The morning call., 1892-02-26
GRAY BILLY.


keeper, you know. Goodbye MI Lums-
den picked up his reinS. spoke to his horses,
I'D IN hrirbtlv naiuted farm wagon rum
az VIZ -. 49,, ,,,,.,- ,,.bsoI trek
80 ~ - - O.. y-,,+s, n, oil
4Ae LNiIeu0"9 D. - -,
sides q great pTalIe SlIeHu away ~ INC 'o'0i
HORIZON, se2-IRe eNp&nse OF mouUlobOus
. grass broken ONLY By the buildings and cul-
tjvata3 orourd of the farm. A lonely
- 80 +,I +bo truth. and TO-
SHVus" l~""Se't .O' ~ -, - g.,
day IL seemed even lV"ei'el 'i',' "5U"'' ~
mother had died years ago ana latHeI WAS
now away.
J,o+ tto~a was plantv Of work 10 do. both
80 ~. 50 ,l,s+ ria DAY paSspd
nue. '-'N 80 80, - r,-l.roI,-1,-
H''"N-' iS"' ,"- '' - -, 49,.
thoughts ana wren o,u.'Ile S"ino oo'N 80
50 tired that they iel asleep before l"eE
had fairly settled themselves among tleE
nfi1rvs
ur-5-.,.l p.5ravf Wake mn Wake
,'e'+'-'
up!
II was NelEe's voice, and tnere was some
thing iu its tones that made the boy spring
. ont I.roo fha floor b. fore be WAS well awake
ous Hto. ,'s NO.. 80 l,.,, zr;l5 bswi-
anu s'OVu '''-T 49, - 49, -
deTed' h"li-apeAeu eyes, H@Io'f US
whore be was or what had aroused IiL.
walls 6ud flashed ever the OIL o. say '-"'
could be seen through me SlASH "IHdJ"'
Rodney rushed to look cut.
The VraIie's GA me. cried Nelile' IAet
whole country appeared to be aol2ze ana
high WIND, almost q tempest. blew from the
very center Of tie cCuu5grau02. beJ"een
She fire and tile house and all around s|lrd0
the tall, dry grass, quick 10 catch as powder
"Oh. i father were only herew thought
both children. Like any other W eSleTn Boy
Rodney knew in an instant what ought 10
be ne. IT, LUms1eu had been SO oCcu-
pied since taking tAa farm that lie never
found sine 10 IUu 'uge-oTeak in o[aeI 10
protect his property against tile very danger
now tuTs a.euus j. A hrc-orCak 5 made
By blowing two lines II few burrows sacA
some hundred yards apart, and then barn
ing the grass between. The flames reaching
this burned belt, lCTd6re0 on either side by
damp freshly turned earth are at once
arrested and die away f1r want Of fuel
Every pXrO-el prairie farmhouse ought 10
be defended in This manner. Nellie, too,
perfectlv understood the situation
We must run a break" said she, while
her brother vas hastily dressing. He looked
up despaiIinEIy
" How can We? Father has both horses
II they were here ] know / could manage;
but " haI am l going % do with no team
Whv net use GRAY BIIy?' asked Nellie.
laughed Gray Billy, The saddle horse. who
had never pulled a pound in his life! To
even dream of putting liln In q plOW
"T'S lust the same as having no horse
al ALL"
Pertains. but 7 sam chow feel TINT Pillv
vyil do IoD Know how bright he is
how be seems to understand every word
Won say t5 him. Oh. Il .dnev: please. please
trv o."
''Weu. IFS tue only thing We can try.
Butt know he'll never 10 il: never In tie
world" While ye- speaking Rodney leaned
down tie stars. ran ont If the house 10 the
stable few stops distant. and throwing
omen tie doors hurried Co Bilv's stall. He
could see the bright ewes Of the gray horse
who turned IFS head ami iuQuisitIye ears
toward the distarber Of his nights rest
.DTai-.fv yv.nier.ur what. This uutlmalX yf-it
cowsd mean. BHIv was the family paf. He
came If q famous stock and had thorough
bred ncrd in his veins: the blood which
puts the. horse that possesses even p few
drops of Il So far above all ordinary horses
that lie can hardly be said TO be OF tseir
kind Trained entirely bv kindness with
out ever having known whip or spur, harsh
wCrds. OF rough treatment. GRAY Billy was
an intelligent. almost reasoning animal MS
masters loving friend. willing to 20 any
e. where Or do ANYTHING, to the last heart beat
if only he felt that masters hand and heard
his voice
Rodney began fitting single plow har-
ness ur6n the slender body Of the splendid
horse Billy Quiverei as lie felt the unac-
cUstomed weight OF tie heavy collar and
head stall. but did not stir a f00t, only
shutting curiousIy at his novel trappings
and watching the boy with astOnished gaze
The last buckle fastened, R dney led Billy
out Of the dark stable. The fro was alarm
ingly near. It seemed to have increased
teufUid during the few minutes passed in
the stable and now flied the sky with
whiTing clouds Of smoke, while beneath
the flames sported higher than ever. ap-
uroachiug closer even while he looked at
them. Nellie was on the roof with bucket
and diDper putting cut the sparks con-
stantly falling on tue dry shingles. She saw
her brother and called 10 him, anXiOusly:
make haste! There's hardly time enough,
even IT, She aid not finish, but she
thought, even if Billy viii work" Every
thing they had in the WOrld-tbeir own
liYes-depeuded upon whether the gray
horse would pull the piOW to which he was
now being tackled.
Swapping the second trace fastening,
Rodney led the horse over the grass land
toward the point he had chosen for the outer
line If defense. Billy followed quietly, tax
ing no notice OF the plow humping and rat
fling at his heels. This IN itself was a won
der. II he had ever before felt that clumsy
weight trammellDg his sprlngy steps he
would have kicked It Into fragments, as in
dignant protest being used as draught-
horse. But the critical test was now to
come, for they had reached the proper limit
and Tea! work must begin. Rodney ran the
point Of the share into the tough sod, ad-
justed the reins and grasped the plow
handles.
Come, Billy! Chirrup, old boyP Billy
did not move.
Gone, now! Pull for it, pOnyW Not
motion. Turning his small head, Billy
looked wistfully at his master like a child
who tries to read the answer to a hard
question u the teachers face.
He'd do it If he knew" thought Rodney
''But he doesn't know, Oh, how can l make
him understand"
lie ran 10 Bily's head and began leading
him, at the same time managing the r-ins
gathered up in one hand. and using every
method he could think of to accust0m the
horse to being directed from behind
''IU try once more noVP' he tputtered to