Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-05-29
NAUTICAL OXEN.

Among his neighbors Job Haines was
considered a pretty fair sort Of a man.
He had settled In the little town in the
southern part Of Kansas, where he lived
as an immigrant from New Hampshire,
and he brought his Yankee sharpness
with him, but as he dealt fair and at
tsnded to his own business he passed.
The only member Of the family besides
Job and his wife was Ike, a nephew
whom Job had taken to bring up, as he
had no children Of his OWL. Ike was q
typical New England boy about fifteen
years old. He had been brought up in
one Of the coast villages OF Maine, and
had q great love for the sea.
Job, like the majority Of Yankee farm
ers, was a firm believer in cattle, and
did most Of his work with oxen. One
day he said to Ike: "Ikc, If you'll take
that pair Of yearling steers and break
them to work you can have them" Ike
was exceedingly well pleased at that,
and at once assumed charge Of his new
possessions. If ever a pair Of young
oxen were well taken care of they were.
He groOmed them as carefully as the
horses, so that their sleek coats shone as
glossy as silk, and he wa so kind with
them that they were as gentle as sheep.
He named them Jack and Billy.
In his western home Ike never forgot
the far off ocean. 1t had been the one
hope of his life to be a sailor, but his
being sent west had destroyed it. When
his uncle gave him the steers to break,
the idea came to him that though he
could never expect to tread the deck Of
his own ship, he could use ship phrases
IN the education Of his oxen, and thus
always be reminded of his own home be-
side the sea. Thus it was that Jack and
Billy were educated to work, ''broken"
totally ignorant of the usual commands
by which oxen are managed. Gee"
and 'haw,' "git up and whoa" had
no meaning for them whatever. It was
''haul away" and port" and "star-
board" and DELAY" ''Stern ALL" was
back. The oxen grew and waxed strong,
and his uncle often remarked that he
never saw n team that could do more
work than those oxen and Ike. No one
but Ike ever thought of handling them.
LnO ANhLNnb hNAAnDOA W IlG LlAlnIc
was Deacon Merwin, a good man and
pillar Of the church. The good deacon
saw that Ike's yoke Of oxen were work
ers, and q desire came over him to pos
cess them. He offered to buy them sew
eral times, but job always said that they
belonged to Ike and were not for sale.
The deacon asked Ike if he would sell
them, but met with such an indignant
refusal that he felt fingered, but did not
give up the idea Of possessing the cattle.
Finally he went to Job and said:
''Neighbcr Haines, If them cattle1l
work good every way I'll give you SlOC
for 'em. They're too much property foi
a boy like Ike to have, and it is apt t.
create in him a bad sPerrit and make
him feel above his elders"
"Well, / don't know, deacon. The
boy sets a deal by them cattle, and
promise is a promise. | gave them K
him if he would break EN-, and he has
30 I'm bound to keep my part"
"That's all true enough, neighboi
Haines, but Ike's only a boy, and then
remember, 500 amt offered every day
for a yoke Of cattle. Why not sell IN,
these and give him another pair t
break; that I'D do him jist as we'll"
The deacon's $500 and persuasion
finally weakened Jobs scruples, and h
gave in. The deacon was 10 try them
and if they worked all right was to havI
them for $500. How to tell Ike what h
had done was a poser 10 his uncle. Hi
aunt declared it downright mean piec
of business, and told job plainly wha
she thought Of him.
Il was finally decided not TO say any
thing to Ike until after the sale had beei
made and the cattle gone. In order tina
Ike might not be on hand to see his pet
sold ne was given a holiday, and sent t
spend the day at a neighbours, a coupl
miles away, where there was a boy G
his age who was sort Of a chum Of his.
The next morning Ike was of brigh
and early, and the deacon was on ham
shortly after. It would not be fair t
Jobto say that he did not have any mi.
givings. He would have backed out o
the bargain at the least chance, and h
really hoped that the deacon would no
be satisfied with them. The oxen wer
brought out and yoked to the cart with
ont difficulty, though the deacon re
marked that they did seem 'ginde
stoopid." job and the deacon climbe
up into the cart.
"Gee upr'
The oxen turned their big eyes rounI
inquiringly. Gee up, thereT' repeats
Job but they did not move a hoof.
''That don't appear like good break
ing" remarked the deacon
They're broke all right" replied Jol
"Come, gee up, therei' at the same tim
he gave each a prod with the goad. /
response to the prodding tho cattl
walked off toward the open gate, i
which direction their heads happened {
be turned. job did not want them to g
in the road, 80 he shouted out. "HoJ
hoyF' to turn them around; but the oxe
had no idea what ''hoy' meant, aud &
kept going straight ahead. job shoute
louder and struck Billy with the goat
They quickeued their gait into a trot an
turned out into tho road. Then Jo
shouted, "Whoal whoaf' but they di
not mind that either,
"They don't appear TO be aswen brok
as ] rcckOned on, y remarked the deacon