Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-09-03
ANGELS
VICTORY
BY F. e. HANSON
Copyright. 1907. nv +. E. Hd,cson

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 horsefesh, 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 iii treatment. was none
of the best. She was nervous, too,
though with Hill she was only null
but did not fear him. She evidently
OWNED his dislike and returned II In
kind.
With Wilfred Patton, the overseer,
a man of passionate temper, but kind
and tender to women and children and
blindly adored. Angel was gentleness
itself. II 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 II 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
never cloud To veil his face or tenn
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 We're reached in the well Hill was
sinking on the fiat. Water was Il price
less commodity on that inland Aus
tralian station.
One close day late In February came
the crisis of that awful summer Not
leaf stirred. The air ut each inhala-
ton burnt the lungs. and the limit of
human endurance seemed to have been
reached Yet II was this afternoon of
all others that Hill ordered Patton and
Malcolm to ill the big iron tank.
1.-The fool" exclaimed Patton as they
walked through the hot sand to the
dnm Hasn't he 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 filed the 500 gallon tank"
said Patton. coming up to where Hill
half reclincd I'm a steamer chair on the
veranda. ITS down at the dam in
the tip cart. but hate to leave it to
evaporate in the sun, and there isn't n
horse to drag 1t up to the house"
"Where are Bones and MyopeY'
'Smiles has them working ut the new
dam, and Charlie has taken the two
blacks and gone over TO the well 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
she? Put her In"
Its too heavy load for Angel. She
isn't built for such work"
II say she shall"' 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 it 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 a few
steps through the heavy sand, then
paused and turned her eyes on Patton
entreatingly. as though to say:
I'D do II for YOU, but I can't
Hill was watching the performance
from the vcranda. for the house was
built on the top of the sand hill. the
dam was in the creek ut its foot and
no bushes interviewed When the man
ager saw the horse stop he got up and
went quickly down.
W nat = TIE llttter! he uSkcu.
Its just ais | said" answered Patton,
the mare hasn't the strength to haul
such II load"
Hasn't She: I'll see about that. It's
her obstin"cy that's what il is. Angel?
Its Devil she ought To be called"
Let me get the other tank. put half
the WATER in il. and then she can easily
manage II in two trips" suggested
Patton. controll!n. his rising anger.
mo. She'll haul the tank us II is.'
"Thcn I'll wash my hands of the
whole business
Patton walked up the slope AS he
stepped on the vcranLa Mrs. Hill. who
was standing III the door. looked back
into the house and called To her young
cousin
"Muricl. come ont and see this brute.
She won't pull the tank up the hill.
but Horace will soon make her. He
knows how 10 manage horses" And
she shot scornful glance I'm Paton's
direction.
Muricl Evcrton came out She was
tall. slender girl. dressed in white
Her delicate throat was bare and her