The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-11

MUS Tor dinner.
''OP Babel s roarin' awfully." she
reported. on one of her returns to the
barn do you s'pose he's lonesome
without the steers?"
Shouldn't wonder said her father;
"or mebbe the springs dryin' up.
| Wisht Id told Eben TO look"
80 father, never knew that spring
to get dry" said Susy
! No, nor you never knew six weeks
o. drought in September afore," he re-
torted
They laughed at the grim pleasantly,
and old Zerubbabel, the king of the
| hill pasture, was forgotten
House and barn were in perfect order
when the parents drove off to the fair,
| and left Susy alone in the house to
wait for the return Of her brother
Ebeu.
She must draw her precious lily to
the road. in order that Eben need not
drive up to the house. He had set the
flower into Susy's little four-wheeled
cart, and she had secured the green
tub and washed the leaves, and
watered it well; and now it was al
most ten O'Clock
She locked the door, gave kitty a
parting pat, then started slowly down
the hill toward the bridge. -Four ways
met there-the lane leading to
Cynthy's, the road into the woods, the
Faxon driveway and the road to the
fair.
Susy looked up the road for Eben,
but for glazing half mile there was
no moving thing. The green ribbon
roGd through the woods to Capt.
| Banks was deserted, too; so was the
Ordway lane.
But some one was moving up near
the lilacs- Spsy shaded her eyes.
''Oh! it's Grandma Ordway!"
This was a gentle old woman, deaf
and partly blind, and fond of wander
ing about in the sunshine.
Yes, shat is her little red shawl;
how hot it looks to-day" Susy was in
glow, even in her cool gingham.
What if this heat should make the
lily droop! Better draw it little way
up the lane into the Shade of the
NAPLES. There! How welcome the
COO ness'
"Hark! Old Babel again. thought
Susy. How near it sounds! He must
have broken into the lower pasture.
What dreadful angry roar-begin-
ming SO growly and ending SO shrilL"
She was glad she had not to stay at
home alone and listen to it. How it
echoed against the old saphouse be-
hind herl
This WAS a rude board shanty where
the men boiled the maple sap in
spring and kept their pals and kettle.
1t had chimney, a square hole for a
window and a door facing the bridge.
IF Babel should get out-if it's
water he's after-he'll come tearing
down here to the brook" thought
Susy. She shnddered and looked az
the ssphouse door. 1t was hooked on
the outside, but above her reach.
Better climb into the apple tree by
the wall" thought Susy. But my
lily! Old Babel would be sure to see
that and trample it all to pieces, it is SO
red"
Another roarl There was no doubt
now; old Zerubbabel was out-he was
coming right down the hill behind the
barn! He made nothing of the gate;
one blow of his great, square head,
one lift of his short, cruel horns-it
was tossed from its hinges and he was
in the yard and at the watering trough.
But alas there was nothing but mud
and green scum in it. Eben had been
taking the COWS to the brook for week
past. Babel did not stay long at the
trough, but started down the road
toward Susy.
81 must get out of his way" she
thought There's time to run up to
the Ordways'-but not with my cart
and lily. l must put them in the sap
house"
She found stick and pushed at the
rusty hook of The saphouse door with
all her might
Another below! Babel was comingl
The hook gave way, the door fell in.
Susy scrambled after with the cart.
She shut the door and piled bricks,
stones. blocks, all the loose bbish she
could find against it, in frantic haste.
A terrible trampling, sound of fly
ing pebbles, and a roar that chilled her
blood, told her that Babel had reached
the brook, with only few yards and
that frsil door between them.
Her teeth were chattering with fear,
but she felt that she must look out.
The window was on the wrong side,
but there was a crack in the door.
Tes-there was Babel, knee-deep in
the brook, drinking with fierce eager
ness, and rolling the stream with his
pawings
But what would he do next, and why
did not Eben come? She turned to the
window. Oh joyful sight! A cloud of
dust at last. 1t must be Eben's wagon.
But what was that sound?
Out of the dust came, rearing and
paving, another dreadful bull, straight
toward the bridge! With a cry Of
dismay Susy recognized it as Lord Cor
wallis-the famous bull that she had
seen Capt Banks driving toward the
fair an hour ago. Lord CORVALLIS had
escaped. and was wandering home
ward Hearing Babel. ne bore down
upon him with challenge in every
motion.
Splashing, snorting, exulting in the
stream, old Babel did not perceive his
rival until he had reached the bridge.
Then he raised his head with a glance
of INQUIRY, and stood proudly defiant,
awaiting the onset.
In another instant poor Susy at her
crack saw Lord CORVALLIS plunge
down the pebbly bank with shrek Of
fury, to be met with equal but cooler
haired By his big foe.
Ire animals we're we'll matched in