Chapter XVII

When we returned to the farm Master saw at a glance that Chet's farming was "poor farming."

Some new and scientific methods had been introduced, that were well enough as methods, but when used by a person unable to modify and apply them to practical use, they fell flat.

Moreover, Chet was engaged--"badly engaged," Bobby said--to be married.

Something else had happened while we were gone, that, for very shame, the girl had not written to her uncle, and now I will tell it in Topsy's words:

"After Chet cut my mouth so badly, he seemed to hate me worse than ever, and rarely spoke in other than a savage tone of voice.

"Once, or rather, a good many times, he spoke of selling me; said he would sure, but 'the old fool' raised nice colts.

"Dear me, it almost kills me to think of his handling my pretty, tender babies. He has always been so unfeeling; keeping them from me long hours at a time, when I knew they were suffering from hunger, and then letting them nurse while I was overheated.

"But after Dr. Dick went away there there seemed nothing to check his fits of fury. He don't mind in the least what his father says, and several times boxed Bobby's ears when she interfered. Of course, it makes the trouble between him and Mrs. Wallace worse for him to misuse the girl, though she has never seemed to care much for her herself. It is all 'Tommy' with her.

"Well, Chet drove me hard, worked me hard and beat me hard, but I tried to be obedient and do my duty, until one day my colt, which he had tied to my side as Jean and I plowed, got so tired and hungry it could hardly go another step. Indeed, it was fairly dragging along by the strap. He was in a great hurry to get the piece done, as he was going to see his girl; so would not stop, but kept striking the colt. I endured it just as long as I could, then stopped in the furrow.

"Poor baby made a feeble lunge for her dinner, but, with a stinging blow, Chet bade me go on. I had made up my mind that that colt should have a minute or two of rest and a few drops of milk if he killed me for it. When I stood still he dropped the plow-handle and lines, and, coming around in front of me, cut me full in the face with that whip lash until the blood flew. I tried to shut my eyes and turn my face away, but it was no use, the blows continued until, in my agony, I opened an eye, and the knot on the end of the lash cut right into it. After that I was so frenzied I remember nothing distinctly, but Jean says he cut away until Paddy, who was working in the next field, rushed over and pulled him away by main force. The colt was so badly choked in the row that it died before morning, and I tell you I am glad of it. I never want anything to suffer as I have suffered, and bad masters are to good ones as fifty to one.

"So, as you see, I am blind of an eye. It makes it hard for me, but, if I can keep the other one, I won't fret."

Bobby had grown a willful girl, though still as sweet and tender-hearted as when a baby. She was the idol of her father and uncle, but had no training. As intimated before, she had never been a favorite with her mother, and I think she secretly realized and resented it.

Chet had spells of being very good to her, and when he chose to be agreeable it was hard to resist him.

Carm had fallen in with a bad lot, and was going the downward way fast.

In a moment of anger his father turned him out of doors, but Master followed him--he was Nannie's boy.

"Find me a place on the railroad, uncle, and I'll reform," he said.

"For the sake of your dead mother, Carm," Master pled, "change your ways and strive to be a man. She is waiting for her two boys up there. Must I tell her, when I meet her, that they are lost?"

"But I tell you I will reform if I can be engaged in the business I like," the boy persisted.

"It is too dangerous, Carm. Reform first, and then I will try and secure for you the position you desire. You are too young yet, anyway."

"But father has turned me out, I must do something."

"I will pay your bills if you will go to school two years and behave yourself."

"I hate books!"

Nevertheless, Master overruled at last, and Carm entered a business college.

There was in our stable at this time, a span of young black horses, high-spirited and stylish. They belonged to the two doctors--"the firm," as they were called.

Chet had a pair of young bays--Topsy's children--that were built more for endurance, and, at their request, a trade was made.

The blacks, Romeo and Juliet, were as gentle and obedient as they were high-bred and handsome.

Every one admired them, and they were proud themselves, especially proud of their flowing manes and tails.

After awhile Chet married the peaked-faced girl to whom he was engaged, and they went to Boston for the honeymoon. This is what Bobby said, anyway, and I know they were gone a little while. When they came back she trotted about with him all over the farm, and just went into ecstasies over Romeo and Juliet.

"Aren't they just too lovely, dearest?" she cried every time she saw them. "Won't you give them to me for my very, very own?"

