The diamond drill., 1922-01-07
The Girl,
a Horse
and a
Dog

road. and the third the route we we're
DOW taking 10 the eastward.
II must have been within an hour
or so or midnight when we left the
mountain forests behind and got into
the region OF barren foothills. Here
the collie seemed much surer OF his
ground. aud we had our work cut out
for us In the effort 10 keep up with
him. In the starlight ! made out the
line OF telegraph poles MS we ran. and
pretty soon our dog leader swung Off
TO the right and we found ourselves
trotting on line parallel to the rail-
road track and only little way from
IL.
Pretty soon the dog disappeared:
and then we heard him barking at
little distance 10 the left OF the paral-
lei tracks. When we went to see what
he had found. the mystery suddenly
took another tack and yeered of into
a new channel. In small grassy hol-
low between two OF the hills we came
upon the dog and the calico pony. The
bride reins had slipped over the bron-
cos head. and Barney had them be-
tween his teeth and was backing and
tugging and apparently trying to pull
the pony along.
"Well. I'll be ding-jiggered said
Daddy; but couldn't unload quite
that easily. For me the riderless pony
meant an accident Of some sort.
"Heavensl" gasped; ''do you sup
pose she's been thrown. and--maybe
crippledf"
"Who--Jeanie? Why, bless your
heart, Stannie, son, she can ride 'em
Wild And that calico wouldn't buck
baby of. No. boy; don't you go to
frettIn' about nothin' like that. When
she got out q that saddle, II was cause
she was good and ready and wanted
TO-"
"When she got off TO take the train,
she tried to make Barney lead the pony
home." I suggested. would she be
likely 20 do thatT'
Daddy Hiram slapped his leg.
you've hit It exactly, SON. Don't
know why didn't think o. that at first.
It's an old trick that she taught the
collie when he was a III pup. And
Barney, he tried, and when he couldn't
make the pinto leave Off grain, he
come for aus. Sure THAT was the
way OF IL. What say IL we go back TO
the edge O. the timber and camp down?
I reckon there amt nothin' TO be
gained by hittin' the trail afore we've
had ll'l' rest-up spell. is theref"
/ had no objection to Offer YOU may
be sure: and after we had found a
camping spot. and had picketed the
pony with the light rope that Jeanie
always carried tied TO the cantle OF her
saddle, we made good fire 20 serve
y in lieu OF the blankets that we didn't
have and stretched ourselves out TO
sleep the sleep Of the tagged and leg
weary
The next thing knew--and lt SEEM
ed TO be just about a minute after
had closed my eyes-Daddy was shak-
ing me awake.
"Time to be moggin' along, II we
aim to get home for breakfast, sonny"
he announced. At the break OF day we
were coming into the CinnaDar-Atro-
pia road at precisely the point at
which we left II the evening before.
The sun was just beginning TO giid
the upper heights of Old Cinnebar
when we traIIed over the broad plateau
bench below the mine and headed for
the slope that led up to the dump head.
AS we topped this last hill there was
an amazing surprise awaiting us--a
surprise and shock. On the level
spot which served as dooryard for
the Twombly cabin stood horse, sad
died and bridled. its drooped ears and
/, hanging head showing that II had been
ridden far and hard And on the cabin
doorstep. sitting ~ ease and calmly
chewing half-burned cigar, was
Fullerton