60 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



tlie best riding-horse up to the l)l()ck, aiul heli»ed Nancy 

 into the saddle; and as she turned she said, "Browning, 

 mother has frightened you out of one year's growth ; you 

 are as pale as a cloth yet;" and otf she dashed at a gal- 

 lop, and was soon out of sight. 



Well, thought 1 to myself, if slie should lind the cow 

 won't I be in a fix ! But I hope slie may fail, and save 

 me this evening. I'll be up to-morrow by dayhght, and 

 hunt till I do find her, if it takes me till night. 



But by and by Nancy returned with the cow and calf, 

 though she had been gone less time than I had. 



"Browning," said the old lady, "take off the saddle, 

 put the mare away, and then turn tlie cow into the 

 meadow." 



" Very well, madam," said I ; and I soon had all done. 



Neither the old lady nor Nancy said a word to me about 

 my not finding the cow, till I went into the kitchen to 

 make up the fire ; when Nancy said to me, with a playful 

 smile, " You are surely a great soldier, to l)e scared at an 

 old woman ! " and then she enjoyed a good laugh at my 

 e.xpense till her mother came in and relieved me. 



Next morning, being Sunday, I rose betimes and made 

 the fires ; which I had scarcely done when in came Nancy. 

 Now, thought I, we shall hear of the cow again. But ] 

 was pleased to find that she sympathized with me, by her 

 saying she had told her mother it was not to be expected 

 that a stranger should find them, who knew notliing of the 

 woods, nor of the range of the cows. "And," said she, 

 "you were going the right way till you took the left 

 branch ; the cow having strayed along the other." 



We passed some little time in agreeable conversation, 

 till the old lady made her appearance, when 1 left the 

 kitchen. 



After breakfast, which was later than usual, the old lady 

 told Nancv to take Dinah, the black woman, and go to the 