I suppose he gave them to her, or pretended to, for she called them hers after that.

I found out about this time, from hearing Master and Bobby talk, when they were out riding, that "Cleo"--that was Mrs. Chet--was a Boston girl, and that she and Chet had become acquainted during her visit to a relative in M----.

After that I heard her telling Chet one day that it was the fashion in Boston now to dock the stylish ponies and cut off the manes.

Why, I could not have been more astonished had she said they cut off their legs.

"It is so English, you know," she added, sweetly.

When Master heard her, he said:

"You mean so barbarous, don't you?"

"Oh, deah, no," she answered, "all the nabobs and--and tony people have their horses that way."

"All the fools," muttered Master.

"What an old beah your uncle is," she said, poutingly, to Chet when Master was out of hearing.

"Oh--well, you must not mind Uncle Dick; he is cranky on some points, but not a bad fellow, after all, when one is in a tight place."

Cleo shrugged her bare shoulders--her shoulders were always bare--and resumed her plea to have poor Romeo and Juliet maimed and disfigured for life. All the horses were talking about it, and the blacks were terrified half to death.

"I hope it is no worse than having one's mouth cut back and eye whipped out," said Topsy.

"May be it don't hurt at all," said John, and we all tried to comfort the intended victims by this hopeful suggestion.

It was a cool, May morning, some months later, when a couple of strange men came to the farm, and, under their supervision, Chet and the hired man began to build a queer looking structure of heavy timbers.

(The doctors were off at a convention, to be gone several days.)

By and by Bobby came out wringing her hands, her yellow curls all tumbled about her tear-stained face, and begging, first her brother, then the strangers, not to do something, I could not hear what.

All the men laughed but Chet; he bade her go in the house and not be bothering with what was none of her business.

Then her temper got the mastery, and she called him "a cruel wretch," and told him he was bad enough before he married the "wizened fool from Boston," but was worse now.

At this, he grew angry, and, grabbing her by the arm, he dragged her into the house.

She was back, however, almost as soon as he was, and turning up her loose white sleeve, she exhibited a plump arm bearing blue finger marks.

"See there!" she cried to the strangers, "you are witnesses to Chester Wallace's brotherly treatment. I have always heard that a man who is unkind to animals will be equally cruel to woman, or any weak, defenceless thing."

The men looked annoyed. Finally one of them said:

"We are very sorry, Miss, but your brother has hired us to come some distance, and we are obliged to perform the operation and go. It really does not hurt the horses much, and it only lasts a minute. All the stylish turnouts in cities are now drawn by docked horses."

"But uncle says it is barbarous and ought to be prohibited by law, and he knows."

It did seem pitiful, the two mute, dumb beasts standing, trembling with apprehension, and only the sobbing voice and puny arm of a mere child between them and a dreadful fate.

In a rage Chet spoke out fiercely:

"Either go in the house, Miss, or else stand by and enjoy it; the business is going on."

"Then I shall stand by, for I mean to report everything to papa and Uncle Dick."

"Little tattler!" he hissed.

"Yes, sir, and further you will find yourself, your 'deah lambie darling' from Boston, and your mutilated horses all out of shelter when papa comes home. I guess when he sees my arm your cake will be dough."

Nothing but the presence of witnesses restrained the infuriated man from striking the young girl down, as she stood. But the merciless work went on.

Bars of heavy timber were so arranged that no horse living, when once strapped in there, could escape or scarcely move. I could see it all from where I stood in the small pasture near the barn. When all was in readiness, Juliet was brought around, and then I saw that her beautiful, flowing mane was already chopped off, so that just a short bush stood upright along her neck.

She reared and plunged with fright as she was led up to the trap-like arrangement.

Bobby screamed once, then stood white and speechless.

There was a brief parley among the men, then Chet turned back, and, catching the girl about the wrist, carried her by main force into the house, remaining there himself to prevent her return. The moment they were out of hearing (or sight, rather) poor Juliet was roughly hurried into the trap and strapped to stout rings in the floor. There were also straps about her body fastened to rings in the floor.

Near by, in an old shop, Tommy seemed to be attending to something.

Of course, the poor horse was entirely helpless, but one of the men stood holding her head.

