Evening star., 1924-09-21

them younger teams. You've said that
yourself"
"Yeh. I know that. They're old. an
Fm old-and that's the end of. us.
They never could sell 'em off in a
bunch SOS I could go with 'em teamin'
no matter how cheap he'd price 'em.
If he sells them horses off in teams
| that just ends me-
| 1t don't end you at all. He says
he'll always have a place for you
| around here"
''Yeh. but not skinnin' an eight
horse layout
No. not doing that. But he'll have
| something"
Then the boss hostler moved on.
The music from the band from the
big show had told of the beginning
of the afternoon performance: already
the circus must be on the move, pre-
pairing for the journey to the next
| town. Gran'ma moved under the
picket-rope and to the first Of his
| eight Perchefons.
| TOO old" he said under his breath.
| "Oh, he's right. They puff mighty bad
on them long pulls. But then I sure
| hate to see 'em split up. Look out,
Pups; Gran'ma's got to hitch up"
| The process of bridling finished,
Gran'ma swung to the broad back of
| a wheel horse. then again looked
| downward.
Where do you belong. anyhow,
| Pups" he asked. The Shrimp answer
ed the question by trotting between
| the shaggy hoofs of the leaders.
Gran'ma grinned. Don't like 'em any
| more'n l do he announced. "Giddap"'
Mr.. cambridge went back to his
| work obsessed with glue and gloom.
The Big Idea steadily had refused to
come: he found himself divided be-
| tween descriptions of Stanch Sticker
which he had selected a working
title-and the markings of Lord
kilkenninE Marston Conqueror I. In
some inexplicable way. they remained
correlated in his brain, the Shrimp
and Stanch Sticker.
1t was tough task. 1t remained
| so-even into the late night. when he
sat at home by the telephone waiting
| for some news from Miss LanninGton
about the Shrimp. Miss Lannington's
efforts had gone TO naught.
| But not the Shrimp's. Gran'ma- in
halting, kindly fashion. had told him TO
git along. The Shrimp had gotten-to
| edge into the menageries and edge out
! again as the old elephant dog, burdened
| with the task of evicting all strange
| CANNES from the vicinity of his massive
and easily frightened charges, leaped
forward in snarling attack
The Shrimp then approached the dog
| wagon. with its leash ropes and its
| yelping pack only too eager to set upon
| any ''towner dog that came their way
then he veered to the blacksmith shop,
where the smith growled at him next
4 he lodged about the stake-and-chain in
| wagon, where the roughneckS ignored
| him in their labors: then he pranced
| joyously forth once more at the sight
Of Gran'ma and the eight Perherons
| coming again upon the lot.
| x = <
| A ND now it was midnight. The big
eight-horse team had swung 10
| their last load, then, their chain-tugs
| clankinS as they were freed of it at the
runs, had trudged slowly down the dark
freight lanes to their resting place in the
stock cars. The Shrimp had trotted
| along.
The Guiding Of hoofs upon hollow
| sounding runwayS - shouts - good ma
tured cursing, as one by one the heavy
draft animals went up TO their haven.
! The Shrimp huddled for d moment in
| the darkness, one foot raised his head
cooked inquiringly. Then as old Gran ma
started toward the closing Of the car
| door. his lordship scooted up the run
| way, rounded the door and settled him
| self between the forefeet of a Pcrcheron
| in the farhest part OF the car. Gran'm
| Erunted. Then he raised his lantern and
moved forward to investigate. Some
| minutes later he still remained. bent on
| one knee, the lantern beside him, ono
| hand patting at the head Of the grimy
| little dog.
Don't you know" he argued, that
| they don't let US pick up pups this way
specially pedigreed. like you must be
Causes damage suits, sonny-if people
| find it out An blame US for etealin'
| their dogs. You can't come along-can't
| if Then he halted. Just about
| fired anyway" he mur1nured. Nights
we'll be, if they sell these horses. They
won't let me drive the eight-horse no.
! how"
With that he rose. He closed the
door quietly, thoughtfully, then climbed
to his bunk, which he occupied as a
sleeping night watchman in case of
| fire.
Come on up here, sonny" he called
at last Guess I can lend you half
my blanket"
Thus began life of delisht-of morn
| ings and nights in the dust, trailing be-
| side the shaggy feet of those Percherons,
| lot, while old Gran'ma alternately
bealned down at him from the high
seat, or sat in glum conjecture when a
| around the horse tents, with the threat
of a possible purchaser for eight heavy
Percheron horses, perfectly good for
| ordinary use, but incapacitated for the
grueling life of the circus OF which the
| Shrimp knew nothing-and was happy.
| A state of mind entirely different