Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-08-30
ANGELS
VICTORY
By F. E. HANSON
Copyright, 1905, bH r. f. Hanson

Copyright, lsOI, bN T.. II. Hanson
Hi hated her. chiefly because Nor
tJr. tie smooth toligued ii3rse dealer,
I2t the better of the bargain when he
soii her to the manager Of Coward.
Hill priced himself OH his knowledge
of lorscilesh. but Angel. the chestnut,
w:s old. nr, rather. middle aged. and
MT the young thing Morton had rep
resented her 10 be.
Moreover. her temper. sOured by
long years Of i'll treatment, was none
of III" b2St. She was nervous, too,
though with Hill she was only null
ish. vicious ana obstinate. She hated
bUi did not fear him. She evidently
OWNED his dislike and returned it In
kind
With Wifred Patton, the Overseer.
a man of passionate temper, but kind
and tender to womep 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 ii had been a 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 were reached In the well Hill was
sinking OH the fiat. Water was a price
less commodity on that inland Aus
| tralian station.
One close day late I'm February came
the crisis of that awful summer Not
leaf stirred The air at each inhala-
ton burnt the lungs. and the limit or
human endurance seemed to have been
reached. Yet il was this afternoon OF
all others that Hill ordered Patton and
Malcolm to ill the big iron tank.
"The fool" exclaimed Patton as they
walked through the hot sand TO the
dam. 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 a 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 reclincd in steamer chair on the
veranda. Its down at the dam In
the tip cart, but hate to leave II 10
evaporate in the sun, and there isn't a
| horse to drag it up to the house"
"Where are Bones and MyopeT
Smiles has them working at 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"
81 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
selfw 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. "Pll 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 it for You. but l can't"
Hill was watching the performance
| from the veranda, for the house was
built OH the top Of the sand hill, the
dam was in the creek at its foot and
| no bushes interviewed. When the man.
ager saw the horse stop he got up and
went quickly down.
whats the matter?" he asked.
"It's Just as said," answered Patton,
"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 1t is. Angel?
It's Devil she ought to be called
"I.et he get the other tank, put half
the water in it. and then she can easily
manage It in two trips" suggested
Patton. controlling his rising anger.
mo. She'll haul the tank as 1t is!"
"Then III wash my hands Of the
whole business"
Patton walked up the slope. As he
stepped on the veranda Mrs. Hill. 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 hili'
but Horace will soon make her. he
knows how to manage horses" And
she shot scornful glance in Paton's
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 were clear and
deep and tender. She and Patton ex-
changed quick glances, then she looked
down at the man and the horse, shud'
dered and turned away.
Hill by thrashing the chestnut had
forced her to haul the cart few steps,
then Angel stopped. With kindness
she might have made further effort,
hut Hill had reused her obstinate
spirit, and she would not bulge an
inch. This infuratcd the GEE and he
beat her over IL. heal With the butt
of the stock whip he carried. Still
she did not move. Then, as he con-
tinued to beat her. in her agony she
stepped backward. plunged and rear
ed, the cart tipped back, the mare was
lrawn up and in her struggles broke
the shafts, the tank fell out, the cover
rolled off and the whole Of the sou