The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-05-17


wallows were made when millions of
buffalo roamed over the plains
''Joe and Sue often pretended the buff
falo were stampeding straight toward
their well and would hide in the "dug-
out" that wasn't far away, and would
imagine all sorts of fanciful things; and
sometimes they wonl.l seem so very real
that Sue would get bit nervous and
suggest they play something else.
1.-The great f1ocks of sheep and the
bands of wild horses, and the many
herds of cattle and antelope appeared
very wonderful to these eastern children
and afforded them few adventures.
too. Would you like to hear about their
two small carriage horses? They were
such pretty little bays, Baby and Ray.
They were used for nothing but driving
and for the children to ride, and were.
given the best of care. The children
petted them great deal and were very
fond of them indeed. When summer
came. Joe and Sue went most every
evening with their father to picket the.
horses out on some hillside for the night.
One morning they were nowhere to be.
seen and could not be found even after
dilligent search; and every one sup
posed the band of wild horses had coaxed
them to run away from their kind little.
friends.
"The children were very lonesome for
long time-no Baby or Ray to feed,
no nice pet horse to ride or drive.
"But sometime the next winter after
Joe and Sue had gone back east to stav.
a man found both of the horses with
band of wild horses he had captured;
and he first recognized them by the old
tattered halter on Ray, and when he
saw the other bay horse so very like,
which kept so near the "halter-horse,
he knew for certain who they were.
The children never saw them again. but
were very glad to hear of their being
such good friends still
'sOnce Mr.. Watson took a trip to
Colorado, and when he returned he
brought each of the children young
magpie. Their chatter, chatter, chatter
was very amusing to the children, and
when ranch neighbor told them the
magpies would learn to talk if their
tongues were slit. they thought them
the most wonderful pets they had ever
had. But their tongues were never
slit; and not very long after the birds
were brought TO them, Jen fell into the
rain-barrel and was drowned. Poor
Mag grieved for her companion and re-
fused to be comforted. She would sit
on the peak of the wood-house roof and
wouldn't even come down to eat or
drink. But after time she seemed
more cheerful and came down to eat
and would let the children pet her as
before But there came sad day when
Mag flew away with flock of magpies.
zone afternoon when Mr.. and Mrs.
Watson had driven to the town, and
the herders were all out with the sheep,
Joe said. I'm tired of staying in the
liOuoC, lOG ~ OuC 1iiu SlluO Ou Vi LilC
hay-stack." And so Sue hurried into
her little red coat and hood, and off
they ran to the stack, which stood near
the sod corral. You know what fun it
is sliding off the hay, and what warm
cozy play it is for cold, windy day, SO
you can understand how they failed to
realize that the sun was sinking low and
that they should be in the house. Just
as they were ready for another slide
they heard thud, thud, thud on the
ground and looking up saw COW come
pelting across the prairie almost by the
house. They soon found that she was
after water and was running straight to
the troughs. But when she saw the
children on the stack, she was startled
and alarmed almost as wild animals are
at the sight of man, and stopped with
head in air and giving an angry snort
seemed to demand of them their busi-
ness there. Joe loved to tease, and
knowing how afraid Sue was of cows,
thought he would tease her. So he
waved and waved her red hood on the
pitch-fork to attract the cows attention