The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-11-09
CHAPTER XXI


anything, her hands clasped behind
her neck, her eyes on the sky or the
distant hills. Often the hair OF her
bang was darkened with sweat, and
there were tiny beads on her upper
lip, and her hands were not steady.
Their father had called both boys
to him soon after they got home
and had said with his harshest voice
and his fiercest eyes, Don't do any
thing this summer that will cause
your mother trouble or pain or the
least anxiety"
"No, sir" he and Howard had
answered instantly. Afterwards,
they had looked at each other with
a long thoughtful look. This was
serious. It mustn't be forgotten.
Their father sure meant what he
said.
Towards coming home had been
another excitement, because How
ard was changed. At least he was
changed when Ken first saw him
getting off the train and riding home
in the car telling his mother and
father things about the school in a
deep voice that never slipped up
any more. He was in his gray tweed
suit, and the Fedora didn't look
funny on his face now.
When he got into a shirt and blue
Jeans with bandana hanging out Of
his hind pocket, Ken began to feel
Ia
howard stopped sitting gravely with
his mother and father and began to
devil Ken and wrestle with him.
And on the third day they started to
tell each other things. Ken made
the acquaintance of Towards two
best friends at school, Jake who was
q football star, and Bugs. And in
turn he told Howard all about his
trip to the Valley of the Eagles,
and promised to take Howard there
as soon as there was a chance, and
undid his belt and pulled up his
shirt, and showed him the scar from
the eagles talons. It was still i'm
pressive.
"You know, Howardi Geel Some
times I just can't believe it."
Cant believe what?"
"That it's all turning out to be
real about Thunderhead."
"Real? Why you dope-what fun
would it be if it wasn't real?"
well. / dunno"
''Were you just pretending about
1t all?"
ooh, Of course not!" Ken was
puzzled about that. How you can
be planning thing in real way
thinking about it nearly all the time,
and yet it is more of a dream than
a reality, so that when 1t suddenly
comes true and has to be geared in
with actual events, hours and dates
and weighing scales, and entrance
fees and shipping arrangements, it
is just as much of a shock as If
you never really expected it to
happen.
Howard was squirting one eye,
and then the other, making a hawk
that was floating high up move from
one end of a cloud to the other.
''When we get to Saginaw Falls
and change these heavy shoes he's
wearing to light aluminium shoes
they'll feel so light on his feet he'll
60 like the wind"
Howard held a finger in the air
above his face and looked to one
side of it and then the other.
''And if Charley Sargent buys
Dads surplus hay and sends it down
to Saginaw Falls for the race, then
Thunderhead won't have to change
to a different kind of hay from what
he's used to. Besides, Charley can
sell it down there for fifty dollars a
ton. He said so. Mountain hay is
the best, and down there they'll pay
anything if they think it will give
their nags a better chance. But
nobody can beat Thunderhead!"
Ken went off suddenly into one of his
wild bursts of joy, rolling over back
wards and trying to stand on his
head.
'Can't you do that?" said Howard
contemptuously. He got up slowly,
stood ON his head with ease and
nonchalance, then lay down and
stretched out-again. I.
Howard shifted at such childish
ness. ''Sayl When shall we go down
thereto the Valley of the Eagles?"
Lets 60 soon. Golly, I hope that
one-legged eagle is therel I'd like
TO pay him back for what he did
10 me-"
Maybe we could 60 this week.
end"
"We won't say a thing about
where we're going" said Howard.
ut might worry mother"
"No. Just for a camping trip"
Yes. But bet dad won't give
US any time of till we've finished
this draw" Howard looked at his
watch. Hours up. We'd better hop
10 il"