XXIJUMPING MUD PUDDLES
Johnnie Green had often ridden bareback. Lacking a pony, before Twinkleheels came to the farm to live, he had ridden the old horse Ebenezer back and forth between the barn and the pasture, guiding him by his halter rope.
Ebenezer was a steady old fellow. He never jumped nor shied. He preferred walking to any other gait. Without a whip Johnnie Green had hard work to make him trot. It took a great deal of drumming against his ribs by Johnnie Green's heels to induce him to hurry his steps.
Twinkleheels was different from Ebenezer. He was frisky. Yet Johnnie sometimes put a bridle on him and rode him without a saddle. Especially after the circus men came along and pasted posters on the barn Johnnie Green liked to ride bareback. He had a notion that some day he would learn to ride standing on Twinkleheels' back.
Farmer Green, however, did not approve of that plan. When Johnnie mentioned it to him he said "No!" in a most decided fashion. "That pony would be sure to throw you," he told Johnnie.
"I could try standing on Ebenezer first," Johnnie suggested. "His back is broader. And he certainly wouldn't object."
Somehow his father didn't care for that scheme either. "We don't want any broken legs around here," he declared,"nor necks, either. Broken necks are very slow to mend."
So Johnnie Green had to give up his plan, for the time being. He made up his mind, however, that when he was grown up he would learn to ride standing up—and turn somersaults in the air off a horse's back. But now he knew that he must content himself with less risky sports.
Something happened one day that caused Johnnie to admit to himself the wisdom of his father's advice. He was riding Twinkleheels along the road, bareback, after a heavy rain. And the first thing that Johnnie knew he was sitting almost on Twinkleheels' tail. Instead of splashing through a big mud puddle, Twinkleheels had taken it into his head to jump it.
His leap took his rider unawares.Johnnie had slipped to the rear as if Twinkleheels' back had been greased. And if he hadn't clutched the bridle reins he would have dropped off into the very middle of the puddle.
After that Johnnie kept a sharp eye out for mud puddles. When he knew that Twinkleheels was going to jump one he had no trouble in sticking to his seat.
Soon Johnnie decided once more that it would be easy to learn to be a circus rider. Certainly it was no trick at all to sit on Twinkleheels' bare back so long as he knew what the pony was going to do. It was as easy as walking a tight rope. And that was a feat that Johnnie Green had already mastered.
He only broke a collar bone learning that.
XXIITHE CIRCUS RIDER
The next afternoon, when Johnnie went to the pasture with old dog Spot to drive the cows home, he climbed a tree—not that climbing a tree helped in any way to get the cows into the lane!
Just for the moment Johnnie was a sailor—in his mind's eye. He went up aloft to watch for a desert island, where pirate gold was hidden. And circus riding would never have entered his head had not Twinkleheels, who had been grazing in the pasture, come and stood under the tree into which his young master had climbed.
When Johnnie came down out of the rigging of his ship—or when he slipped down through the branches of the tree—Twinkleheels stood just beneath the lowest limb. Johnnie Green swung off it, hung by his arms for a moment, and then dropped astride of Twinkleheels' back.
It may have been because old dog Spot let out a delighted yelp at that instant. It may have been that Twinkleheels hadn't expected Johnnie to mount him in that unusual fashion. Anyhow, he gave one jump and then stood up on his hind legs.
Johnnie Green didn't even have time to grab at Twinkleheels' mane. He slid off Twinkleheels' back and struck the ground with a dull thud.
For a few moments he lay there, unable to breathe. Then he struggled to his feet and ran round and round in a circle,doubled up and groaning. There was a strange, strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. He feared he would never be able to get his breath again.
Twinkleheels paid no heed to him, but nibbled at choice clumps of grass and clover quite as if nothing had happened.
Old dog Spot, however, seemed to think that Johnnie Green was having a good time and enjoying himself thoroughly. Spot capered about him, barking furiously.
"Don't!" Johnnie managed to gasp. "Don't laugh, Spot! I'm terribly hurt. I don't believe I'll ever get well again."
But in a few moments he succeeded in drawing a long, deep breath. He lay down upon the ground then and drew anotherand another and another. Already he began to feel better. And soon he stood up gingerly and felt of himself all over. To his great surprise, nothing seemed to be broken except his suspenders.
Old Spot came up and put his paws against Johnnie and barked.
"Let's have a good romp!" he begged. Or at least that was what Johnnie understood him to say.
"No, Spot!" Johnnie answered. "Not now! I don't feel like running. You wouldn't, either, if you had just had the breath knocked out of you."
Then Johnnie went soberly about the business of driving the cows home. At last he got them all started down the lane, put up the bars, and followed them.
As he reached the barn Johnnie looked up curiously at the pictures of circusriders in pink tights gayly disporting themselves on the backs of dappled gray horses.
"Humph!" he muttered. "I don't believe that's half the fun I always thought it was."
XXIIIGOING FISHING
Twinkleheels never had any great liking for whips. Johnnie Green kept a long one in the socket beside the dashboard of his little red-wheeled buggy. And he had a shorter one that he carried in his hand when he rode on Twinkleheels' back.
Whenever Twinkleheels drew the buggy he seemed always to keep at least one eye on the snapper of the whip, for Twinkleheels could see behind him easily.
He rarely needed urging. On the contrary, Johnnie Green often had to pull quite hard upon the reins to keep him from going too fast. And when a lazymood came over Twinkleheels the merest shake of the whip in its socket was enough to send him forward with a jump.
