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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cc60dc6 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #67298 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67298) diff --git a/old/67298-0.txt b/old/67298-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 599a6d0..0000000 --- a/old/67298-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5985 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Stormy, Misty's Foal, by Marguerite -Henry - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Stormy, Misty's Foal - -Author: Marguerite Henry - -Release Date: February 1, 2022 [eBook #67298] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORMY, MISTY'S FOAL *** - - - - - - STORMY - - MISTY'S FOAL - - By MARGUERITE HENRY - - Illustrated by Wesley Dennis - - RAND McNALLY & COMPANY - - CHICAGO NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO - - _Copyright © 1963 by Rand McNALLY and Company_ - - _Copyright 1963 under International Copyright Union - by Rand McNALLY and Company_ - - _All rights reserved_ - - _Printed in U.S.A._ - - _Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 63-13334_ - - _First printing, September, 1963_ - _Second printing, November, 1963_ - _Third printing, May, 1964_ - - - - - _DEDICATION_ - - - Dedicated to the boys and girls everywhere - whose pennies, dimes, and dollars helped restore - the wild herds on Assateague Island, - and who by their spontaneous outpouring of love - gave courage to the stricken people - of Chincoteague. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - _Land Across the Water_ - - _1._ Before the Storm - - _2._ A Duck in the Horse Trough - - _3._ A Body with a Purpose - - _4._ Let the Wind Screech - - _5._ Ninety Head - - _6._ Oceanus - - _7._ The Sea Takes Over - - _8._ Paul to the Rescue - - _9._ Waiting for the Whirlybird - - _10._ Backyard Landing - - _11._ Refugees - - _12._ Wait-a-Minute Couldn't - - _13._ Up at Deep Hole - - _14._ Misty Goes to Pocomoke - - _15._ Grandpa Makes a Deal - - _16._ Welcome Home, Progger - - _17._ Sawdust and Sadness - - _18._ Within the Foaling Box - - _19._ Glory Hallelujah! - - _20._ Home at Last - - _21._ A Grave Decision - - _22._ The Naming Bee - - _23._ Dress Rehearsal - - _24._ Stormy's Debut - - _25._ The Last Scene - - _To Make the Story Complete_ - - - - - _Prologue_ - - LAND ACROSS THE WATER - - -In the gigantic Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Virginia a sliver -of land lies exposed to the smile of the sun and the fury of wind and -tide. It almost missed being an island, for it is only inches above the -sea. The early Indians who poled over from the mainland to hunt deer -and otter and beaver named this wind-rumpled island _Chin-co-teague_, -"the land across the water." - -Today a causeway, five miles long, connects it with the eastern shore -of Virginia. Sometimes, when the sea breaks loose, it swallows the -causeway. Then the people on the island are wholly isolated. - -But most of the time Chincoteague enjoys the protection of a neighbor -island, a great long rib of white sandy hills. The Indians called it -_Assa-teague_, or "outrider." They named it well, for it acts as a big -brother to Chincoteague, protecting it from crashing winds and the high -waves of the Atlantic. - -For many years now Assateague has been preserved as a wildlife refuge -for ponies and deer and migrating waterfowl. On clear days herds of the -wild ponies can be seen thundering along its shores, manes and tails -flying in the wind. - -Assateague, then, belongs to the wild things. But Chincoteague belongs -to the people--sturdy island folk who live by raising chickens and by -gathering the famous Chincoteague oysters and clams and diamond-backed -terrapin. The one big joyous celebration of their year comes toward -the end of July on Pony Penning Day. Then the volunteer firemen round -up the wild ponies on Assateague, force them to swim the channel to -Chincoteague, and pen them up for tourists and pony buyers who come -from far and near. Of course, only the young colts are gentle enough -to be sold. The money from the auction is used to buy fire-fighting -equipment to protect the fisherfolk and chicken farmers who live on -Chincoteague. - -There is one family whom the firemen look upon as friendly competitors -in their yearly pony sale. They are the Beebes--Grandpa and Grandma and -their grandchildren, Paul and Maureen. Except for Grandma, whose father -was a sea captain, they call themselves "hossmen." They are in the pony -business the year around. Their place at the southern end of the island -is known simply as Pony Ranch. - -[Illustration: