The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-10-26
JOHNNY'S HORSEBACK RIDE.

he had never been in it since he could
remember, of course nobody could prove
that he was not.
So he was very glad when it was ar
ranged that he should visit at his grand
fathers during vacation. He had not
been there, he assured his friends at the
years.
He had been promised that he should
ride on the pony his father had ridden
when he was a boy, and he thought
more of that than OF anything else. He
thought the pony must be the oldest one
in the world, but that was mistake,
for his father was not so very old.
1t was really a very nice, plump,
sleek-looking little horse which Uncle
Archie brought round that pleasant June
morning. He never did anything now
a-days but eat and stand under a tree,
with his eyes shut, switching the flies
with his tail.
Johnnys grandmother and his aunts
came out to see, and grandmother was
little afraid Johnny might get hurt,
but he reminded her that he would be
seven years old next May. Uncle
Archie put him on old Jack and said
NOW, Johnny, when you want to
stop you must say: "Whoa!' and when
you want to 60 on you must chirrup-
like this
Johnny managed to make noise
something like his uncle's and felt like
very large man when Jack moved
under him, and grandmother cried:
- III old on fjUht Inbnpy - o,I con,o
one else cried:
Don't 90 too fast Johnny" Uncle
Archie laughed at this. but johnny did
not know why.
The great meadow was smooth and
green and full of daisies and forget
me-nots. Jack spent his summer in it,
so he felt quite at home, and would stop
sometimes to take a nip at them, with
out waiting for Johnny to say: Whoa"
but he always went on again when
Johnny chirruped. At last he got into
corner a long way from the house.
lie went in among some trees and
bushes till he reached the fence, and
then stopped and shut his ewes.
Johnny was quite willing Jack should
rest awhile, but as he waited and waited
and seemed to have no desire to do any
thing but switch his tail Johnny got
tired and chirruped to him. Jack
moved little, but the fence was right
before him and he couldn't 90 through
that, so Johnny said Whoa" and
Jack stopped at once and shut bis eyes
again" .#.-
Poor Johnny began to wonder if he
should have to sit there all day. He
wanted Jack to turn round and take
him back to the house, but how was he
to make Jack understand that? He
knew how to stop him and how to set
HIM going again, but Uncle Archie
hadn said word about turning him
round.
Johnny, you see, did not belong to
that blessed class of boys who tumbled.
about the country all their happy, roll
licking young days, riding hay-loads,
buck-boards, stone boats, spring
wagons, cts, learningto handle horse
almost as soon as they learn to talk and
walk. He had ridden in steam cars and
street-cars and hacks, and he now tried
to remember something how they were
He did not believe steam.
cars ever turned round-they always
seemed to 60 straight ahead. He had
neverseen how the hack-drivers got their
horses to turn, but he had seen street.
cars turn on a turn-table when they
reached the end of their route. Jack
seemed to have reached the
end of MS route, but Johnny could not
see anything that looked like a turn
liable.
lie called as loudly as he could for
Uncle Archie, but no one heard him
Then Johnny cried us he wondered how
ong he might sit there, and if it was
nearly dinner-time.
After while he heard some one COM
ng along the green, shady road on the
'ther side of the fence. 1t was bow
md rope and something else. The
10Y was at one end of the rope, but
Johnny could not at first make I'D his
mind what it was at the other end. He
new it was either calf or a sheep. for
Jnele Archie had shown him both that
morning. but he could notquite remem-
'er which was hite and which was red.
He became so much interested in
Watching the boy as to forget all about
and dinner. Sometimes the
10Y would be ahead, leading or ierkin~
he calf (or Sheep along. And then al |
It once the sheep Cor calf would rush |
Onward and pull the boy along. AS
hey came near Johnny the boy hap |
'ened to be ahead. and he stoned at |
light of Johnny's tear-stained face.
"Hullon' said the boy.
"Sayr' said Johnny, pointing eager
at the animal, lis that calf or a
heep?" The boy stared at JOHNNY |
Without answering.
"Oh. never mind" said Johnny
cry politely, II thought you'd know.
believe it's calf, but Uncle Archie
an tell You for sure if you ask him. He |
noWs. But say-are you leading him.
r IS he leading you?"
At this the boy scowled very hard at
ohnny, and picked up piece of earth
throw at him. But johnny burst ont
rying again. and he stopped.
- didn't mean anything" sobbed
ohnny, land want Uncle Archie
:" Is it Mr.. Archie Crandall?'' asked
be boy, BE you his boy?''
Yes, / s'pose so. want Uncle
'fchie-I aoant Unc'e Archier and |
ohnny. afraid Of the calf, afraid of the
oy, and even afraid of old JanL /