THE COUNTRY BOY 25 



Silverton they left me in the hills, after all, till 

 my school was over, and I stayed with Grand- 

 mother and Old John, who didn't understand 

 it. 



I rode him to Silverton a Sunday or two, but 

 we both felt strange. In the pasture we were 

 at home, but the noise of Silverton and strange 

 horses and boys and girls didn't make us feel 

 just right. I knew Alvin JNIcClaine, and one 

 or two others, and everybody knew Old John, 

 and most of them were glad we were coming. 

 Alvin told me what we would do when I came 

 to town, but Old John had to be left. 



He had grown up in our family. Father 

 got him when he was an orphan colt, and my 

 own mother made a pet out of him. He was 

 smart. He used to get into the milk-house 

 and drink up all the milk. When he had done 

 that, you could always find him in canyon pas- 

 ture. It was the farthest away from the house. 

 He could open any gate that farmers made, 

 and they made the best ; he could even open the 

 doors to the house. 



Up to the time of my mother's death, in 

 1870, he belonged exclusively to her, and she 

 had taught him to return from Salem alone, a 



