Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-08-22


go she had only to pull on the reins
and say, soothingly. Whoa, Billy;
whoa, boy" and Billy was OFF like the
wind. 1t seems simple, and so 1t
was In theory, but its application to
special occasions was an art mastered
only by Aunt Harriet herself.
There was always row of interest
ed little boys on the fence to see
them start; but this particular morn
Ing the event was more exciting than
usual. Billy had not been driven for
several days, and Aunt Harriet had
barely time to Chamber into the seat
and sieze the line from the dashboard
when, with backward leer of one
dim old eye and prolonged neigh,
he gave llnge forward and, turn
ing so short circle that the two out
side wheels were lifted clear OF the
ground, tore off like mad, strictly &C.
cording to rule, in the direction OPP
posite to the one toward which he had
been headed
1t was perfect day in midsummer
and his driver was too content to be
tried by his vagaries. The daises
nodded to her gaily and the bee hum
med in the sweet red clover. The
men in the hay field by the side OF
the road were sharpening the knives
of their moving machine and saucy
bobolink perched on fence post and
"twee-twee-tweed" at them before GO
ing off in a very riot of glee. Billy
himself gave another little kick with
one hind foot. and his mistress in
advertently said, Whoa, there" at
which he put down his head and ran
till he was forced to stop to take
breath.
Dear sui" chuckled Aunt Harriet.
What a fool you be, Billy" Then
she leaned back and gave herself up
to the pleasure of the ride.
Half mile from Centerville the
road to Brooks Corners crosses the
railroad, and the morning train for
Franklin was due at that point ten
minutes after Aunt Harriet started
from home. Whether she hal en-
eAhSiy AOA 6OlLCh Ills, WuclueT tut nau
miscalculated, or whether Bil,y's squirt
brought them to the crossing sooner
than she expected no on, ever knew;
but it is certain that as she was
Jogging contentedly along, humming
her favorite hymn and occasionally
fiicking fly from Billy's side, she
was suddenly aroused by roar, a
changing bell and shrieking whistle.
She leaned out of the carryall to see
what was the matter, and there, not
ten rods away, its pistons pounding,
its ponderous wheels grinding, its
employ systematically waving and CON-
ing as If racing with them to see which
would reach the crossing first, was
the express.
Now, according to her own under
standing of Billy, there was but one
logical thing to do. She should have
slapped him with the lines, give him
sharp clip with the whip and shout
ed Git up!" What would have hap
pened had she done SO is problem
in pure speculation. AS matter of
fact, she did nothing of the sort. In
her terror Billy's idiosyncrasy was
quite forgotten, and she reverted TO
the usual course of procedure under
such circumstances-that is, she pull
ed him with all her strength and call
ed, Whoa! Whoa, there. Billy! Whoa,
there! Whoa!" while Billy, consist
ent to the death, threw up his head,
kicked up his heels, gave triumphant
flourish OF his stump of tail, as II
to say, 4Ail right, Aunt Hattie; We'll
Try 1t. and made straight for the ap-
preaching train.
1t was an exciting race. The Cen
trevllle wag told afterward that one
OF the brakemen remarked, iii bet on
the gray. But that Is only tradition.
me engineer mad whistled down
brakes. and the speed was somewhat
slackened,- but 1t was impossible to
stop the train before 1t reached the
to stop the valiant little nag; 1t was
entirely question Of which was the