The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-06-15

A good many years ago was small
boy living on the farm Of my father,
who was Western pioneer. in the
State Of Wisconsin. When l was
about II years old l was hired by
neighbor to work at jeb Of blowing,
and for It l was to receive two dollars
IN money and ps.srof geese The oxen
was 70 have charge Of were 4-year-
old steers. aud Mr. NeIaary, my en-
ployer. Thought great deal of them.
Mr. McLaury worked at his garden,
while managed the oxen and plowed
a ten-acre lot. was instructed not 10
whip the oxen, but to allow them their
own gait; and this they soon found out,
and it made my journeys behind the
plow very easy. At night the animals
were left in the stable, and we always
fed them carefully and groomed them
as if they bad been horses. In one
end Of the stable there WAS bin of
barley.
Ny instructions were to see that the
cattle were securely tied in their stalls
at night, and I was to give each Of
them two quarts Of barley and plenty
Of hay. One morning I found that
one Of the oxen had slipped his halter
during the night and was comfortably
lying near the barIey-bin. / put him
back In his stall, and gave them both
their usual rations.
When it was time to yoke up for the
day, Mr.. McLaury went with me to
the stable, as l was not large enough TO
put the yoke on the oxen. He noticed
that one of the steers had not eaten the
barley in his feed-bOx, and suggested
that perhaps he was no. feeling well.
So he told me to drive slowly, and il
the ox showed symtoms of illness to
let him know.
On the way to the field we had to
/ cross the creek, where 1 was aecustom-
ed to stop and let the team of oxen
drink all water they wanted. / noticed
that this OK hurried, and almost pulled
his mate into the creek in his eager
ness TO drink, and could hardly whip
him away from the water after he had
been drinking with all his might for
at least fifteen minutes.
Finally, got him across the creek,
and started TO plow, and then noticed
that the OK was beginning to swell.
He swelled aud swelled, until he was
more than double his normal girth,
and presently he crowded his mate out
of the furrow, aud Mr.. McLaury saw
it and came running into the field.
was frightened, and was almost in
elined to "cut' for home; for knew
that the OK must have been feasting at
the barley-bin, aud that | had done
wrong in not telling Mr. McLaury Of
my suspicious when l found the ami
NAL free from its halter in the morn
ing. ! knew very well how much Mr..
MeLaury loved the first and the only
team Of oxen he had ever had.
He asked me Immediately if the OK
was loose in the barn when went out
in the morning. 1 said yes, expecting
to be knocked down, for he seemed to
be aquiek-tempered man. But he was
very gentle and spoke kindly, saying:
"ATy boy, you should have told me ne
was loose. Then 1 could have kept
him away from the water, and might
have saved him. Now my beautiful
steer is lost"
My heart was broken. / believed
would have given my life to save that
OK; but he died right there, and we
took his mate home and turned him
out to Craze. was set toSiOpping
wood, and my employer aa his wife
went away for the afternoon.f Soon all
the neighboorhood knew that Mr. Me-
Laury's OK was dead, and l felt as
though they all thought that 1 was
the cause of it.-St. Nicholas.