bulb and explaining that it must have just gone out, when they reached the gray’s stall and the subject got changed in a hurry.
Even in the dim light the show the gray put on was pretty impressive. Obviously terrified of the unfamiliar people and voices, he pressed back against the far wall of his stall, snorting and pawing the earth, and now and then making threatening rushes toward the door.
Miss Hooper backed away, gasping loudly. “Good heavens,” she said. “Dear me! Are you sure that door is strong enough to hold him, Gib? He seems completely wild.”
Livy gasped too, but the things she was saying were quite different. What Livy was whispering was, “He’s so beautiful. So fierce and beautiful.” When it was over Gib thought it wasn’t a very successful visit, but at least no one had mentioned the bullwhip scars.
Back in the kitchen there was a long discussion about what should be done. Even after Gib explained how he’d worked out a safe way to feed and water the horse without getting near him, Miss Hooper kept saying that that wild animal should just be turned loose. “It’s ridiculous,” she said, “expecting Gib here to take care of that dangerous creature along with everything else he has to do. That horse came here from somewhere, and if he were turned loose he’d surely go back where he came from.”
Gib shook his head. “He won’t,” he said. “He won’t go back.” But of course he couldn’t say why. He couldn’t say the poor horse would never go back to the place where he’d been beaten half to death. Not unless Gib wanted to risk being forbidden to go anywhere near the gray ever again.
But at last Missus Julia said, “I agree that it’s a terrible responsibility for Gib. But the horse may not be able to go back to his owner, and if he doesn’t he’s quite likely to starve to death. Apparently he’s not of prairie stock, and if he was stable raised he’d never make it on his own this time of year. Especially now when the snow is so deep.”
Gib nodded hard. “That’s right,” he said. “He’d starve to death for sure. And he’s not too much work for me. I’ve got lots of time now that we’re not going in to school every day. And as soon as they get the phone lines up again we can find out who owns him, and they’ll likely come to get him.”
But Miss Hooper only snorted. “Hmmph,” she said. “That is, if you manage to live that long.”
Gib grinned. “You don’t have to worry about that,” he said. “I’m not going to take any chances. Besides, I think he’s beginning to calm down a lot. Like as not he’ll be gentle as a kitten in a few more days.”
Miss Hooper humphed again and then Mrs. Perry, who’d been stoking up the fire in the kitchen range, got in on the conversation. Giving a big sigh, she said what a shame it was that Hy was sick, right now when he was needed so badly. “If Hy was only well enough to take care of things, or even to tell us what to do about Gib and that crazy animal, everything would be all right.”
Everyone sighed and said, “Yes, yes, if only ... And, “Poor Hy. Poor, sick Hy.” Even Livy had something to say. In a low voice so no one but Gib could hear she said, “Yes, and maybe when Hy is better I’ll be able to go out to my own barn again without people yelling at me and telling me to stay away.” Gib knew what she meant even though she didn’t say what “people” she was talking about.
Maybe Gib had been exaggerating a little when he said the gray was beginning to calm down, but by the very next day it looked as how he’d actually been foretelling the future. There wasn’t nearly as much snorting and threatening going on when he showed up that morning. And when Gib let the gray out he right off went looking for an open stall door instead of looking for somebody to attack.
“Hey there, boy, aren’t you the smart one?” Gib told him. “Got it all figured out, haven’t you? All you got to do is move to
Even in the dim light the show the gray put on was pretty impressive. Obviously terrified of the unfamiliar people and voices, he pressed back against the far wall of his stall, snorting and pawing the earth, and now and then making threatening rushes toward the door.
Miss Hooper backed away, gasping loudly. “Good heavens,” she said. “Dear me! Are you sure that door is strong enough to hold him, Gib? He seems completely wild.”
Livy gasped too, but the things she was saying were quite different. What Livy was whispering was, “He’s so beautiful. So fierce and beautiful.” When it was over Gib thought it wasn’t a very successful visit, but at least no one had mentioned the bullwhip scars.
Back in the kitchen there was a long discussion about what should be done. Even after Gib explained how he’d worked out a safe way to feed and water the horse without getting near him, Miss Hooper kept saying that that wild animal should just be turned loose. “It’s ridiculous,” she said, “expecting Gib here to take care of that dangerous creature along with everything else he has to do. That horse came here from somewhere, and if he were turned loose he’d surely go back where he came from.”
Gib shook his head. “He won’t,” he said. “He won’t go back.” But of course he couldn’t say why. He couldn’t say the poor horse would never go back to the place where he’d been beaten half to death. Not unless Gib wanted to risk being forbidden to go anywhere near the gray ever again.
But at last Missus Julia said, “I agree that it’s a terrible responsibility for Gib. But the horse may not be able to go back to his owner, and if he doesn’t he’s quite likely to starve to death. Apparently he’s not of prairie stock, and if he was stable raised he’d never make it on his own this time of year. Especially now when the snow is so deep.”
Gib nodded hard. “That’s right,” he said. “He’d starve to death for sure. And he’s not too much work for me. I’ve got lots of time now that we’re not going in to school every day. And as soon as they get the phone lines up again we can find out who owns him, and they’ll likely come to get him.”
But Miss Hooper only snorted. “Hmmph,” she said. “That is, if you manage to live that long.”
Gib grinned. “You don’t have to worry about that,” he said. “I’m not going to take any chances. Besides, I think he’s beginning to calm down a lot. Like as not he’ll be gentle as a kitten in a few more days.”
Miss Hooper humphed again and then Mrs. Perry, who’d been stoking up the fire in the kitchen range, got in on the conversation. Giving a big sigh, she said what a shame it was that Hy was sick, right now when he was needed so badly. “If Hy was only well enough to take care of things, or even to tell us what to do about Gib and that crazy animal, everything would be all right.”
Everyone sighed and said, “Yes, yes, if only ... And, “Poor Hy. Poor, sick Hy.” Even Livy had something to say. In a low voice so no one but Gib could hear she said, “Yes, and maybe when Hy is better I’ll be able to go out to my own barn again without people yelling at me and telling me to stay away.” Gib knew what she meant even though she didn’t say what “people” she was talking about.
Maybe Gib had been exaggerating a little when he said the gray was beginning to calm down, but by the very next day it looked as how he’d actually been foretelling the future. There wasn’t nearly as much snorting and threatening going on when he showed up that morning. And when Gib let the gray out he right off went looking for an open stall door instead of looking for somebody to attack.
“Hey there, boy, aren’t you the smart one?” Gib told him. “Got it all figured out, haven’t you? All you got to do is move to
Similar Books
