The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-12-22

On ~. "wsT caparison him WITH
Ill ssrts ef fantastic trappingA - they
do In his native land. and then I'll take
my ride, and I'll feel like real oriental
princess" i-r
The next Saturday Miss Nancy car
ried out this plan. We "rigged Egypt
up" as JEFF put II, as no camel in or
out of his native land had ever been
"rigged up" before. 1t was all done un-
der the enthusiastic direction of Miss
Nancy. She brought forth red Grape
shawl. a large, plaid, double woolen
shawl. 4 box Of old artificial flowers,
another Of carefully preserved ribbons
of every hue. two or three silk sashes
and scarfs. a black lace shawl, several
yards Of green silk fringe a foot in
width. and some peacock feathers.
JEFF and did the rigging up" and
when 1t was done Egypt was. perhaps
as picturesque n camel rs ever walked
the earth.
"Now / must be in harmony with
Egypt's oriental appearance" said Miss
Nancy. So she draped herself in a
white sheet, wound n blue shawl around
her head and over her shoulders. and
clasped yellow girdle about her waist.
Don't we look as II we were just
from the orient?" she asked, as we
made Egypt kneel for her to mount
As he rose to his feet she said: "How
romantic!" and laughed gleefully.
1t may have been that his gorgeous
trappings aroused in old Egypt some
remembrance of racing tournaments in
his youth, or of some mad dash across
a moonlit desert with a dusky rider
urging him on with whip and cry: or 1t
may have been in spirit of revenge
that he gave three or four terrific bel
lows. n mad toss or two OF his flower.
-bedecked head. and started
off at rate of speed we had never seen
him exhibit before.
Miss Marcy began to shrek. her blue
shawl fell Off. her curled hair tossed
about wild'y-indeed some OF the curls
fell off Across the pasture old Egypt
sped, Miss Nancy clinging to his hump
or course. jeff and laughed. So did
Sister Lucy, and there was twinkle
in mothers eyes, anxious rs she felt
for the safety of Miss Nancy.
"He'c running away!" snid mother in
alarm. "Get on one of the horses and
ride after him. jeff! Dear me, the pas
ture bars are down! He's out in the
road and is going toward Hebron! Ride
after him quick. jeff"
Nick, our fastest horse, was in his
stall. jeff threw a bride on him and
Jumped ns,ride his back; and as he
dashed out of the barneynrd jeff called
back roguishly: "How romantic!"
"How dreadful! Particularly II
Egypt carries poor Miss Nancy into
Hebron looking like that"
But he did not. Nick was in his
prime, and feeter than Egypt. Jeh
overlook the camel when he had gone
less than mile.
Egypt! Egypt! Ho there. you
Egypt" jeff called out. and caught
Egypt's rein. The camel's mad gallop
changed to trot and then to a walk,
and soon he stopped.
"And then he not only winked but
he erinne6 at me-honor bright, he
did!" declared JEFF. afterward. "And
the rags and tags we'd 'caparisored'
him with were strung all along the
roadside, and we didn't find but five OF
Miss Nancy's curls!"
Miss Nancy descended from Egypt in
n state OF great indignation when JEFF
led tho camel into our barn-yard-
"IIe is a treachcrous and dangerous
beast. and he'll never get me on his back
again. said she, and walked into the
house trailing her oriental robes be-
hind her.
Poor old Egypt That was his last
race. Perhaps he o,cr"Ncr'cd himself
lie was listless and woulu act 1T the
next day. Three days later, when JEFF
and took visiting cousin out to the
pasture, we found old Egypt lying at
full length under his favorite tree.
There was n suggestion of tears in
Jeffs ,oice as he exclaimed: "Why, he
he's dead!"-Youth's Companion.