, Mandy and the "flea-bit"
Charlie, were watered in the branch, and fed; then the steers must be
brought down and "nubbined." They were grazing far up in a hollow, but
at a word Ponto was off, and soon brought them down, starting again on a
quest of his own. Then the boys put yokes on them and drove them around
the steep stable-lot for my pleasure. Keats said he and Hen had to tie
their tails together while breaking them, to keep them from turning the
yokes; but now they go along quietly, as well conducted steers should,
and evidently with perfect understanding of the strange talk of their
young masters, which was Greek to me. I could comprehend the "Gee,
Buck!",--"Git along there, Brandy!"; but the oft-repeated "Oo-cum-weh,
woo-oo!", and "Now-wa-_chat_-tum!" were indeed puzzling. Then Ole Suke,
the pied cow, hearing the excitement, came up, or rather, down, of her
own accord, followed by Reddy the heifer, whose little spotted calf
welcomed her loudly across the rails. Nothing would do but Keats must
milk Reddy then and there, to demonstrate the remarkable deficiency of
the "blind teat" before-mentioned.

Just as he had proved this to everybody's satisfaction, yelps from Ponto
could be heard approaching, and in another moment a large, raw-boned
black sow stepped sedately out of the woods on the other side of the
branch, and stood meditating. An instant later, she was surrounded by a
company of half-grown shoats, which squealed and scurried before Ponto's
onslaughts. But evidently Julia herself lived in a serene atmosphere,
and took orders from no one. After scrutinizing all of us, and assuring
herself that the boys really were Keats and Hen, she grunted deeply and
came forward. Not until she got out of the tall weeds, and into the
branch, was the joyful discovery made that nine little new pigs followed
her closely and shamefacedly. They could not be two days old,--of course
they had come purposely to celebrate the boys' visit home,--no one
could doubt that! Great was the delight that followed, great the pride
expressed in Julia and all her performances. And what a good bait of
corn Julia and the shoats got, while the babies helped themselves to
their dinner, all but the poor little runt, who was crowded entirely out
of reach of his until Hen spanked two of the others and made a place for
him!

[Illustration: "Not until she got out of the tall weeds, and into the
branch, was the joyful discovery made that nine little ne