Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-27

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an apple by Hectors terrible hoo; Hector himself pant
ing and sweating stood bravey quiet with his knees
shaved to the bone And the tiny girl who a moment
before had been smiling and happy, was-safe on the
sidewalk, her small face hidden in her frock sobbns
she knew why.
Then Hector took the engine up the hill alone Ills
veins stood painfully beneath the strain, how
ever-the sweat poured his muscular hanks 80
hieky and the painting of his huge sides was so terrible
to hear-that seemed poor Skinny II his favorte
too, must kill himself before they reached the top bu
the smell Of the fire Hector, and he lifted ha
weary feet into canter. The hoses stretched
with familiar quiverIng every hand and the hre
running ahead OF him with their bright
lie there the thick of it at last--the red blooN
dripping from his nostrls.
Il want to take my horse home, sir" SAID Skim,
to the chief, touching his hat
"Whyi"
Skinny explained his misfortune in short sentences
Il might better killed the kid than that horse" Lis
added sadly
lake him home lad" said the Chief wiping the
smoke his eyes. III send up with you.
engine
Skinny took Hector by the bride, and led HIM
gently all the long way down the hill sympathizlnA
went foor Hector could scarcely drag hooi Dy.
hind the other AT the OF the hill the little girl
with of Laughter, tearing the yellow wings
from butterfly.
oh poor hossie" she cried, as Hector limpcd past
with bleeding knees But Skinny turned away his face
and swore.
Upon reaching home Hector gave snort that was
half groan, and walking unsteadily into his stall.
leaned up against the side; and the boards cried out
fled their
feet unwlingiy. Some in the manger, wet
and fragrant, though Hector cared not to sniff
them, but let his huge head, mountain in ITSELF droop
lower and lower down
Poor old cuss, whispered Skinny kissing the horses
nose furtively. Il hope to God yer amt bustedp
he man slowly out of the stall and the big
horse lay heavily down and cosed his eyes.
"Hectors busted" said Skinny, trying explain the
sorry situation in business-ke voice the green
hand who had been left watch.
The latter tp-toed to Hector's STALL and peered
in mutey Hector paid attention him. Skinny
threw two blankets the PROSTATE horse, and slid
another rolled up for pillow under his head The
flies were buzzing azily the fragrant oats
Skinny, who seized every chance the green
hand ploned for veterinary and then stamped about
like i baitcd BULL cursng the long delay. When the
surgeon last arrived with his little sache and looked
poor Hector with his cold, unsympathetic eyes, he
pursed up his lips hopeessly, and shook his old bald
head
He's pretty bad amt he? blurted Skinny "Oh
yes, knew -I felt from the first there wasn't
hope-oh yes give him up clean from the start"
Skinnys shoestring came united he spoke. and he
long time fixing it. The veterinary, meanwhile.
explained with obvious satisfaction that Hector had had
serious remorrhage, and might then be bleeding
slowly to death inside
Keep him quiet" he said warningly
But Hector showed no disposition move lying
wearily with closed and heavy breathing obvious
to all that around him. Even toward evening
when No TO- griny and unkempt in tow of two strange
horses rumbng up the door, he did not offer &c
raise his head He did lift his heavy eyeds when
the clumsv newcomers staggered and stamped on the
slippery concrete in treir violent straining TO ac-
complish jointly what he could have done alone He
did prick up his when the wondering me,
drew near, and staring rim in open pity called
IIcctor softly with their well-known voices; and even
when his good friend Scraggs, the spaghetti dog
bundcred crab fashion into the stall and shifted
noisiy with tich!ey whisners at the ice bandagss he
gave no sign of life. Nothing seemed to affect him
SO the men tipoe went soberly about their work
of cleaning up the flies continued to buzz undisturbed
in Hectors manger; and Skinny with blind eyes, made
mournful pretence at furnishing up the harness
Suddenly. however, strange thing happened II
not that the alarm began to ring with its clear
glass-hkc note of Warrington that d common al
most hourly occurrence-but there came noise of A
terrible effort from Ilcctors stall Awakened at last
by the fanlhar Dcl lhe great morse seemed, to be
struggling the summons. The straw flew
furiously in all directions The partition wall of TN,
stall kicked loose by the mighty iron Shoes scaled over
the concrete floor like square OF pastcboard Hector
arising with mighty groan, forth
Whoa, boy! whoa Hec, old mani" cried Skinny
running to his head
But Hector staggered against Skinny, who rcboundel
backward against the tiled wall then the horse cam,
olundcri' forward scattering fire with an unscady
tread Disrcgardng tire blindness of his eyes and the
weakness OF his knees g?' Hector took his accus-