The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1901-02-23
THE COURIER.

stretcn OF iOw.Iand al the FOOT OF the
bill. a man was riding harrow over the
corn-stalks. The harrow had kitchen
chair nailed to the frame. A man sat
in the chair, holding the lines straight
out before him, with gloved hands.
Chug sent the ears faster and faster in.
to the wagon. As it turned. at the end
OF the row. he saw the low, black house
with it's ragged walls. A tall girl with
bare feet and arms was carrying two
wooden pals toward the trough not far
from the door. He could see the little
white pigs running from the barn-a
queer barn with boarded windows and q
roof sunken like SWAY backed" horse.
1t had been the first home Of the Mar
wins. Chug pulled up his blsckened
felt brim, and his mouth twitched az he
turned his back to the girl and the pigs,
and labored up the slope. When the
end OF the long row was reached, be
stopped the team and tied them to q
post. He swung over the fence. through
the corner Of pasture, to the low, red
barn with its NOW running over with
new hay. He whistled as he looked in
through the square window. and saw a
little black colt lying on the fresh straw.
As he moved away again, long, black
nose was thrust from the window, and
the mares head dropping between two
snall ears laid back, shook viciously at
the big felt hat. Chug laughed.
When he came again to the top OF the
slope. the harrow was standing still in
the field below. The girl stood beside
it, and the man in the chair was holding
jug to his lips. The girls black hair
hung in lank locks that blew in the
wind. Chug's lips isrksd spasmodicslly
as he stalked around three long rows,
and went again to the window OF the
red barn.
The little colt was trying to stand on
its ungainly legs. 1t fell, and bruised
it's knees on a long. splintered board
that the black horse had kicked loose
from the stall. Chug slid back the barn
doors, reached through the slit that the
broken piece had left in the partition.
and pulled out the board. 1t seemed
somehow drearily natural to him when
the black horse let her heels fly at him
as he stepped back.
When he came to the top of the hill,
the man still sat in his chair, and the
girl stood beside him, balancing on one
bare foot on the top OF one Of the blue
bars of the harrow frame. 1t had been
Jefferson's notion to paint the old har-
row blue. Chug had not thought the
paint much of an improvement. 1t had
never looked quite so ugly to him be-
fore. He looked at the sun. Eleven
twelve Of the long rows before dark. Six
times to come to the foot OF the slope.
"Git up-Whoa," he growled.
But at the next row the harrow bad
The girl had the horses
at the well. and another girl with black
hair vas drawing a pail Of water.
Works a wearin' i'm out" said Chug
TO the side-board. Fed stayed tn them
there wouldn't ben a
grease spot of i'm by now"
He did not look at the black colt
again until the SUD went down. The
pointed ears aud the white star in the
'or ehese, the promise in the long legs
md the tiny soft hoofs, we're dimmed by
. haze CT blue harrow, and twisted with
ong horns Of Texas cattle. As he drove
,ast the barn. he looked in at the win
low. The colt seemed half standing,