Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-09-18

tDaQ once Ill tle SuIue udy. 4uoEc Woe
more of this, added merely for empha-
sis. Mile. Zaretti saw the point. She
had gone too far. Whereupon she dis
creetly turned on her high French heels
and meekly asked the boss hostler for
the most promising animal he had.
The boss picked out Calico.
No sooner was the top up that day
than Calico's training began. Well 1t
was that he had learned obedience, for
this was to be his one great opportunt-
ty. Many time had Calico circled
around the banked rings outer circum-
ference, but never had he been within
II. Neither had he worn before broad
pad. BY dint of leading and coaxing
he was made to understand that his
part of the act was to canter around
the ring with Mile. Zaretti on his back,
where she was to be allowed to go
through as many motions as she
pleased.
For a green horse Calico conducted
himself with much credit. He did not
stumble. He did not shy at the ring
masters whip. He did not try to dodge
the banners or the hoops after he found
how harmless they were.
"Well, II | cut my act perhaps l can
manage, but IL break my neck hope
you'll murder that fool driver" was
Mile. Zarettps verdict and petition
when the lesson ended.
Mile. Zarettrs gyratIons that after
noon and evening were somewhat tame
when you consider the manner In
which she was billed. Calico did his
part with only few excusable blum
ders, and she was so pleased that he
got the apples and sugar plums which
usually rewarded the grays.
The CALLED shoulder healed, but the
lame leg developed into an incurably
stiff Joint. Three nights later Calico,
to his great joy, left the band chariot
team forever, to find himself on the
light ticket wagon and regularly en-
tered as 4 ring horse. Nor was this
all. When the season closed Mile.
Zaretti bought Calico ut an exorbitant
price. He was shipped to a strange
place, where they put him In a box
stall, fed him with generous regularity
and asked him to do absolutely moth
| ing at all.
1t was month before Calico saw his
mistress again. He had been taken
into u great barnlike structure which
had many skylights and windows.
| Here was an ideal ring, smooth and
springy, with no hidden rocks or soft
spots such as one sometimes finds
when on the road Mile. Zaretti no
longer wore her spangled pink dress.
Instead she appeared In serviceable
knickerbOckers and wore wooden soled
| slIppers on her feet. In the middle OF
| the ring a man who was turning him
self into a human pinwheel stopped
long enough to shout: Hello, Kate.
Signed yet?"
"You bet" said Mile. Zaretti. Next
spring | go out by rail with three
topper. I'm going to do the real bare
back act too. No more broad pads
and wagon shows for Katie. Hey
Jim, rig up your Stokes mechanic
Jim, stout man who wore his
suspenders outside blue sweater and
talked huskily. arranged swinging
derrick arm, the purpose of which, it
| developed, was to keep Mile. Zaretti
| off the ground whenever she missed
her footing OH Calco's back. There was
a broad leather belt around her waist
| and to this was fastened rope. Very
| often was this needed during those
first three weeks of practice, for, true
| to her word, Mile. Zaretti no longer
strapped on Calico's back the broad
| pad to which he had been accustomed
| At first the wooden soles hurt and
made him finch, but In time the skin
became toughened and he minded them
not at all, although Mile. Zaretti was
no featherweight.
Long before the snow was gone Mile.
Zaretti had discarded the derrick arm.
| Urging Calico to his best speed, she
would grasp the cinch handles and
with one light bound land OIL his well
resined back. Then, as he circled
around in an even, rhythmical lope,
she would jump the banners and dive
through the hoops. 1t was more or less
fun for Calico, but 1t all seemed so
utterly useless There were no crowds
to see and applaud. He missed the
music and the cheering.
| At last there came a change. Calico
and his mistress took a journey. They
arrived in the biggest city Calico had
ever seen, and one afternoon, to the
accompaniment Of such crash Of mu-
sic and such chorus Of "Hi, hi, hi's"
as he had never before heard, they burst
into a great arena where were not only
one ring, but three, and about them,
tier on tier as far up as one could
see, the eager faces and gay clothes
Of vast multitude Of spectators.
Calico, as you may guess, had become
factor in 1.-The grandest aggregation"
If Calico had lOnged for music and
applause his wishes were surely an
swered, for although Mile. Zaretti had
Jumped from wagon show to three
ring combination that began its season
with an indoor March opening, she was
still a top liner. That Is, she had a
feature act.
Thus 1t was that Just as the Japa-
nese jugglers finished tossing each 9TH
er on their toes in the upper ring and
while the property helpers were max
Ing ready the lower one for the ele-
plants in the center ring Mile. Zarettl
and Calico alone held the attention OF
great audiences.
"Mem-zelle Zar-ret-ti, champion
lady bareback rider Of the wor-r-r-ld,
on her beautiful Arabian steedV
That was the manner In which the
megaphone announcer heralded their
appearance. Then followed rattle OF
drums and a footing of horns, ending
In one tremendous bang as Calico, lift
Ing his feet so high and so daintily you
might have thought he was stepping
over row of china vases and bowling
| Ii, t,ood ,o loxx, fbot hia noel, nrchpd