The Washington times., 1936-11-27
16-MILE TRIP
ONE GREAT
ADVENTURE
By LYDIA CALVERT

powered motor cars but there was
a time when Gypsy was the only
means of transportation Robert
Taylor would even consider.
Gypsy was his pony.
The motorscooter method OF
transportation is the present craze
of Hollywood. It's nothing to get
run over on the lot by q star on a
scooter out Of control. Last week
Allan Jones, the singer, cut his
head open in spill from one, and
a day or so later our hero himself
was precipitated unexpectedly into
a grass plot. No, there's nothing
quite like good old Gypsy-especi-
ally If you. have a switch.
Story of Gypsy
But let's hear the story OF
Gypsy from Robert:
81 was about seven or eight
and my father gave me a hot
headed little pony which
named Gypsy. From then on
everywhere 1 went, she went, but
never really ventured far afieid
with her until one memorable
day-and that was enough"
Exploits from his beloved wild
west movies inspired him with the
idea of doing little fast and furl-
GUS riding himself. He decided ne
would like to ride Gypsy back to
Filley to see some old friends and
get in some of the plain and fancy
craftsmanship he so admired. Fill
lev was 16 miles from Beatrice
and a big trek for a little boy ana
q not much bigger pony.
When he staggered into the
room where his parents sat so
grown.up in his Boy Scouts uni
form. and told them casually Of his
plan his mother surprised him by
agreeing right off that 1t was a
splendid idea.
She knew it would be a good les
son in independence and she
wanted him to have it. 1t was part
of her rule Of character-bu1ldmg
not to interfere with her son un-
reasonably.
In High Spirits
In high spirits the manly little
bow and the gay little pony started
off in a brisk canter up the road.
The sun was shining-birds were
singing. Sixteen miles! A form1d-
able Journey, through fields OF
grazing sheep which to him were
really herds of wild tigers, over
streams which were canyons, down
woodland paths in which Indians
were ambushed! So the young
Robert thought.
Gypsy had other ideas. Her
inaginings were not adventurous.
They were gastronomic. The
further away from the feedbox her
Young master trotted her the yell
lower in her mind became the hay
in the stall back home, the more
succulent the oats, the more de-
licious the thought Of a cool drink
of trough water. Suddenly Gypsy
baked. She wouldn't go a step
further. She would only go back.
=. She was stronger than her rider,
and finally after g. hard fight he
let her turn back to lonely farm
house from where he telephoned
his mother.
cit was pretty hard to let that
pony get ahead of me when
thought I was Bill Hart" laughed
Robert. "But do you know what
my mother said? She said "YOu
cut yourself switch, young man
and make her go. Never let q
horse be your bOSS!"
Obediently he went back to
Gypsy with a good slim branc IN
his hand. He would ride her II 1t
killed him. There was the fire OF
determination in his eyes. With a
clip of the switch on her flank Gyp
set off in the direction of Filley at
a run. She gave no evidence OF
letting up. She was like Tam
O'Shanter's mare with a witch
hanging on her tail.
On They Went
On they went! This was wild
west all right. Robert hung on for
dear life and he vas doing fine
until suddenly without warning his
steed punched her hind quarters
and slid, lowering her muzzle al
most to the dust. Whizz! over he1
head went Bill Hart Taylor" sail
ing ingnominiouSly IS a quot
pitched by a rube at the cross
roads.
''When I woke up" said Bob
with a shake of his head at the
memory, ''it was pitch black
dark. 1 didn't know where 1
was, or what had happened. I
knew I ached like everything
and that 1 must be far from
home. Overhead there were
stars. 1 didn't know whether
they were real or not. In the
distance coyotes barked."
The boy spat dirt from his
mouth and tasted blood. He
ached from head to foot. There
was no light except the stars. He
liStened-no sound except the
eerie bark of coyote which only
made the silence deeper. Never
had he been so completely alone
"IndianS!" he thought
''Wolves!" Ghosts" and suddenly
his blood almost turned to water
for as he sat helpless in the black
night something soft and wet
touched his face