The Somerset reporter., 1904-08-11
ANGELS
VICTORY
BY F. E. HANSON
Copyright, 1901, by F. E. Hduson

Hill hated her, chiefly because Nor
ton, the smooth tongued horse dealer,
got the better of the bargain when he
sold her to the manager Of Coward.
Hill prided himself on his knowledge
of horsehesh, but Angel, the chestnut,
was old, or, rather, middle aged, and
not the young thing Morton had rep
resented her to be.
Moreover, her temper, soured by
long years of i'll treatment, was none
of the best She was nervous, too,
though with Hill she was only null
ish. vicious and obstinate. She hated
but did not fear him. She evidently
OWNED his dislike and returned it In
kind.
With Wilfred Patton, the overseer,
a man of passionate temper, but kind
and tender to women and children and
dumb creatures, by whom he was
blindly adored, Angel was gentleness
itself. 1t could readily be believed
when one watched him handle the
mare that under happier circum-
stances she might have fitted her name.
From the first 1t had been series
of battles between the chestnut and
Hill, in which the man usually won
out by sheer brutality.
There had been no rain for months.
Each day the men watched the sky,
but the pitiless sun poured his scOrch-
ing rays on the parched earth, with
nj 70 uoil hfc fann ~ tam
per the heat. The water in the dam
was getting low, and when that was
gone the station people would have
either to perish or get out, unless wa
ter were reached In the well Hill was
sinking on the fiat. Water was price
less commodity on that inland Aus
trallan station.
One close day late In February came
the crisis of that awful sumner. Not
n leaf stirred The air at each inhala-
ton burnt the lungs, and the limit Of
human endurance seemed to have been
reached Yet it was this afternoon of
all others that Hill ordered Patton and
Malcolm to fill the big iron tank.
THE foolw exclaimed Patton as they
walked through the hot sand to the
dam, HASN'T be sense enough to wait
until evening""
They worked hard for an hour,
Malcolm filling the buckets and hand
Ing them up TO Patton, who poured the
contents into tank. When their task
was finished they returned to the
house.
We've filled the 500 gallon tank"
said Patton, coming up to where Hill
half reclned in a steamer chair on the
veranda. ITS down at the dam In
the tip cart, but | hate to leave ii to
evaporate In the sun, and there Isn't a
horse to drag 1t up TO the house"
"Where are Bones and Myope"
"Smiles has them working Mt the new
DAM and Charlie has taken the two
blacks and gone over to the we'll sink
ers' camp with rations. The other
horses, as you know, were sent away
to McLellan's yesterday to save our
water" answered Patton.
well, Angel Is in the paddock, isn't
BQef Iut ueT ILL.,
ITS too heavy a load for Angel. She
isn't built for such work"
II say she shallr' cried Hill I'm
boss here, and when | say thing is to
be done it's going to be done"
"All right Go ahead and do 1t your
SELF responded Patton. The Overseer
and the manager never did hit 1t very
well, and the heat hadn't improved
their tempers. But stay" Patton add
ed, thought striking him, "I'll try
what can do first"
With that Patton went down to the
paddock caught Angel, harnessed her,
put her In the cart, and then coaxed
her to drag the load. BY striving and
straining she dragged the cart few
steps through the heavy sand, then
paused and turned her eyes on Patton
entreatingly, as though to say:
"I'd do 1t for you. but l can't"
Hill was watching the performance
from the veranda, for the house was
built on the top of the sand hill, the
dam was In the creek at its foot and
ITO Dubutb lutttNthcd. w utl lllt lllull-
ager saw the horse stop he got up and
went quickly down.
whats the matter2" ne asked.
TITS Just as l said" answered Patton
1.-THE mare hasn't the strength to haul
such load"
Hasn't she? I'll see about that It's
her obstinacy, that's what IT Is Angel
It's Devil she ought to be called"
LET me get the other tank, put hall
the water In 1t. and then she can easily
manage 1t In two trips" suggested
Patton, controlling his rising anger.
mo! She'll haul the tank as II Isl
"Then I'll wash my hands of the
whole business"
Patton walked up the slope. As he
stepped on the yeranda Mrs. Hin, who
was standing at the door, looked back
into the house and called TO her young
cousin:
"Muriel, come out and see this brute!
She won't pull the tank up the hill,
but Horace will soon make her. He
knows how TO manage horses" And
Slle SilOl u SColblul kldiSN III uNph
direction.
Muriel Everton came out She was
tall. slender girl. dressed In white.
Her delicate throat was bare and her
cheeks blanched by the heat but her
beautiful brown eyes We're clear and
&eep and tender. She and Patton ex-
changed quick chances. then she look ed
down at the man and the horse. shud.
dered and turned away.
Hill by thrashng the chestnut had
forced her to haul the cart n few steps,