Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-08-28
"old Calico"
BY GEORGE ELMER COBB
copyright. 1919. b, Western Newspaper un,on.'

It was the wife Of Ethan Greene
who propounded the inquiry, staring
hard Mt horse TINT her husband was
leading through the road gateway.
Its u new swap, Nancy" replied
her husband, land the best bargain
ever struck"
"What you been trading off, now"
"N1y old watch. the load of potatoes
and the old mare and wagon. The
whole lot wasn't worth hundred dol
lars, and 1 was offered double for Old
Calico-that's what I've named the
horse"
1.-THE name fts," observed Mrs.
Greene with some asperity, "mottled.
striped and homely!"
'That's all right" nodded Ethan.
"Old Calico is sound as dollar, and
he's got strength and steady stride"
But his color-why. he's the picture
Of some freak circus horse"
"Thats probably what he was, but
he's smart-smart ms ginger, Nancy.
Happened to pass an organ grinder
over in Topeton. Bless me, II that
animal didn't start dancing in perfect
step to the tune.
The claim that Ethan had made a
good bargain was fully substantiated.
Old Calico went at draught duty with
zest that showed there wasn't lazy
bone in his body. There was spice
Of the unique in the animal that Mt
once attracted the interest of the pref
ty daughter of, the family, Verda
Greene. Old Calico carried the milk
pail to the pasture in his jaws. He
would come around to the front porch
and seize the bell knob with his teeth
and amazed and delighted Verda. and
capered about in token of his gladness
at having her company. All kinds of
good-humored chatting greeted Ethan
when he drove to town.
verda became so attached to her ft,-
vorite that she leased her father for
sidesaddle. and the bright.faced girl
and her odd-colored charger became a
familiar pair along the country roads.
Ethan took on new lease Of an
eighty-acre field, and this necessftated
the purchase of team. Old Calico
was retired to light work and for
horseback service. pleasure and bust.
ness combined.
Eighteen years old-your birthday.
eh?" Verda's father hailed her one
bright summer morning. "Well. daugh-
ter, I'm going to give you Old Calico
all for your own. I suppose, you've
been expecting some gewgaws. but
taking on that extra eighty.acre tract
has sort Of pinched me. Besides.
there's your wedding outfit coming
along. and ma Is scraping and. saving
for that"
verda expressed the sincerest de.
light at the gift. She had been engaged
to Harold Drake for over a year, and
they planned wedding for late fall.
Mrs. Greene had expressed herself as
of the opinion that the devoted pair
should wait another year, when some
debts out of the way, they could af.
ford to give Verda the trousseau she
deserved. but the daughter and her
lover were anxious to start out togeth.
er in life before new year began.
One pleasant evening Verda started
out for ride along the river shore.
As she came to the cross roads she
was about to turn back homewards
when great placard posted there an.
nounced zone performance only" and
that evening, Of "the great megath.
erian varnum show. circus and me.
nagerie combined" The within came
to verda to 60 two miles further to
Hopeton to view the crowds, and the
spirit of adventure was enhanced as.
pursuing the turnpike, she came upon
steady cOncourse on Its way to the
entertainment of the evening.
verda and her steed had come with.
in a few squares of the circus when.
suddenly, old Calico pricked up his
safs. gave wild and ringing snort
and nearly pphorsed yerda as he made
4 forward Rlnnge: Then, Fiyaline
every animal pp the Foaa, Nld Calico
set ND a pace that fairly took away
verla's breath. Pedestrians made
urgent haste to get out At the way.
Straight forward the excited steed
sped. A band Of music was his guide,
and its first notes had acted as the
stimulus for his extraordinary acting.
Old Calico haif rounded the CIRCUS
tent, As II instinctiyely LOCATING the
dressing tent. past its Tapping canopy
he bounded. Into the ring he darted.
traversed 1t twice and only halted
when half dozen Of the performers
faced him, grasped his bride and led
him from the view Of the puzzled and
startled audience. Then, 10 the dre)s.
Ing room. the ringmaster and his as.
sistants crowded close about Old Call.
/ co and his distracted driver.
"Hes come back!" shouted the
clown. TITS poor Dick Barton's trick
horse"
And soon verda knew who Dick Bar.
ton was-the former dissolute master
Of Old Calico, who had vanished one
dry with his pet animal, had sold him
so he could get drink ana had died
amid his reckless dissipation. And now
A. A. L.