The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-10-06
A YOKE AND A JOKE.


noon express train on the Kansas Pacific
railroad and bring home Bruce and Jer-
iy's cousin, Eflie, who was coming alone
all the way from Kansas City to visit
them Bruce and Jerry were left alone
on the claim to look after things.
Bruce was fifteen; not very large Of
hts age, but active and strong, Jerry
WAS only two years younger than Bruce,
nut ho was dwarfed by IN affection Of
the spine, which kept him bent over like
a hunchback
When he was very small he was
thrown from u horse The accident con-
tracted some OF the spinal muscles and
il appeared that he was doomed to 90
through life with the humiliating ap-
pearance of having u chronic case Of
collie.
Bruce and Jerry were great friends
which is not always the case with broth
ers This was not due to the fact that
other boys were few in that thinly set
tied Kansas district; they were really
very iona OF ehCh Otner
All the morning, after their father
and mother left Bruce was very busy
making n small yoke, modelled after the
one that WIS used on Tom and Red, the
oxen they had brought with them when
they emigyated from Indiana,
Jerry sat on the framework Of the
grindstone in front of the cabin and
watched Bruce ut his work with much
interest, The yoke was now about com
poted and the young mechanic was
very proud of his workmanship
Its dandy an no mistake" he re-
marked, with satisfaction wen have
some fun, Jerry I've been thinkin for
long time that the calves are big
enough to break, m there's no time like
the present Won't it be joke on pa
and ma, thought
"W'at'll be u joker asked Jerry
why. 10 break Bell IN Nancy while
they're gone Won't they be s'prised to
find us driving en- around like Tom an
Red2 Won't it he Joke, thought
"tIm," Jerry assented,
After the pie had all been washed
down with cup Of milk, Bruce shout
dered the yoke and led the way to the
COW pen, where the meek eyed little heif-
ers were lying in the sun,
Nancy and Bell were not in the least
wild, for the boys had made pets Of them,
so there was no difficulty in approaching
them. They were pretty animals; Bell
was a spot" Of red and white, and
Nancy was deep red
"WeIl, girlies," Bruce merrily saluted
the heifers, "how do you find yourselves
this fine, large day2 Nice day, isn't it2-
incest in the neighborhood, Get up
now, md act your prettiest; there'i
company comm, and we want you Il
show off Tie the string around Nancy'l
neck, Jerry,
While Jerry obeyed this instruction
Bruce secured Bell, and then the heifer
were led ont of the COW lot to a little ole
cart that stood by the front yard fence.
IAN wen take Effie a-ridin along b,
the cornheld, an let her see the big tas
sells. III toll You what we'll do Jerry
we'll go down the road IN meet pa al
ma, an we'll bring Eflie home in ou
wagon. How's that"
First rate" said the little cripple"
well, it's done" Bruce announces
presently Lets eat our pie first, AM
then well yoke EN- up"
They had been too busy to notice tina
it was past noon. but now hunger re
minded them that their mother had lef
for each of them "a big hunk Of pie,
Very soon they were seated on the door
step, mpnching their dinner,
This plan of yoking up the calve
would have been instantly condemne
by the father had he been ut home, fol
in the first place, the heifers were to
young, and in the second place, the
were intended for mich cows and nc
for beasts of burden, but 1t did not OF
cur to the boys that he would object
The little animals were docile an
tractable enough; indeed, they were prt
vokingly slow and sleepy in their move
ments
you'll get walked up very soon,
Bruce re marked, half angry that Name
would mot stand around
1t took some time to get them yoke
satisfactorily to the cart, but at las
~ A.. 4 Al. 4 A n.
for the start were complete, Jerry stoo
on one side, next to Bell, and Bruce O
the otheR, by the side Of Nancy
"Get up Belll" called Jerry.
Both boys slapped the aanks of IL
heifers vigorously, and they moved on
few PAGES, in mild eyed wonder at th
new situation. Still they evident
thought this new way of petting then
and that it was all right