she could move he bore down upon her, him put up his head to have it rubbed, 



and by exerting all her strength she just walking or standing beside one in his 



did manage to fight him off, shove the strong yet slender grace — one would 



cake in and close the door. The smell have imagined him to be the gentlest 



of that savory compound, wafted to Bil- of creatures, and so he was at heart, but 



ly's sensitive nostrils miles away, had there was in him also that wild strain, 



brought him home in a hurry to claim born of the woods, which he could not 



his share. help. 



The larger he grew the mor^ liberties I was the only child in the family 

 he took and his playfulness or his willful- and the only person who was foolish 

 ness led to the breaking of many bowls enough to take liberties with Billy. One 

 and pitchers and other crockery. He day I pressed a wet rag on Billy's back, 

 had a strong will and what he wanted bearing down very hard upon it, "just 

 he must have or there was war. He ac- to see what he would do." He very 

 quired the art of standing on his hind promptly showed me by rearing up and 

 legs to reach for anything that he wanted knocking me down. What else he would 

 and of pawing with his forefeet till he have done I do not know, for I was 

 brought it down. Very often in this quickly rescued. But I bore for many 

 process he dragged the cloth off table months the crescent-shaped imprint of 

 or dresser or washstand, bringing down his foot upon my forehead. The negroes 

 with it whatever was on top. It was on the plantation were very prone to 

 funny to see him rest his forefeet on take liberties with him, and made the 

 the table, and, if he could not get what most of any opportunity to tease him — 

 he wanted from one side, walk around thus aggravating the wild nature that 

 the table supported in this way until was developing. He had his revenge 

 he could reach the desired article. A on them whenever he could, and some- 

 great pastime of his, but one very an- times a rough one, though fortunately 

 noying to black Katherine, the wash- never serious. But complaints were 

 woman, was — when the freshly washed murmured, and the problem of Billy as 

 clothes were fluttering on the lines as he grew older and larger and stronger 

 if in airy challenge — to make sallies upon began to be a serious one. That last 

 them, reared upon his hind legs and spring, the tender, sprouting green of 

 batting at them with his forefeet, leav- the young corn appealed strongly to Bil- 

 ing black prints which meant another ly's primitive tastes, and in spite of am- 

 washing. pie provisions at home, he made a de- 

 He made a habit, too, of coming up licious repast of it, cropping it off close 

 softly behind one — ^he always moved before it had a fair chance to grow. The 

 with swift, light daintiness and spring — young potato slips, set out with so much 

 and planting his forefeet on one's shoul- care, went the same way. There had 

 ders with a startling lunge, particularly never been any restrictions placed upon 

 if he suspected that one had anything him, and he evidently took these things 

 good in one's hand. When one looked frankly as his natural right, but it be- 

 around with a start of surprise one's came apparent that the crops were likely 

 eyes encountered the grave orbs of Billy to suffer severely from his innocent dep- 

 fixed on one with a mild intentness. It redations. Matters came to a climax, 

 was useless to deny him them. That however, when a colored girl passing 

 wild strength of his made him danger- through the yard unwisely stopped to 

 ous. He did not understand, of course, tease the deer, and he, resenting this or 

 that he was likely to hurt one — but even not understanding it, tore her dress to 

 a playful blow from his foot might be shreds and might possibly have killed 

 severe. To see him come up to one her, had not her screams brought help, 

 as he had a trick of doing, and laying his Then consultation was held upon the 

 head upon one's arm, look up into one's case and Billy's fate was sealed, 

 face wath the divine, pathetic trustful- Poor Billy — he must have known, 

 ness of his great, brown eyes, to see Contrary to custom, he failed to go for 



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