"Where are you fellows taking me? Going to put me in the stable with the live stock?" questioned Phil, laughingly.
"You want some breakfast, eh?"
"Certainly I do, but I'm afraid I can't eat hay."The men laughed uproariously at this bit of humor."Must be a clown," suggested one.
"No, I am not a clown.My little friend who performs with me, and comes from the same town I do, is one.I wish he were here.He would make you laugh until you couldn't stand without leaning against something.""Here, Joe! Here, Joe!" their guide began calling in a loud voice, alternating with loud whistling.
Phil heard a rustling over behind the straw stack, and then out trotted a big, black draft horse, a heavy-footed, broad-backed Percheron, to his astonishment.
"My, that's a fine piece of horse flesh," glowed the lad."We have several teams of those fellows for the heavy work with the show.Of course we don't use them in the ring.Is this what you brought me here to see?""Yep.Git up there." "What do you mean?"
"Git up and show us fellers if you're a real circus man." "You mean you want me to ride him?" said Phil.
"Sure thing." "How?"
"Git on his back and do one of them bareback stunts you was telling us about," and the fellow winked covertly at his companions, as much as if to say, "we've got him going this time.""What; here in this rough yard?" "Yep."
Phil considered for a moment, stamping about on the straw-coveredground, then sizing up the horse critically.
"All right.Bring me a bridle and fasten a long enough rein to the bit so I can get hold of it standing up."He was really going to do as they demanded.The men were surprised.They had not believed he could, and now, at any rate, he was going to make an effort to make good his boast.
A bridle was quickly fetched and slipped on the head of old Joe.In place of reins the farmer attached a rope to the bridle, Phil measuring on the back of the horse to show how long it should be cut.
The preparations all complete, Phil grasped the rein and vaulted to the high back of the animal, landing astride neatly.This brought an exclamation of approval from the audience.
"Now git up on your feet."
"Don't be in a hurry.I want to ride him around the stack a few times to get the hang of the ring," laughed Phil."It's a good, safe place to fall, anyway.Do I get some breakfast after this exhibition?" he questioned.
"That depends.Go on."
"Gid-dap!" commanded Phil, patting the black on its powerful neck.Then they went trotting around the stack, the men backing off to get a better view of the exhibition.
On the second round Phil drew up before them."Got any chalk on the place?" he asked."Reckon there's some in the barn.""Please fetch it."
They did not know what he wanted chalk for, but the owner of the place hurried to fetch it.In the meantime Phil was slowly removing his shoes, which he threw to one side of the yard.Bidding the men break up the chalk into powder, he smeared the bottoms of his stockings with the white powder, sprinkling a liberal supply on the back of the horse.
"Here, here! What you doing? I have to curry that critter down every morning," shouted the owner.
Phil grinned and clucked to the horse, whose motion he had caught in his brief ride about the stack, and once more disappeared around the pile.When he hove in sight again, the black was trotting briskly, with PhilForrest standing erect, far back on the animal's hips, urging him along with sharp little cries, and dancing about as much at home as if he were on the solid ground.
The farmers looked on with wide-open mouths, too amazed to speak.
Phil uttered a shout, and set the black going about the stack faster and faster, throwing himself into all manner of artistic positions.
After the horse had gotten a little used to the strange work, Phil threw down the reins and rode without anything of the sort to give him any support.
Probably few farm barnyards had ever offered an attraction like it before.
"Come up here!" cried the lad, to the lighter of the men."I'll give you a lesson."The fellow protested, but his companions grabbed him and threw him to old Joe's back.Phil grabbed his pupil by the coat collar, jerking him to his feet and started old Joe going at a lively clip.
You should have heard those farmers howl, at the ludicrous sight of their companion sprawling all over the back of the black, with Phil, red- faced, struggling with all his might to keep the fellow on, and at the same time prevent himself taking a tumble!
At last the burden was too much for Phil, and his companion took an inglorious tumble, head first into the straw at the foot of the stack, while the farmers threw themselves down, rolling about and making a great din with their howls of merriment.
"There, I guess I have earned my breakfast," decided the lad, dropping off near the spot where he had cast his shoes.
"You bet you have, little pardner.You jest come over to the house and fill up on salt pork and sauerkraut.You kin stay all summer if you want to.Hungry?""So hungry that, if my collar were loose, it would be falling down over my feet," grinned the lad.
