A HORSE SENSE FRIEND. 75 



matter how you pulled or yanked him, until the fox 

 took to earth or the dogs caught him. Then he would 

 be, as Oiney termed it, "as meek as a lamb." 



In the three days that elapsed I made the ac- 

 quaintance of all the lads in the four houses ; had seen 

 every mare and colt on the place ; counted the cows 

 and calves, pigs and sheep ; tried to make friends with 

 a big black and red rooster that was of "royal fighting 

 stock ;" picked strawberries in the fence corners in 

 the meadows and caught perch and rock bass in the 

 little brook that ran diagonally through the farms. 

 This was the holiday of my life. No one ever looked 

 to see if I made a mark on the floor or hung my hat 

 on the proper peg morning, noon or night, or seemed 

 to care if one of us scratched a cheek or bruised a 

 head in a scrimmage. It was "Come on, boys," from 

 daylight to dark, and I managed to keep up with the 

 procession. Oiney also put himself out not a little 

 to see that I did not get "homesick," and his kindness 

 in those days made me his friend in a horse sense. 

 What I knew I told him and what he knew he told 

 nobody. 



Saturday morning after breakfast Conquering 

 Billy was led into the yard. His mane was braided 

 with green ribbon, while his tail floated behind him 

 like a white banner. Terry came out of the house 

 with a hood and blanket bound with green tape. 

 When they were put on the horse I saw that Liddy 

 (she was Oiney's only daughter) had sewed the let- 

 ters "C. B." on the blanket. They were green silk, 

 and Terry told me they were cut from the ribbons of 

 her Easter bonnet. She said they would bring Billy 

 "good luck" and all of the family believed it. Liddy 