Oh, it was all too horrible to relate, but since it is daily coming to be the fashion, I will try and go through it, hoping some heart may be touched when a plain statement how docking is done, lies before them.

Then the executioner mounted a block, and with a saw began his inhuman task. There was a moment of silence, then there burst from Juliet's mouth such a cry of agony as I never dreamed a horse could utter. Scream followed scream as the poor beast writhed helplessly, a look in her face beggaring description. So great was her agony that sweat ran in streams to the floor, and blood and foam spurted from her mouth.

As coolly as sawing off a stick of wood, the man worked on, cutting through flesh, muscles, tissues, veins and nerves until the handsome tail lay on the floor and there was only a gory stump left.

At this juncture, Tommy rushed from the old shop with a red-hot iron. Quickly this was applied to the torn and bleeding member.

There was a sickening odor of burning flesh, a sound from Juliet, neither a cry nor moan, something worse, and then she staggered and would have fallen but for the straps that bound her.

The same scene was enacted with Romeo, whose agony, if possible, seemed greater.

They were both sick for some days, and it was thought at one time that Romeo would die, the fever and inflammation ran so high.

There was a storm when the doctors came home and Bobby told her story.

Dr. Fred told his son that he must take his belongings and leave, but the latter refused, saying he had taken the farm for a year; and Cleo intimated that she considered herself as mistress then.

This proved too much for the elder Wallaces, and Chet was obliged to hire rooms elsewhere, though he continued to manage the farm.

Cleo seemed to imagine herself quite an aristocrat when riding out behind the poor, mutilated creatures, who had added to their torture the over-draw check rein.

We used all to pity them so when we saw them harnessed.

Heads drawn back until every muscle was strained, unable to see the way over which they must travel, and a prey to flies and gnats!

No protection about their heads and ears, for the long mane, intended for both use and beauty by the Creator, was gone, and sides, hips and legs were the feasting ground for stinging, blood-sucking insects; no long tail to switch them off. And then how they looked!

The poor things felt their disfigurement as well as their pain; they knew that they looked silly and ridiculous.

It was only a little while until they were utterly dispirited and all their style was gone.

Between hard driving, the discomfort of being docked, and the ailments induced by the over-draw check, they were old horses at the time they should have been in their prime, and rapidly they changed owners.

Before the end of Chet's year on the farm, the list of his cruelties culminated in what seemed to me to be the most dastardly deed of all.

Topsy, despite her hard life, was the faithful "stand-by." On her fell the major part of all the hard work.

Two years she had occupied the same stall; therefore, great was her surprise one evening, on being turned loose by the hired man in the yard, as was his custom with her, to find a strange horse in her place. However, the stall was wide, and, without making trouble, she took her place beside the intruder, and was bending her head to take up a bite of grass from the manger, when, with a furious oath, Chet rushed down the alley to the front of the manger, and, with a knotted stick, struck her in the face, the first blow half stunning her, the second one tearing the remaining eye from its socket, and crushing it on her cheek.

"There, you old fool, you haven't any eye now!" he said, with a brutal laugh.

Poor Topsy, launched into perpetual darkness!

She had said she would be thankful to keep one eye, and now that was gone. All that night she lay moaning in her stall, almost crazed with pain. Master never left her the long hours through. He had Chet arrested and fined $25, but that could not restore Topsy's sight.

In less than a month her colt was born. "To think I can never see him," she said piteously. "Tell me, Dandy, how he looks!"

The complete loss of sight proved a terrible cross to her. Unlike many horses, she never learned to move with confidence. She was nervous and timid; indeed, I think she had been beaten about the head until her hearing was defective, and then the cruelties that had filled her life had wrought upon her sensitive nature until she was nervous and distrustful. Many a day, and sometimes days at a time, she has gone without water because she could not find the tank. As I am here going to dismiss poor Topsy from my story, I will say that her master soon sold her and her colt. A few times since, I have seen her toiling along beside her mate, her sightless face wearing a blank, worried expression, and always that timid, frightened way with her. Once we had a little talk, and she told me that her life was a misery. She cannot learn to trust herself, and as she is only "Old Tops," no one takes any pains with her. She said her shoulders were all galled under her collar.

Despite the bad fortune of her life, though, she has still a slender, graceful form and a high-bred air.

Poor Topsy! Victim of man's power!