When Johnnie rode him he never had to give Twinkleheels a cut with his riding whip. Just a touch of it was all that was needed—if Twinkleheels happened to be a bit headstrong and didn't quite agree with Johnnie as to where they should go.
Well, on a certain summer's day, after school was out, Johnnie Green decided to go fishing in Black Creek. His mother made him a luncheon to take with him, he dug some angleworms in the garden for bait, and the hired man consented to let him take a long pole that he used himself when he fished in the river.
Then Johnnie backed Twinkleheels out of his stall and threw the saddle on him. Farmer Green chanced to be in the barn at the time.
"You don't intend to ride the pony and carry all those things, do you?" he asked Johnnie. "It seems to me that a basket, a tin can, a fish pole and a boy would ride much better in the buggy than horseback."
Now, Johnnie Green did not always agree with his father. He expected to meet some other boys at the creek. They were going on horseback. And Johnnie wanted to do likewise. Besides, there might be a horseback race. And he didn't want to miss that.
"I don't want to bother with the buggy," he told his father. "This way's easier. I shan't have any trouble carrying these things."
"Suit yourself, then!" said Farmer Green. "I think my way's better. But if you want to try yours, go ahead! You won't be half as comfortable, though, as you would be if you went in the buggy.And you know you may have some fish to carry, too, when you come home."
"Yes!" said Johnnie. "But I won't have any lunch."
Being determined to ride on Twinkleheels' back, he buckled the saddle girth and slipped on the pony's bridle. Then he led him out of the barn, clutched the basket, the tin pail, and the reins as well in one hand, mounted, and then reached out his other hand for the pole, which he had leaned against the side of the barn.
"I'll show Father that he's mistaken," he said to himself.
XXIVBOYS WILL BE BOYS
Up to the moment that Johnnie Green reached out a hand for the long fish pole Twinkleheels had behaved like a little gentleman. He saw that something unusual was afoot. And feeling quite sure that it was some kind of fun, he was glad that he was going to have a part in it.
"I hope Johnnie has some oats for me in that basket," he thought.
Just then Johnnie caught up the pole.
"Oats and corn!" Twinkleheels exclaimed. "What's he going to do with that enormous whip?" He was sostartled that he jumped sideways, and Johnnie Green all but lost his seat on Twinkleheels' back. As he lurched in the saddle he brought the fish pole smartly against Twinkleheels' head.
"I won't stand this," Twinkleheels decided. "I don't see what Johnnie is thinking of, to beat me over the head. I've certainly done nothing to deserve such treatment." Thereupon he dashed madly across the farmyard and made for the orchard.
"Whoa!" cried Johnnie Green.
"Whoa!" cried his father. "Stop him! Hang to him! Don't let him run!"
"He'll have to drop that great whip if he expects me to mind," Twinkleheels said with a snort.
Johnnie's hands were so full of a number of things that he could do little more than stick to the saddle.
"Drop that junk that you're carrying!" Farmer Green shouted.
"Why doesn't he tell Johnnie to drop that long whip?" Twinkleheels muttered to himself.
What Farmer Green said was of no account, anyhow, for Johnnie was so busy that he didn't hear a word of his father's advice.
Twinkleheels had reached the orchard and already was tearing in and out among the trees. The tin pail containing Johnnie's bait slipped from his grasp and clattered upon the ground, causing Twinkleheels to run all the faster. The fish pole struck the tree trunks right and left. One end of it lodged for an instant in a branch, while the other end nearly swept Johnnie off Twinkleheels' back. Still Johnnie Green clung to it and to his lunch basket as well.
"Wh-wh-whoa! Wh-wh-whoa!" Jolted as he was, he couldn't get a whole word out of his mouth at a time. He could only jerk a word out piecemeal.
If the fish pole hadn't at last snapped off short, leaving only the butt of it in Johnnie's hand, there's no telling when Twinkleheels would have stopped.
Finding himself with only a bit of the pole left in his hand, Johnnie gave it a fling, slipped an arm through the handle of his lunch basket, and set to pulling mightily on the bridle reins.
"There!" said Twinkleheels. "There goes that whip. I'm glad I broke it. Now I'll let Johnnie pull me down to a walk—but not too quickly."
With Johnnie Green tugging steadily, Twinkleheels changed from a run to a canter, from a canter to a trot, from a trot to a walk; and finally stood still.
Then Johnnie turned him around and rode slowly back to the barn. He jumped down, unbuckled the girth, and drew off Twinkleheels' saddle.
"What's the matter?" his father asked him. "You haven't given up going fishing—have you?"
"No!" Johnnie answered. "I'm going to harness Twinkleheels to the buggy. And I'll cut a pole at the creek."
His father said nothing more. But he smiled a little to himself when Johnnie wasn't looking his way.
"Boys will be boys," Farmer Green remarked after Johnnie had gone.
"Yes!" the hired man agreed. "And ponies will be ponies."
They may have been talking in riddles.
Anyhow, they seemed to understand each other.
THE END
Transcriber's Notes1. Punctuation has been brought into conformity with contemporary standards.2. Frontispiece illustration relocated to after title page.3. Typographic errors corrected in original:p. 18 Twinkleheels's to Twinkleheels' ("took Twinkleheels' halter")p. 58 Johnne to Johnnie ("for Johnnie Green")
1. Punctuation has been brought into conformity with contemporary standards.
2. Frontispiece illustration relocated to after title page.
3. Typographic errors corrected in original:p. 18 Twinkleheels's to Twinkleheels' ("took Twinkleheels' halter")p. 58 Johnne to Johnnie ("for Johnnie Green")