Beautiful Joe [60]
that he had trained himself, and that came at his whistle
like a dog. On getting into Nebraska, he came to a place where there were two
roads. One went by a river, and the other went over the hill. The man saw that
the travel went over the hill, but thought he'd take the river road. He didn't
know that there was a quicksand across it, and that people couldn't use it in
spring and summer. There used to be a sign board to tell strangers about it, but
it had been taken away. The man got off his horse to let him graze, and walked
along till he got so far ahead of the horse that he had to sit down and wait for
him. Suddenly he found that he was on a quicksand. His feet had sunk in the
sand, and he could not get them out. He threw himself down, and whistled for his
horse, and shouted for help, but no one came. He could hear some young people
singing out on the river, but they could not hear him. The terrible sand drew
him in almost to his shoulders, and he thought he was lost. At that moment the
horse came running up, and stood by his master. The man was too low down to get
hold of the saddle or bridle, so he took hold of the horse's tail, and told him
to go. The horse gave an awful pull, and landed his master on safe ground."
Everybody clapped his hands, and stamped when this story was finished, and
called out: "The dog story the dog story!"
The boy bowed and smiled, and began again. "You all know what a 'round-up' of
cattle is, so I need not explain. Once a man down south was going to have one,
and he and his boys and friends were talking it over. There was an ugly, black
steer in the herd, and they were wondering whether their old yellow dog would be
able to manage him. The dog's name was Tige, and he lay and listened wisely to
their talk. The next day there was a scene of great confusion. The steer raged
and tore about, and would allow no one to come within whip touch of him. Tige,
who had always been brave, skulked about for a while, and then, as if he had got
up a little spirit, he made a run at the steer. The steer sighted him, gave a
bellow, and, lowering his horns, ran at him. Tige turned tail, and the young men
that owned him were frantic. They'd been praising him, and thought they were
going to have it proven false. Their father called out: 'Don't shoot Tige, till
you see where he's running to.' The dog ran right to the cattle pen. The steer
was so enraged that he never noticed where he was going, and dashed in after
him. Tige leaped the wall, and came back to the gate, barking and yelping for
the men to come and shut the steer in. They shut the gate and petted Tige, and
bought him a collar with a silver plate."
The boy was loudly cheered, and went to his seat. The president said he would
like to have remarks made about these two stories.
Several children put up their hands, and he asked each one to speak in turn. One
said that if that man's horse had had a docked tail, his master wouldn't have
been able to reach it, and would have perished. Another said that if the man
hadn't treated his horse kindly, he never would have come at his whistle, and
stood over him to see what he could do to help him. A third child said that the
people on the river weren't as quick at hearing the voice of the man in trouble
as the horse was.
When this talk was over, the president called for some stories of foreign
animals.
Another boy came forward, made his bow, and said, in a short, abrupt voice, "My
uncle's name is Henry Worthington. He is an Englishman, and once he was a
soldier in India. One day when he was hunting in the Punjab, he saw a mother
monkey carrying a little dead baby monkey. Six months after, he was in the same
jungle. Saw same monkey still carrying dead baby monkey, all shriveled up.
Mother monkey loved her baby monkey, and wouldn't give it up."
The boy went to his seat, and the president, with a queer look in his face,
said, "That's a very good story, Ronald if it is true."
None of the children laughed,
like a dog. On getting into Nebraska, he came to a place where there were two
roads. One went by a river, and the other went over the hill. The man saw that
the travel went over the hill, but thought he'd take the river road. He didn't
know that there was a quicksand across it, and that people couldn't use it in
spring and summer. There used to be a sign board to tell strangers about it, but
it had been taken away. The man got off his horse to let him graze, and walked
along till he got so far ahead of the horse that he had to sit down and wait for
him. Suddenly he found that he was on a quicksand. His feet had sunk in the
sand, and he could not get them out. He threw himself down, and whistled for his
horse, and shouted for help, but no one came. He could hear some young people
singing out on the river, but they could not hear him. The terrible sand drew
him in almost to his shoulders, and he thought he was lost. At that moment the
horse came running up, and stood by his master. The man was too low down to get
hold of the saddle or bridle, so he took hold of the horse's tail, and told him
to go. The horse gave an awful pull, and landed his master on safe ground."
Everybody clapped his hands, and stamped when this story was finished, and
called out: "The dog story the dog story!"
The boy bowed and smiled, and began again. "You all know what a 'round-up' of
cattle is, so I need not explain. Once a man down south was going to have one,
and he and his boys and friends were talking it over. There was an ugly, black
steer in the herd, and they were wondering whether their old yellow dog would be
able to manage him. The dog's name was Tige, and he lay and listened wisely to
their talk. The next day there was a scene of great confusion. The steer raged
and tore about, and would allow no one to come within whip touch of him. Tige,
who had always been brave, skulked about for a while, and then, as if he had got
up a little spirit, he made a run at the steer. The steer sighted him, gave a
bellow, and, lowering his horns, ran at him. Tige turned tail, and the young men
that owned him were frantic. They'd been praising him, and thought they were
going to have it proven false. Their father called out: 'Don't shoot Tige, till
you see where he's running to.' The dog ran right to the cattle pen. The steer
was so enraged that he never noticed where he was going, and dashed in after
him. Tige leaped the wall, and came back to the gate, barking and yelping for
the men to come and shut the steer in. They shut the gate and petted Tige, and
bought him a collar with a silver plate."
The boy was loudly cheered, and went to his seat. The president said he would
like to have remarks made about these two stories.
Several children put up their hands, and he asked each one to speak in turn. One
said that if that man's horse had had a docked tail, his master wouldn't have
been able to reach it, and would have perished. Another said that if the man
hadn't treated his horse kindly, he never would have come at his whistle, and
stood over him to see what he could do to help him. A third child said that the
people on the river weren't as quick at hearing the voice of the man in trouble
as the horse was.
When this talk was over, the president called for some stories of foreign
animals.
Another boy came forward, made his bow, and said, in a short, abrupt voice, "My
uncle's name is Henry Worthington. He is an Englishman, and once he was a
soldier in India. One day when he was hunting in the Punjab, he saw a mother
monkey carrying a little dead baby monkey. Six months after, he was in the same
jungle. Saw same monkey still carrying dead baby monkey, all shriveled up.
Mother monkey loved her baby monkey, and wouldn't give it up."
The boy went to his seat, and the president, with a queer look in his face,
said, "That's a very good story, Ronald if it is true."
None of the children laughed,