David Lannarck, Midget: An Adventure Story — John Shaqi
David Lannarck, Midget: An Adventure StoryHarney, George S.
General
David Lannarck, Midget: An Adventure Story
Harney, George S.
Adventure stories; Circus -- Fiction; Western stories
"Now I want you to ride him home today. The trade is made. You have
the horse and are obligated to give an entertainment for the Nazarenes
in Adot. I think we can arrange it for next Saturday night week. The
little weekly newspaper, the _Adot Avalanche_, comes out Thursday. I
will run a display ad that a famous Midget and circus performer will
give a lecture at the warehouse Saturday night under the auspices of
the Nazarenes. The little paper goes all over the district and the
town won't hold the people. It will be Adot's premier event.
"So you come over here Saturday morning, Davy," continued Adine, "we
will drive over to Adot in the afternoon in my roadster. We'll lay the
top back and drive over the town so the public will know that you are
there in person! It will be Adot's biggest day."
Landy had been ready to get back to the stables for some time. He was
standing, twirling his ancient headpiece, awaiting the word to start.
In all his years of dealing in horseflesh, this trade interested him
deeply. He wanted his little friend to have that horse.
As the three walked down the path to the stables, Adine was insistent
that Davy should ride the colt home. "He's not a range horse," she
explained, "not a westerner, as they sometimes describe horses that
are out of a drove. This colt doesn't need to be broken. He was sired
by our Allan-a-Dale, a registered saddle horse; his mother is Janie,
that I used to ride barebacked and without a bridle. He was her last
colt and will be three years old this month."
Davy was just a little skeptical about attempting his first riding of
the colt in company. He would much rather have him over on his own
range with no other company but Landy. He wondered, as they walked
along, if Potter and the boys at the stables had framed a rodeo
spectacle for themselves and were to witness some worm-fence bucking
by midget contestants. He was much relieved as Landy took charge,
transferred the saddle from lofty Frosty to the diminutive colt,
fitted the cinches and shortened the stirrup leathers to what he
thought was about the right length. Then he slipped the bit in the
colt's mouth and took up the cheek leathers of the bridle. Before Davy
realized what was going on, Landy had lifted him to the saddle,
mounted Gravy, clucked to Frosty and the procession moved out the
gate.
"I'll see you all in Adot, Saturday," called Davy without turning his
head.
"Good luck and bon voyage," called Adine.
7
On the way down to the Ranty, the colt behaved remarkably well. He
followed closely in the wake of Frosty, occasionally shaking his head
in an effort to throw the bit from his mouth. At the ford, Landy
adjusted the bridle so as to withdraw the bit and allow the colt to
drink his fill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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