CHINCOTEAGUE AND ASSATEAGUE ISLANDS] - - - - - STORMY - - MISTY'S FOAL - - - - - _Chapter 1_ - - BEFORE THE STORM - - -The clock on the shelf pointed to five as young Paul Beebe, his hair -tousled and his eyes still full of sleep, came into the kitchen. Paul -did not even glance at the clock, though it was a handsome piece, -showing the bridge of a ship with a captain at the wheel. For Paul, his -banty rooster was clock enough. - -Grandpa Beebe was bent over the sink, noisily washing his face. He came -up for air, his head cocked like a robin listening for worms. - -"Just hark at that head rooster!" he grinned, his face dripping. He -reached for the towel Grandma was handing him. "That banty," he went -on as he mopped his face, "is better than any li'l ole tinkly alarm -clock. Why, he's even more to depend on than that fancy ticker yer -sea-farin' father brung us from France." He gave Grandma a playful -wink. "What's more, ye never have to wind him up, and I never knowed -him to sleep overtime." - -"Me neither," Paul said, "even when it's cloudy." - -The old man and the boy went thudding in their sock feet to the back -hall, to their jackets hanging over the wash tubs and their boots -standing side by side. - -Grandma's voice tailed them. "Wrap up good now. Wind's bitter." She -came to the doorway and looked sharply at Paul. "I got to brew some -sassafras roots to perten ye up. I declare, ye look older and tireder -than yer grandpa." - -"Who wouldn't look tuckered out?" Grandpa asked in pride. "Paul took -the midnight watch on Misty." - -"This household," Grandma sputtered, "does more worritin' over Misty -having a colt than if she was a queen birthin' a crown prince." - -"Well, she is!" Paul exclaimed. "She's a movie queen." - -"Yup," Grandpa joined in. "Name me another Chincoteague pony who's a -star of a movin' picture like Misty is. And her being famous--well, -it's made a heap o' difference to Pony Ranch." - -Paul nodded vehemently. "Yes, Grandma. You know we sell more ponies -because of her, and we can buy better fodder, and this summer I'm going -to build her a fine stable and...." - -"And I'll never hear the end of it!" Grandma grumbled. "Our place is -a reg'lar mecca for folks comin' to see her, and when she has her -colt--land o' mercy!--they'll be thicker'n oysters in a pie." - -Paul and Grandpa were out the door. Grandma's sputtering bothered them -no more than a mosquito before the fuzz comes off its stinger. - -A faint light had begun to melt the darkness and there was a brim of -dawn on the sea. The wind, blowing from the southwest in strong and -frequent gusts, rippled the old dead marsh grasses until they and the -waves were one. - -As Grandpa and Paul hurried to the barn, a golden-furred collie leaped -down from his bed in the pickup truck and came galloping to meet them. - -"Hi, Skipper!" Paul gave him a rough-and-tumble greeting, but his -heart wasn't in it. He caught at his grandfather's sleeve. "Grandpa!" -he said, talking fast. "Buck Jackson's got some she-goats up to his -place." - -"So?" - -"Well, if Misty should be bad off...." - -"What in tarnation you gettin' at?" - -"Maybe we'd ought to buy a goat, just in case...." - -"In case _what_?" - -"Misty couldn't give enough milk for her colt." - -The old man pulled himself loose from Paul. "Get outen my way, boy. -What's the sense to begin worryin' now? We got chores to do. Listen -at them ponies raisin' a ruckus to be fed, and all the ducks and -geese a-quackin' and a-clackin' and carryin' on. Everybody's hungry, -includin' me." - -"But, Grandpa!" Paul was insistent. "You yourself said April or May -colts have a better chance of living than March ones." - -The old man stopped in mid-stride. "It just ain't fittin' fer colts -to drink goat's milk," he said gruffly. "'Specially Misty's colt." He -clumped off toward the corncrib, muttering and shaking his head. - -Paul skinned between the fence rails and ran toward the made-over -chicken coop that was Misty's barn. He heard her whinnying in a low, -rumbly tone. His heart pumping in expectancy, he unbolted her door. -She came to him at once, touching nostrils as if he were another pony, -then nibbling his straw-colored hair so that he couldn't see what he -was looking for. Gently he pushed her away and stepped back. He looked -underneath and around her. But there was no little colt lying in the -straw. He looked at her sides. They were heavily rounded, just as they -had been at midnight, and the night before, and the night before that. - -"Surely it'll come today," Paul said to her, trying to hide his -disappointment. "For a while it can live right in here with you. But -soon as