At last I said, "If you have any trouble in getting off with them, I will get on my horse and help drive them myself." At once he brightened up and said: "Bery well, miss, I'll cum for dem to-morrer." His refusal and the consequent discussion delayed us greatly and we were very late getting home.
April 14.
Yesterday at nine Nat came for the cattle. I went out and had the good Martha, who is as quiet as a cow can be, roped so as to act as pioneer in conducting the others down. I am milking her and am sorry to send her away, but she was born and reared at Casa Bianca and is always overjoyed to go there, so that nothing will make her leave the road.
Equinox, the beautiful young bull, with John Smith, the two-year-old steer, and Ideala, a beauty three years old, and Pocahontas, Virginia, and Queenie were the party. They are all very gentle and started out of the front gate quietly and I returned to the house, but before I had taken my seat at the sewing machine Nat sent for me.
"Miss," he said, "yu know yu promise yu go too en help me."
"Oh, Nat, that was only in case there was any trouble. I only said that for fun. I knew they would not give any trouble. See how quietly they went out of the gate."
"But, miss, I neber would 'a' cum ef yu neber say so, 'case I know dem cows gwine loss. En, miss, yu done promise."
They know a promise is sacred with me. There was nothing for it but to tell Green to put the saddle on Romola at once, and to prepare for the sixteen-mile ride.
It was very provoking. I had some sewing which was most important, and I have so few days at home and with D. now, but I told Nat to go on with the cattle and I would catch up with them in a few moments.
Green is slow about saddling, so they had gone about half a mile beyond the avenue gate when I came upon Nat alone in the road with Martha, who was going round and round, while Nat used his long lash upon her. I called to him to stop at once, and I asked where the others were. He answered in an I-told-you-so voice:—