creature “go
home” at once. The cow did not know what to make of it. Before she could
decide whether to charge or retreat, a good-sized stick descended
upon her back with a “whack” that settled the question. Captain Cy had
reached the scene of battle.
Then the rescuer's courage seemed to desert her, for she ran back to
the cemetery even faster than she had run from it. When the indignant
captain, having pursued and chastised the cow until the stick was but
a splintered remnant, reached the haven behind the iron fence, he found
her soothing the frightened Bos'n who was sobbing and hysterical.
Emily saw her “Uncle Cyrus” coming and rushed into his arms. He picked
her up and, holding her with a grip which testified to the nerve strain
he had been under, stepped forward to meet the stranger, whose coming
had been so opportune.
And she WAS a stranger. The captain knew most of Bayport's inhabitants
by this time, or thought he did, but he did not know her. She was a
small woman, quietly dressed, and her hair, under a neat black and white
hat, was brown. The hat was now a trifle to one side and the hair was
the least bit disarranged, an effect not at all unbecoming. She was
tucking in the stray wisps as the captain, with Bos'n in his arms, came
up.
“Well, ma'am!” puffed Captain Cy. “WELL, ma'am! I must say that was
the slickest, pluckiest thing ever I saw anywheres. I don't know what
would--I--I declare I don't know how to thank you.”
The lady looked at him a moment before replying. Then she began to
laugh, a jolly laugh that was pleasant to hear.
“Don't try, please,” she said chokingly. “It wasn't anything. Oh, mercy
me! I'm all out of breath. You see, I had been warned about that cow
when I started to walk this afternoon. So when I saw her chasing your
poor little girl here I knew right away what was the matter. It must
have been foolish enough to look at. I'm used to dogs and cats, but I
haven't had many pet cows. I told her to 'go home' and to 'scat' and
all sorts of things. Wonder I didn't tell her to lie down! And the way I
shook that ridiculous book at her was--”
She laughed again and the captain and Bos'n joined in the laugh, in
spite of the fright they both had experienced.
“That book was dry enough to frighten almost anything,” continued the
lady. “It was one I took from the table before I left the place where
I'm staying, and a duller collection of sermons I never saw. Oh, dear!
. . . there! Is my hat any more respectable now?”
“Yes'm. It's about on an even keel, I should say. But I must tell you,
ma'am, you done simply great and--”
“Seems to me the people who own that cow must be a poor set to let her
make such a nuisance of herself. Did your daughter run away from you?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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