school's out, I got to build us more stalls. Maureen can help." - -"Help what?" came a girl's voice. - -Paul turned to see his sister standing on tiptoe looking over his -shoulder. "Help me pump," he added hastily. - -"Paul! Maureen!" Grandpa shouted from the corncrib. "Quit lallygaggin'! -Water them ponies afore they die o' thirst." - -Most of Grandpa's herd were still away on winter pasture at Deep Hole -on the north end of the island. There the pine trees grew in groves and -the whole area was thickly underbrushed so the ponies could keep warm, -out of the wind. And they could fend for themselves, living on wild -kinksbush and cord grass. - -But here at Pony Ranch Grandpa kept only his personal riding -horses--Billy Blaze, and dependable old Watch Eyes--as well as a few -half-wild ponies from Assateague. All winter long this little bunch of -ragged creatures ran free out on the marshland, fenced in only by the -sea. But every morning they came thundering in, manes and tails blowing -like licks of flame. At the gate they neighed shrilly, demanding fresh -water and an ear or two of corn. It was Paul's and Maureen's duty to -pump gallons and gallons of water into an old tin wash tub and dole out -the ears of corn. - -"It's your turn to pump," Maureen said. "I'll let the bunch in, and -I'll parcel out the corn." - -"Don't you start bossing me!" Paul retorted. "One grandma to a house is -enough." Then he grinned in superiority. "You pump too slow, anyway. -Besides, it develops my muscles for roundup time." - -As Maureen let the ponies into the corral, two at a time, they dashed -to the watering tub and drank greedily. Paul could hardly pump fast -enough. He drew in a breath. Cold or no, this was the best time of day. -And no matter how hard and fast his arms worked, nor how many times -he had to fill the tub, he liked doing it. It made him feel big and -strong, almost godlike, as if he had been placed over this hungry herd -and was their good provider. He liked the sounds of their snorting and -fighting to be first, and he liked to watch them plunge their muzzles -deep in the water and suck it in between their teeth. He even liked it -when they came up slobbering and the wind sent spatters against his -face. - -Usually Misty was first at the watering tub, for she ran free with the -others out on the marsh. But now that her colt was due she was kept in -her stall, where she could be watched constantly. So Paul watered her -last. He wanted her to take her time and to drink her fill without a -bunch of ponies squealing and pawing at the gate, getting her excited. -But today, even with the tub all to herself, she acted skittery as -dandelion fluff--not drinking, but playing with the water, blowing at -it until it made ripples. - -Paul grew alarmed. Why wasn't she drinking? Did that mean it would be -soon? Or was she sick inside? He stopped pumping and gave himself up to -bittersweet worry. It could be this very morning, and then he'd have to -stay home from school to help dry off the colt and to see that Misty -was a good nurser. - -"Paul! Maureen!" Grandpa's voice boomed like a fog-horn. "Put Misty -in and come help me feed." He stood there in the barnyard with his -head thrown back, shrilling to the heavens: "_Wee-dee-dee-dee! -Wee-dee-dee-dee!_" - -The call was a magnet, pulling in the fowl--wild ones from the sky, -tame ones from the pasture. Geese and ducks and gulls, cocks and -chickens and guinea hens came squawking. Above the racket Grandpa -barked out his orders. "You children shuck off this corn for the -critters." He handed them a coal scuttle heaped high with ears. "I got -to police the migrators. Dad-blasted if I'll let them Canadian honkers -hog all the feed whilst my own go hungry." - -Faster than crows the children shelled out the corn until the scuttle -held nothing but cobs, and at last the barnyard settled down to a -picking and a pecking peace. - -Grandpa scanned the sky for stragglers, but he saw none. Only gray -wool clouds, and an angry wind pulling them apart. "Looks like a storm -brewing, don't it?" - -Paul laughed. "You should've been a weatherman, Grandpa, 'stead of a -hossman. You're always predicting." - -"Allus right, ain't I? Here, Maureen, you run and hang up the scuttle. -I can whiff Grandma's bacon clean out here, and I'm hungry enough to -eat the haunches off'n a grasshopper." - -It was a bumper breakfast. The table was heaped with stacks of hotcakes -and thick slices of bacon. Grandpa took one admiring look at his plate -before he tackled it. "Nobody," he said, "not nobody but yer Grandma -understands slab bacon. Over to the diner in Temperanceville they -frazzle all the sweetness outen