University High School - Cub Yearbook (Oakland, CA)

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An Unusual Punishment BIG bay horse came galloping across a held and stopped some yards from a high hedge. The hedge ran along an unfrequented road. There was a remarkably pretty girl on the horse's back. She was debating whether to jump her horse over the hedge or not. The young lady had bright brown eyes and a wealth of blond hair, her riding habit was of the same color as her horseg the harmony was perfect. There came to her ears the snap of a whip, then a crash of the shafts as a horse fell on them. Someone yelled, Git up! or I'll kill yer! Immediately the big horse bounded forward, at his gentle rider's touch of the quirt, and jumped the high hedge. The same quirt that had decended so gently on the horse's Hanks a moment before, struck the man's cheek with not the same show of gentleness behind it. I-.low can you strike a poor animal so cruelly? the young lady asked with some show of emotion in her voice. W'hy did you do it? And what is your name? I do not believe I need answer those questions, the young man answered, having recovered his composure slightly after leaping to the other side of the fallen animal. You are impertinent! I will prosecute you, the young lady said, with all her self possession gone. I was thinking of doing the same to you, he answered with 2111 exasperating smile. You brute! she exclaimed, as her horse started up the road. Her self-possession returned. The thought that she might be wrong came to her. Should she return? She checked her horse and turned him. No, she would not return, for there he stood watching her with the same exasperating smile on his face. just then he raised his hand to his cheek. He scowled, for he felt that the skin was broken and the blood was trickling from the wound. As the girl turned a be11d in the road at a swift gallop he set to work to raise the horse and mend the broken shaft. I-le handled the horse with gentleness. Had his thoughts of it changed? That night Miss Barnsby entered the dining room of the fashionable country hotel with her aunt and a girl friend. She bore no sign of her ad- venture of the afternoon but her brain was throbbing with it. She attempted to converse with her companions consistently. After a few moments a young man entered. I-Ie was tall, dark, and alto- gether a striking person. Could it be possible? Yes, there it was. The red mark diagonally across the left cheek. She forced herself into composure as she did not desire her friends to know of it. The dinner passed slowly for her. Afterwards they went to the ballroom of the hotel where dancing was in progress. Many of her friends were

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The gold in the chest appeared to stay, And man it fools to this very day, You saw the gold, but none was there, 'Twas but a trick, an illusion fair. My story is finished, and I must go, These things are true, I made them so, Few worship God, tho', in God there's light, All worship gold, for gold is Might. The lid did quiver, then suddenly rise, A light burst forth, which dazzled our eyes, Brilliant it grew, then slowly died, VVe examined the chest. lTwas empty inside. BENSON MILLA R, Dec. ,IQ 51

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out that night. I-Iow could she help it? Miss Barnsby was continually evading him, and finally after she seen that he perceived her she fled to her rooms. Many tiresome days followed for her as she did not wish to meet him, and yet her curiosity would not permit her to leave the country. Miss Barnsby was not the kind to leave the puzzle unsolved. Had she been in the wrong? What did the young man think of her? E One afternoon, about a week after the adventure, Miss Barnsby was sitting at her window reading. She happened to glance up, and there across the lawn was a cat crouching behind a bush. Its tail was waving and its whole body quivering. It was apparent that the prey was about to come within reach, and just at that moment it did-a robin. Miss Barnsby watched the cat play with the soon-wounded robin, by cuffing it around, and running after it when it had happened too far away. The same anger that had been aroused when she had heard the old, dilapidated horse being treated so harshly, rose anew. She im- mediately went to her dresser, took out a small pearl-handled revolver, ran downstairs and out across the lawn. Miss Barnsby crept within a few yards of the scene of the tragedy, pointed her small revolver at the cat, turned her head away, closed her eyes, and then fired. There was a yell, but not a cat's yell. The cat went scampering away. . Chl what have I done ? she sobbed as her former sufferer came limping into view from among some trees with fishing tackle in his hands. NVhat do you think I have done now? the young man asked her. Are you hurt badly? That was not meant for you. I am so sorry. 'That it was not meant for me ? he asked, laughing, But no, the bullet only made a surface wound below my knee. it Miss Barnsby persuaded him to permit her to bandage it. This neces- sitated a hasty trip to her room for bandages and an antiseptic. XVhile she was going and returning his question, XN'hat do you think I have done now? kept coming before her. She knew her after-thoughts of her other injury to him were true. And she resolved to ask him of it when she had finished bandaging. H50 you really thought I did it? I-Iow cruel of you, he later answered. I will tell you how it really happened. I chanced to be coming toward the road. from fishing in a near-by stream, and when I reached the place the old horse had fallen, just as the farmhand raised his arm to strike the animal another blow with his whip. He had just yelled, 'Get up! or I'll kill youf or something to that effect. I leaped at the man and struck him. He did not wait to argue the matter but started in the direction he had just come from, and at no slow speed. Then you came upon your fiery steed and struck me, who had struck the man, who had struck the horse. I-Iow can you ever forgive me? If I had only- seen the Heeing man. lN'ell, it is in the past, let us forget it, he pleaded. The punishment will be that you will have to come canoeing with me this afternoon. Two weeks later an engagement was announced among the few guests at the fashionable summer hotel. I CARL A. MOI-IRHARDT, june ,I7