Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-09-18
~
& A Ii & O.
...... By SEwELL FORD
Copyright 1908. by
Charles Seribnsr's Sons

coming toward them.
whoa, ye pesky fools! Whoa, dot
rot yew Uncle Enoch, wakened from
the half doze which he had been taking
on the wagon seat, now began to saw
ON the lines. His shouts seemed to
have aroused the heaving thing, for II
answered with q horrid, soul chilling
noise.
BY this time Calico was leaping fran
tically, snorting at every jump and
forcing Old JEFF to keep pace. They
were at the top Of long grade, and
down the slope the loaded wagon rat
tied easily behind them. Uncle Enoct
did his best. With feet well braced be
tugged at the lines and shouted, all tc
no purpose. Never before had Calico
and Old JEFF met circus on the move
Neither had they previously come into
such close quarters with an elephant
One does not expect such things on the
Bangor road. At least they did not
They proposed to get away from such
terrors in the shortest possible time.
Now, the public ways Of Maine arr
seldom macadamized. In places they
are laid out straight across and over
the granite backbone Of the continent
The Bangor road is thus constructed In
spots. This slope was one Of the spots
where the bare ledge, with here and
there six inch shelves and eroded gul
lies, offered Il somewhat uneven sur
face to the wheels. A well built Stude
baker will stand a lot Of this kind Of
banging, but 1t Is not wholly indie
structible. So 1t happened that half
way down the hill the left hind axle
snapped ut the hub. ThsreupOn some
200 dozen ears Of early green corr
were strewn along the flinty face OF
the highway, while Uncle Enoch was
hurled, seat and all, accompanied by
| four dozen eggs and ten pounds Of
Aunt Henrietta's best butter, into the
ditch.
When the circus caravan overtooi
him Uncle Enoch had captured thu
runaways and was leading them bach
to where the wrecked wagon lay by
the roadside. More or less butter wal
mixed with the sandy chin whiskers
and an inartistic yellow smOoch dOwl
the front of his coat showed that thu
eggs had followed him.
"Rather lively pair Of yours, ell, mis-
| ter?" commented Il red faced man wht
dropped off the pole wagon.
Eyes, ruther lively" assented Uncle
Enoch, Especially when ye don't wan
'em to be. The off ones stiddy enough
It's this cantankerous skewbald tina
started the tantrum. Whoa Low
blame yew Calico's nose was in thu
air again, and he was snOrting excit
edly.
"Lemme hold him till old Ajax goe'
by" said the circus man.
Thank ye. I'll swap him Off fus
chance / git, eff don't fetch back nuth
in but boneyard skate" declared Un
Gle Enoch.
AS Ajax numbered by the circus maj
eyed with interest the dancing Calico
He noted with approval the coat o
fantastic design. the springy knees ant
the fine tail that rippled its Whit
length almost to Calico's heels.
"I'll do better'n that by you, mister,
said he. "I've got fourteen hundred
pound Vermont Morgan, sound as
dollar, only eight years old and ain
afraid O. nothin'. I'll swap him evel
for your skewbald."
"Like to see him." said Uncle Enoch
"If he's half what ye say It's trade"
"Here he comes ON the band wagol
team" Then to the driver: "Hey, Bill
Pull up!"
In less than half an hour from th'
time Calico had bolted at sight Of tn
circus cavalcade he was part and par
Gel of 1t and helping to pull one o
those mysterious sheeted wagons alonl
in the wake of the terrifying Ajax.
"The old party don't give you yer.
good sendoff." said the boss hostler re
flectively to Calico, 'but reckon you'll
get used to Ajax and the music chario
before the seasons over. Leastway
you're bound to be an ornament to tn
grand entry"
| Callco's life with the Grand Occiden
tai began abruptly and vigorously. Th
driver Of the band wagon knew hi
business. Even when half asleep b
could see loose traces. After Gallo
had heard the long lash whistle abou
his ears few times he concluded tina
1t was best to do his share Of the pull
ing.
And what pulling it was! Their
were six horses of them, Calico bein
one of the swings, but on an uphill
grade that old chariot was the most re
luctant thing he had ever known. Un
Gle Enoch's stoneboat, which Gallo
had once held to be merely a heart
breaking instrument of torture, seeme
light in retrospect. Often did he loo
reproachfully Mt the monstrous comb
nation Of gilded wood and iron. VIII
need band wagons be made so e1aspe
ratingly heavy? The atrociously carve
Pans on the corners, with their SCARE
faces and broken pipes. were cumbel
some enough to make a load for on
pair Of horses oil by themselves.
Calico would think Of them as he wa
straining up a long bill. He could q
most feel them pulling back on tn
traces in a sort Of wooden stubborn
ness. And when the team ratified th
old chariot down a rough grade how b
hoped that two or three Of the figure
might be jolted of. But in the mor1
ing, when the show lot was reache
and the travelling wraps taken on tn
wagons, there he would see the heav
shouldered Pans all in their places q
hideous and as permanent as ever.
1t was hard and bitter lesson whic
Calico learned. this matter Of keepin
ones tugs tight. Uncle Enoch ha
spared the whip, but in the heart
Broncho Bill, who drove the band wal
Oh, there was no leniency. Ready an
strong was his whip hand, and b
knew how to make the blood follow til
lash. No effort did he waste on Il
padded fianks when he was In earnes
He cut Mt the ears, where the skin
tender. He could touch up the leader
as easily as he could the wheel horse
and when he aimed at the swings b
never missed fire.
travelling with a round top Gallo
found to be no sinecure. The Gran
Occidental, being wagon show, move
y ,,,I,oIIx, hx, rnod Tho shnrtoat hmm Wf