The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-11-07

AfterwarG thereswas a grand pormen
ade through the garden aud barn, into th,
parlor to have a peep at its sombre horse
hair elegance. and finally out into the fell
to see Barnie. Barnie was Miss Mehita
ble's three.ysar-old colt. and a regular
beauty.
Hes wild vel" said Toppy, ''only hal
broken, and he won't come to nobody 81
quick as me-
She armed herself with an enticinc ear
OF yellow corn, and they started for the
pasture. 1t was a long, sloping lot, GOV
cred with clover rowen. The colt was in
an upper corner. They could see the
whisking Of his tail as he stood with his
head across the rails as if he had sought
the wood lot cover for the shade.
That's queer for Barnie to do" sale
Toppy in a puzzle. "You kin only peek
through the bars, young ones, for that
colts a kicker"
She started across the lot, swinging hel
ear of corn by the husks, and singing in a
cooling tone, Here, Barnie, Barnie, Bar
nie!''
Barnie bore out his reputation as a kick
er by raising his unshod heels and beating
the ground ~furiously as Toppy advanced
toward him.
sWhat ails you?" cried Toppy, in a tone
Of superior command. "You don't think
I'm scared Of your heels, Barnie Lateral,
do you?"
But on nearing the fence she saw to her
establishment the cause of Barnie's demon
STATIONS. A rope moose had been thrown
over his head and drawn almost to the
choking point. The rope was fastened
hastily to a tree trunk in the wood, and a
man who had beeu preparing to take down
the fence rails at Toppy's first hail, stood
glazing angrily at her. He was a f1ashily
dressed man. 4 wood road led down for
a mile through the woods to the Snawan-
gunk Club House. Toppy knew men of
questionable reputation often c~ongregated
there from the city.
Nothing daunted, she climbed upon the
rail as light and nimble as a squirrel, and
addressed the man.
s'What you want with Miss Mehitable's
Barnie, mister"
"Get off that, you kid. and clear out,'
growled the man, pouring a string Of
oaths out at her which might well have
frightened a more carefully reared child.
"Who cares for you swearing" said
Toppy, winding her supple soles close on
the old rail and standing up, with the mari
gold crown skewing rakishly over one eye,
to survey this very evident horse-thief
more fully. "You can't steal my Barnie
with me here, | tell you that,''
Barnie whinnied ather well-known tones,
and stood still. The man made a sudden
dive for her, but Toppy had half expected
it. She swayed sideways as his hand
came out, grasped Barnie's name, and
with a spring leaped lightly from the
fence TO the colts back, where she settled,
striding him like a boy, with a look of tri-
uiHph at the man.
Nov, mister" she cried in excitement,
''Barnie has never had no one on his back
but me, and he'll send you higher'n a kite
if you try it! As soon as You ontie that
rope, you bet I'll show you how this colt
can scootI And here | stay,,"
Conscious of her advantage, she showed
her little white teeth at him in a moeking
smile.
'I'll climb that fence and murder you,a
threatened the man.
"You d~arse1t, for that rope haint tied
tight enough around that tree but what l
could get over there while you're gitten'
over here, an let Barnie ~loosel'
"You little imp"
'An' if You lead Barnie off you'll take
me, too, mister. or he won't go a step"
Toppy sat there. her heels clinging to
Barnie, and her eyes flashing, clearly the
mistress of the situation.
The man reflected. Than he whipped
out an ugly-looking knife, and cut a long,
thin switch.
"Ill see if this won't tickle you oft that
horse's back" he said, with a cruel glance
at the little brown legs.
mo, '%twont," returned Toppy turning
pale, but not a bit daunted. "You kin
switch till you kill me, but won't git off,
Then, as a fac singing cut came across
her foot, she pulled it up as high as she
could under her little scant skirt, and said
between her teeth, doubling her fists and
winking back the tears, u won't get of.
Toni she cried out in shrill treble tones,
Run to the mill-for Neezer-and-hur-
Typ
She looked over her shoulder to be sure
Tom had started, and then sat there, bear
ing the rain of blows with all the courage
she could muster, though the pain brought
the tears dropping on Barnie's name.
Barnie danced as stay lashes tickled his
sleek coat, bat he knew who was on his
back, ane INDUCED in no more kicking.
Tom fed at top speed to the mill for the
man who did work for Miss Mehitable,
but was that day jebbing down there. Be-
fore he could reach it, however, a rescuer
rod in Miss Mahitable herself She