East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-12-09
SHE FOUND POOR BILL WAS
A MUCH MALIGNED HORSE

II had forgotten about horses" said
| the girl who likes to talk, until 1
had been visiting the Owlings in the
country for three days. Then Mrs.
| Owing said she had to go to the viii
iage to buy provisions. She sighed
when she said it to my my surprise,
! because there seemed to be nothing
] especially tragic in the prospect. But
! Mrs. Owling's brow grew more trou-
| bled. I'll have to drive Bill!' she
moaned.
Well what of it?" inquired.
mis- Owing regarded me in a
hurt sort If way. What of it, she
| echoed. Nyny,. he's a horse in the
first place and he's horribly danger
Gus. l can't tell you how many times
he has run away. 1t makes me pos
! itively i'll to think of him"'
why on earth asked, do you
keep him then?'
"'Oh,' said Mrs. owing, we need
him about the place. If the man
were here he could drive Bill for us!
THAT us gave me jolt. 1t SEEM
ed to imply that Mrs. Owing intend
! ed to have company in whatever dis
aster lay in store for her. Am l to
90 along on this expedition" l in
| quired aghast.
"'Of course.' Mrs. Owing cried
with feverish enthusiasm. The couh-
try is perfectly lovely in autumn ana
! I wouldn't have you miss il FOR any
thing! If you want to I'll let you 90
the driving She ended with great
air of nonchalance, although l looked
| at her sternly.
"Once when l was too young to
know better l had driven a horse, so
| didn't back down at this Crisis Le'
90 look at Bill, l answered.
Mrs. owing paused at the staole
door and then tiptoed in as thoush
she expected Bill to rush out and plte
her if his meditations were rudely
disturbed. somewhere in the half-
gloom a tail switched and Mrs. Ow-
LING grabbed my arm and screamed
with her hand against her heart'
was Getting nervous myself by this
time. ,. no
"'oh, she gasped. I thought ne ne
had got loose!' 1t was prec!sely lne
tona that the keeper of a teroclous
man eating tiger would nave useu'
oRiu proved to be a large pony
gray animal built on the 1othi'
stvle He rolled one eye at US casual
" and then stamped forefoot' Mrs'
owing shrieked again. rs
Lucy said I, firmly, stop II! IL
we have got to harness this creature
lat's begin. Sunset is only eight hours
distant, What goes on him tlrst-
this corset thing or his shoes anu
stockings ,5 and
tied to the surrey, and he had oeen
60 amiable that l grew quite peeVlsn
AT Mrs owing. I can't see,' l salu
why any one should be atralo u
him He's as numbering as co"
and he's half asleep!
That's because you don't kno"
ANYTHING at all about him" Lucy re-
torted. Indignantly. He's dangerous
tell you! Just you wait!
81 ouaked inside when l plckeu' VI
those reins. Perhaps there were ull
suspected depths in Bills nature. VIZ
started Bill raised one foot ana thei
Iowered it with such a whack that III!
sninal column felt the impact. incl
he raised and lowered a secohu'
third a fourth. l was lhiheisel
thankful that he was not ceIllpeue
We moved forward yard. 1heh III
repeated the performance
.I reached for the whip, but Mrs
Owing caught my arm. Don't sh
shrieked, piteously. on uoh |
YOU want us to be killed!
"Once we met an automoDlle a"
Lucy climbed right out shrieklng
mo because | stuck to the snip. III
road was narrow, so l turned Bill ou
on one side and gripped the line
murderously as the machine ap
proached. felt sorry for the car
Bill decided to jump that way lnstea
of into the ditch. He blinked as
whibbed by and never stopped switch
ing his tail. The awful moment ha
passed.
Lucy climbed back, still pale. Sh
said there ought to be law agaln'
automobiles and she couldn't imagin
why Bill hadn't smashed things.
I'VE got into town at last an
Lucy made me hitch Bill on sd
street because she said she wouldn
risk him on Main street in the GROVE
She said she hoped he wouldn't pu
up the telephone pole that l tied hi
to, or any thing.
"On the way home l managed
give Bill a surreptitious blow or tW
with the whip, and when he lunge
forward Lucy grabbed the air an
whimpered, There! Didn't te
you? What on earth did he shy at
"Biu plodded into the barn VII
no more animation than he had whe
he starter. Lucy tumbled out wit
a deep sigh of relief, N.Y. she erie
Tn thankful we're at home aga
safe and sound l consider that v
had a very narrow escape with tn
automobile and then again when Il
factory whistle blew-don't you"
"'Yes, Lucy tod ner. L thir
we had a perfectly narrow escal
from going to sleep both going al
coming!' boston Post.