Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-05-14
NAUTICAL OXEN.

Among his neighbors Job Haines was
considered pretty fair sort of 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
tended to his own business he passed.
The only member Of the family besides
Job and his wife was Ike, nephew
whom Job had taken to bring up, as he
had no children of his own. Ike was a
typical New England boy about fifteen
years old. He had been brought up in
one of the coast villages of Maine, and
had 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: like, 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 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 was 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. It had been the one
hope of his life to be 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, ssbrokenn
totally ignorant of the usual commands
by which oxen are managed. "Geen
and "haw," 'fgit up" and whoa" had
no meaning for them whatever. 1t was
'.haul away" and port and sstar-
board" and sSbelay." ssStern all" was
back. The oxen grew and waxed strong,
and his uncle often remarked that he
never saw a team that could do more
work than those oxen and Ike. No one
but Ike ever thought of handling them.
The nearest neighbor to the Haines'
was Deacon Merwin, good man and
pillar Of the church. The good deacon
saw that Ike's yoke Of oxen were work
ers, and desire came over him to pos
sess 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 angered, but did not
give up the idea of possessing the cattle.
Finally he went to Job and said:
'sNeighbor Haines, if them cattle1I
work good every way I'll give you $400
for 'em. They're too much property for
a boy like Ike to have, and it is apt to
create in him bad sperrit and make
him feel above his elders"
"Well, 1 don't know, deacon. The
boy sets deal by them cattle. and a
promise is a promise. gave them to
him if he would break 'em, and he has,
so I'm bound to keep my part"
'That's all true enough, neighbor
Haines, but Ike's only boy, and then,
remember, $400 amt offered every day
for yoke of cattle. Why not sell me
these and give him another pair to
break; that 'ud do him jist as we'll"
The deacon's $40O and persuasions
finally weakened Jobs scruples, and he
gave in. The deacon was to try them,
and if they worked all right was to have
them for $400. How to tell Ike what he
had done was poser to his uncle. His
aunt declared it adownrightjmean piece
of business, and told JOB plainly what
she thought of him.
It was finally decided not to say any
thing to Ike until after thessale had been
made and the cattle gone. In order that
Ike might not be on hand. to- see his pets
sold he was given a holiday, and sent to
spend the day at neighbor's, couple
miles away, where there was boy of
his age who was sort of chum of his.
The next morning Ike was off bright
and early, and the deacon was on hand
shortly after. 1t would not be fair to
Job to say that he did not have.any mis-
givings. He would have backed out OF
the bargain at the least chance, and he
really hoped that the deacon would not
be satisfied with them. The oxen were
brought out and yoked.to the cart with
out difficulty, though the deacon re-
marked that they did, seem sskinder
stoopid." Job and the deacon climbed
up into the cart.
''Gee upr'
The oxen turned theirfbig eyes round
inquiringly. ''Gee up,s ,stherel'' repeated
Job; but they did not.movesa hoof.
''That don't appear ikeegood break
ing remarked thesdeacon.
They're broke all right, "'replied. Job.
"Come, gee up, therel" at the sameItime
he gave.each prod with the goad. In
response to the prodding the cattle
walked off toward the open gate, in
which direction their heads happened to
be turned. Jobdid$not want them to 90
in the road, SO hes shouted out, ssHoyl
hoyr' to turn them$around; but the oxen
had no idea what '''hoy" meant, and SO
kept going straightHhead. Job shouted
louder and struck Billy with the goad.
They quickened their gait into trot and
turned out into the road. Then Job
shouted, "Whoa!swhoal" but they did
not mind, that either
'sThey' don't appear to be as well broke
as ! reckoned ION" remarked the deacon,
as he stood in the cart and viewed the
proceedings.
They're broke well enough" replied
Job, rather nettled, '.but I'm strange to
them; nobody but Ike ever drove them"
well, turn them about" said the
deacon.
But they paid no heed to any com
mand, and finally. exsperated, Job
struck them both with the goad, and
they started at full run down the road.
Clattery bangl the cart went, and both
Job and the deacon were compelled to
hold on the cart stakes to prevent being
bounced out of the cart.
Stop 'em! Stop 'emr' shouted the
deacon Il want to get out Whoal
whoa! wiioat ye varanintsr' But the
oxen only tossed theirlheads and ran the
faster stop EN-, can't YEP
Job was downright mad by this time.
"Stop 'em yourself, you old foolr'
snapped he; 1you knowsas much how to
stop em as do"
well be chucked out and klledr'
shouted the deacon, as the cart banged
over a sfnna