Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-28
remarked the

FARMER, with twinkle in his ewes.
| No, father, 1t was a different kind OF grow |.
{ l made up my mind that had better be moving,
| and walked on as fast as | could swinging the
lantern and singing with all my might to keep
| up my courage was glad enough when came
! In sight OF the house here. Now, you needn'
! laugh so, am sure saw so nethIng.'
! The fact IS, sam, you've been reading so
! many o. those hunting stories lately that they
/ have made you nervous
Listen! Listen!'' cried Mrs Gibbs 'sWhst
| it be Minna?''
She had stepped outside TO fasten a blind
which the wind was slam ming back and forth
Sam and his father dIrted out the steps and
stood listening. The echo OF hoOfs rang out
madly on the night air as the horse came on ut a
break neck pace. There plunge 10 the
right, will rush around the corner of the
house, and down the lane leading to the barn.
In the gathering gloom one of the three could
make out whether the horse was riderless or not.
shes .hrown!' said Sam huskily. 1.-The
best rider in the world couldn' keep his sess
with such a short turn as that. Come and he
grasped his father oy the arm.
As they approached the barn they were able
to distinguish the dim outlines of q horse
standing quietly by the door. ''Minnai oh,
Minna." cried the old man in short, broken
gasps, stretching out his arms; The next mo-
menE girlish voice answe. ed with a little
tremor, Wasn't that pretty well done for
gir?'' end they saw that Minna had sprlng TO
the ground and was standing by the colt hold
ing the reins. suddenly she darted to the
farmers side and c!utched his arm. "Oh!
on, she sh1ieked; what was :hat?,'
and to tell mother that you safe.''
The young girl kept turning her head and
peering uneaSily over her shoulder into the
daT kness. Il suppose you will think it Is
silly, - she said, with nervous little laugh,
''but can't get over the feeling that it is fol-
lowing me around all the while. -
what in the world do you mean?'
Come in the barn!' > he dragged the farmer
hurriedly over the threshold. II can't stay out
there another moment; . and she shuddered
~ feel as ii it vas therein the dark-ready
to spring at me. Here's am-now shut the
door, please-quick! and IN sit down this
pile of h:.y and tell GU about it,.
The farmer fastened the door and Sam, after
placing the lantern on barrel, began to take
the saddle from the horse.
- was very much to blame for loiting you
ride the horse remarked Mr.. GIBBS solemlly.
III anything had happened to you I should
never have forgiven myself"
ct wasn't the colts fault at all, - returned
Minna earnestly. He is gentle kitten.
He saw baby carriages and bicycles and all sorts
of things and never SHE'D once. But any horse
would have been frightened by what he saw.
Il went to call on the minister's daughter,
and finding out that there had been an acc dent
to the train, stayed longer than usual, know
ing that Sam would be late with the mail. /
didn't real ize how the time passed until hap
pened to glance at the clock. came homs by
way of East woods, SO as not to keep you wait
ing. Although hurried, il was quite dark by
the time got to the bridge. All at once Prince
pricked up his ears and threw up MS head and
snorted. struck him with the whip, but he
had only gone few steps when he stopped so
short that it nearly pitched me over his head.
Just then-right at my hand-only few feet
back from the ad, in a clump of bushes, were
two round, shining spots like balls of fire; and
heard, OIL such growll
II gave a loud scream, and guess the screech
and the howl together were too much for the
colts nerves, for he started a furious run
faster and faster, and never stopped until lie
came to the b .rn.''
There, fatherl Now you'll believe me,'
cried Sam, triumphantly. 81 saw the same
thing, Minna, in almost the same place. What |
do you think about it now, father?''
lnE ina Fof ion hfNfh nf
you
1t couldn't have been Imagination with the |
dog, - answered Sam, Indignantly.
"Nor wi h the colt, - answered Minna.
''I don't doubt but that you saw something's |
goat or stray COW, perhaps-and your imagina- |
ton made growl out of moo or 'baa.'