The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-11-05

Old Hannibal.
nNo. mother" said Col. Dunway to
his wife, at the breakfast table, Il shall
ride the black colt on parade to-day.
Hannibal is too fat and too old"
"Too old? He and Barry are just of
an age. ,
"And BarTys only little colt yet ?
Well, you may bring him and Prue out
to the grand review in the afternoon, but
guess I'll ride the black this morning.
You can put Hannibal in the carryall.
Perhaps he'd like to take look again at
aregiment of troops i'll line.
Barry and Prue listened with all their
ears. They knew there was to be grand
parade Of soldiers that day, and they
were prouder than they knew how to
tell Of the fact that their father was to
wear uniform, and ride horse, and
give orders to some Of the men.
"Pue," said Barry, "father's going
to 'speck them.
"Iii-speck them," whispered Prue,
correcting him. Nobody else knows
how
That might be, for Col. Dunway had
been IN officer of the regular army, and
he was now Colonel of regiment of
militia; but there was one thing he had
said that puzzled Barry and Prue dread
fully.
"Borry," said Prue, after breakfast,
"is Nibble old?"
"Father says he is.
"And he said he was fat. )"
"Dr. Barnes is old, and he's fat."
"But his heads bare. +"
"Nibble isn't bald, and he isn't gray,
either"
"He's brown"
Mrs Dunway had told the exact truth
about Hannibal, or Nibble, as the chill
dren called him. He and Barry were
Just Of an age, and he had been a mere
2-years-old colt when Prne was baby
in her cradle. 1t was after that that
Col. Dunway had taken Hannibal with
him to the army and brought him home
again. He had been q war-horse, the
Colonel said, and so it would not do 10
turn him into plow-horse, and the con.
sequence was that Nibble did not have
enough work to do, and he grew fat toe
fast Yet he and Barry were only 8
years old apiece. That made eighteen
years between them and, if you added
seven years for Prue, it would only have
made twenty-five, and everybody knows
that is not very old, if you had given
them all to Hannibal. Barry and Prue
would have given him almost anything
they had, for he was great friend and
crony Of theirs.
A" Prue," said Barry, "let's go out tC
the barn. I've got an apple"
" He can have my bun" !"
What there was left Of it, that meant
Tor Prues little white teeth had been a.
work on the bun. That had been {
troubled morning for Hannibal. Before
he had finished his breakfast party O
men rode by the house, and one of then
was playing on a bugle. He had SCI
Hannlbals mind at work upon army
matters and war SO when Barry ant
Prue came to see him he would no
even nibble. He smelled of the apple
and he looked 1t the bun, but that wa
all.
" He's getting old" said Barry.
And fat, " added Prle.
"Tell you what, Prue, let's take hin
out into the lot. ] know mother'd le
u.s."
That was likely, for Mrs. Dunway al
ways kept safer about them if Nibbl
were keeping them company.
"Ill get on his back"
And I'll lead him. Wait till / fl
the halter"
Prue climbed up ON the side OF the
stall where Nibble was, and he stood
perfectly still while she clambered ovel
70 her place on his back. Barry knew
exactly what to do, and the old war
horse began to think he did himself. HI
must have been thinking, for he hal
closed one eye as he was walking out
ana opened the other very wide, with
wonderfully knowing look. BE wa
looking down the lane, and he saw tina
lle mont gate was open, and just at tina
moment there came up the road, yer,
bugle.
"Nibble Nibble F" exclaimed Barry
where are you going?"
Hannibal did not answer a word. bu
walked on down the lane very fast in
aeed, and Barry lost held of the halter
as ior Prue, she was not scared part
Gle, Tor she had ridden in that way man
a tlme, and her confidence in herself an
Old Nlbble was unbounded.
"Gluck, cluclx, cluck-get-ap."
Stop, Pvue, stopl Hes goin
",Get-apI Come, Barry. Oh, there
mother at tho window /"
Mrs: Dunway WAS not frightened an
more than Prue, for she said to herself