New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-21
TWO WOMEN, A BOY,
AND SOME HORSES.
By MARIA LOUISE POOL
A CAT JOINS THE PARTY.

bert standing in front OF my horses mead Ht
was in that attitude so often assumed by clown!
in a circus. bent forward. with a hand on eacl
knee His mouth was puckered. and when he
caught my eye he winked. This wink confused
me- and filled me with a longing TO have whiI
in my hand and send its lash singing across
that frecked face.
They both guide by the rein. ladies'.
The repetition of these words reused me.
laid the left rein gently on my horses neck; al
the same time, apparently, Amabel laid the RICH,
rein on her horses neck. The result was that
they put their heads together and one of them
bit the other. The other was my steed; he re-
scented the attack by wheeling abruptly about
and sending foot hard against the rear of ANA
bells horse.
was so disturbed by this performance that
Albert. always in front of me, seemed for the
moment to be dozen boys, all grinning.
But kept my seat; and was glad to be in the
saddle once more. even in a sales-stabe with
the present background.
/ soon became conscious that the background
was fast becoming the foreground. The men
who had been strolling about in the distance
came forward
Amabe leaned toward me and whispered that
we had been idiots.
81 should think now you're on 'em, you'd try
'em," said Albert.
1t did seem a wise suggestion. and we acted
upon it, Amabel startet. off at a good gallop,
and followed her. But did not believe that
these horses had ever lived together. l wished
that persons wouldn't lie TO me.
But liked my horse. ] had notion that there
was a sympathy between This rather
a dangerous notion TO harbor on so slight an ac-
ouaintance: still harbored it,
We went round again. More men gathered as
witnesses I had moving vision Of light col
ored soft felt hats and plaid trousers pierre
ing wonder as 10 whether women really did come
here again darted through my mind.
This time my horse did most delightful am
bic, and my impression that there sympathy
between deepened
stopped in front of the man. hope it is un-
derstood when that phrase that refer to
our guide.
That fellows about the checker now, amt
hep he exclaimed. genially.
Immediately restrained myself and answered
coldly that his gats were tolerable Then l
slipped down from my seat.
Amt better saddler in the State" was the
response.
Here Amabel came up and her horse bit at
mine.
But they never have lived together" she as
serted. And she dsmounted She looked at
me sharply and / answered the look, but didn't
know what she meant. The men in soft hats
and plaid trousers sauntered off into the deeper
dusk again. l heard of them laugh, ana
then another chuckle.
Albert echoed this chuckle as If he knew what
was the cause of merriment. 1t was Of no
use to wish to kill him, for it is wrong to kill
boys; II 1t were not wrong I'm sure very few
Of them would live 10 grow up. And a person
doesn't wish to be hanged for taking the lives
OF boys
More horses were brought out, all of them
"frst-cass A No. | saddlers," all of them to be
sold for no fault. There grays and blacks.
and roans and chestnuts, and sorrels. But we
mounted no more of them
Albert did try several but we paid no atten-
ton to what he said.
At last left the place But we had been
bitten, and we were crazy, for we went back at
the time of the auction. And we bid in those
two horses we had ridden. Nobody bid against
us. that is. TO amount TO anything. and at the
time I thought this peculiarly fortunate. l
thought until Albert kindly informed me that
the reason folks didn't bid was because they
knew better and it wasn't because we were
lucky. have never been willing to tell how
ridicuously small the 1 paid for The
Thane. We Immediately named him The Thane,
for no reason whatever. Amabel's mount cost
81 80 more than mine; don't know why, I'm
sure, for any one could see with half an eye that
mine a much finer animal
You'd better start off mighty quick your
trip, Am" Albert remarked we walked home
from the station 'for par won't want them
mules round long"
When the two horses arrived before dark that
day, and Amabels father looked at them. all
the remark he made then was
well, horses are not extinct-yet."
Amabel went directly to her room and burst
into tears. i tried to comfort her by telling her
that simply because her father was a man was
no reason that he should be a Judge Of horse
flesh. And added that wished we were on the
road to the Cape. When we were once on the
way. even If our purchases were not approved,
no one would dare to sneer at them.
On the whole Amabels father behaved very
we'll The morning we started he told us that
we were fair riders. and were going through
a civilized country. where some one no doubt
would telegraph TO him if it were necessary
Then he said that he had prepared a little gift
for each OF U.S. and he pinned 10 the lapel OF
my jacket a white button. / found that my
full name and address were printed on my but
ton. and Amabel's only varied in that it was
her name upon hers.
Kind OF tags, you know" said the gentle
man. And he kissed Amabel and shook hands
with me; and the housekeeper threw old shoes
after us, one Of which hit Amabel's horse and
made him lunge forward. And we both looked
back and waved our hands, and The Thane
SHED Violently at something which proved to
De Albert leapng over the wall to say goodby.
we did not know why the boy had given up
buying horse.
lie now came forward to his sisters side and
heid Out an object saying he did so:
Here, Sis, take this. You'll see I've fixed q
place In the saddle for it. I shll rest nights IL
know you have something to protect YOU"