The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-03-05

and squealing when he lit, but his
running tackle hadn't been hurt any.
Down the field he went and the only
n Of the chasers in front Of him was
that little red head. He makes a grab,
misses, and the pig keeps straight on,
right into the crowd of men and
horses and carriages.
Look out!" yells everybody. Let
him go!" But that little shaver want
built that way. Under the ropes he
dives, right where the jam of wheels
and hoofs was thickest. The Barry
coach horses rared UP and jumped
and backed. You could hear wheels
grinding and men yelling and women
screaming.
/ was one of the first over that
fence, but, quick as l was, that Hart.
ley invalid was quicker. AS a general
thing he moved like twas hardly
worth while to drag one foot after
the other; but now he few. l could
see his big shoulders showing folks
over like they was ~ninepins. Under
the ropes he went and in where the
tangle was the worst. And then. it
closed up into a screeching, kicking
whirlpool like. Down he went and l
lost sight of him.
Everybody on the grounds was
crazy, but | ~callate l was the worst
Bedlamite of the lot. Somehow l felt
responsible. Twas me that told about
the Fourth of July doing first and got
him over there. Twas me that
coaxed him into staying for the con
sarned pig business. And l kind of
felt that l was his guardian, as you
might say, now that Van Brunt want
along. Yes, and by ginger, l liked
him! Course / thought of the poor lit
tie boy, too, but I'm free to say twas
Hartley that I thought of most.
For the doings of the next two or
three minutes you'll have to ask some
body else. Ais l remember real well
Is catching hold Of 1ssachar Tidditt's
Sunday cutaway and ripping it from
main truck to keelson. You see,
Issachar was trying to back out of the
tangle and l was diving in. Next thing
I'm sure of is hanging onto the bride
of one Of the Barry horses and playing
snap the whip with my feet, up and
down and over and under.
She cleared up some finally and
there was a ring of folks jamming
and pushing and climbing between
wheels and under wagon bodies, and
in the middle of the ring was Hartley,
kneeling on the ground and looking
pretty middling white and sick, with
a dripping cut over his eye, and with
that little shaver's red head In hts lap.
And old Doc Bailey was there, but how
or when he come l don't know. Yes,
me and the pig vas there. too. but the
critter was out of commission, being
dead, and / was too busy to think
where / was.
How is he. doctor?" asked Hartley,
anxious.
The Doc didn't answer for a. minute
or so; he was bending over the boy,
sponging and swabbing like all pos
sessed. Poor little chap; he looked
white and pitiful enough. stretched
out there amongst that crowd OF
strangers and not a soul of his own
folks around to look out for him. And
he was such a gritty little mite. ]
looked at him; chalk white he was,
and still, with his eyes shut and his
breath coming kind OF short and jerky
And-well, my breath got jerky. too
"How Is he?" says Hartley again.
Just as he said 1t the boy stirs and
begins to breathe more regular. The
doct " seemed to feel better,
he'll come round all right nou.'