it so's there ain't no fat left. Tastes -like my old gumboots." - -Grandma beamed. If someone had given her a string of diamonds or a -bunch of florist flowers, she couldn't have looked more pleased. -"Clarence," she asked in her best company voice, "will you have honey -or molasses on your hotcakes?" - -"How kin I have _mo'_ 'lasses when I ain't had _no_ 'lasses at all?" - -Paul and Maureen giggled at Grandpa's old joke--not just to please him -but because it tickled them, and when they went visiting they sprang it -on their cousins every chance they got. - -Quiet settled down over the table except for the clatter of forks and -Grandpa slurping his coffee. With second helpings talk began. - -"Grandma," Paul asked, "how'd you like a few goats? A billy maybe, but -a she-goat for sure? Y'see, she could be a nurser just in case." - -Grandma put down her fork. "Paul Beebe! I swan, it must be mental -telegraphy. Why, only last night I dreamt we had a hull flock of goats, -and Misty friended with a nice old nanny and she let her kid run with -Misty's baby and they'd butt each other and play real cute." - -Grandpa clamped his hands over both ears. "I'm deef!" he bellowed. -"I heerd nary a word!" He got up from the table. "Six o'clock!" -he announced. "You children light out and clean Misty's stall. -Schooltime'll be here afore ye know it. The sea's in a fret today and -there's a look to the sky I don't like. No time for gabbin'." - -"Pshaw," Grandma said. "My daddy, who was captain of the...." - -"Yes, Idy," he mimicked, "yer daddy, who was captain of the _Alberta_, -the last sailing vessel here to Chincoteague, he'd say--wa-ll, _what'd_ -he say?" - -"He'd say," Grandma repeated, proud of her knowledge of the sea, -"'There's barely a riffle of waves in the bay. Glass is down low, and -we're due for a change in the weather.' But, Clarence, aren't we always -in for a change?" - - - - - _Chapter 2_ - - A DUCK IN THE HORSE TROUGH - - -When Misty's stall was mucked out and her manger filled with sweet hay, -Paul and Maureen burst into the kitchen, laughing and out of breath. - -"_You_ say it, Maureen." - -"No, you." - -Paul shuffled his feet. He glanced sidelong at Grandma. "Me and -Maureen ... I and Maureen ... Maureen and I.... Well," he blurted, -"we'd like to say some Bible verses, with a little change to one of -them." - -Grandma almost dropped the cup she was wiping. She spun around, smiling -in surprise. "There's no call to blush about quoting from the Good -Book," she said. "It's a fine thing." - -Paul swallowed hard. His eyes flew to Maureen's. "You say it," he urged. - -Maureen looked straight at Grandma. "Last Sunday in church," she spoke -quickly and earnestly, "Preacher read: 'There's a time to sow and a -time to reap.'" - -"Yes, that's what he said," Paul nodded. "And he said, 'There's a time -to cry and a time to laugh.'" - -"'And a time to love and a time to hate,'" Maureen added. - -Paul began shouting like the preacher. "'There's a time to make war and -a time to make peace.'" - -"How 'bout that!" Grandma's eyes were shinier than her spectacles. "You -heard every bit of the message, and here I thought you two was doing -crossword puzzles all the time! Now then, what's the made-up part?" she -asked encouragingly. - -The answer came loud and in unison: "There's a time to go to school and -a time to stay home." - -"And just when is that?" Grandma demanded. - -"When a mare is ready to foal," Paul said with a look of triumph. - -The kitchen grew very still. Grandma shook out the damp towel and -hung it above the stove. To gain thinking time she put the knives and -forks in the drawer and each teaspoon in the spoon rack. Then she -glanced from one eager face to the other. "You two ever see a wild mare -birthing her young'un?" - -They both shook their heads. - -"Nor have I. Nor yer Grandpa neither." She looked far out on the marsh, -at the ponies grazing peacefully. "Well, the way the mares do it," -she said at last, "is to go off a day, mebbe more, and hide in some -lonely spot. And the next time you see her come to the watering trough, -there's a frisky youngster dancing alongside. Why, one mare swum clean -across the channel to Hummocky Isle to have her baby, and three days -later they both come back and joined the herd--even that little baby -swum." - -"But _they're_ wild, Grandma," Paul said. "Misty's different. She's -lived with people since she was a tiny foal." - -Grandma took an old cork and a can of powder and began scouring the -stains on her carving knives. She nodded slowly. "And Misty's smart. If -she needs help, she'll come up here to the fence and let us know right -smart quick, same's she does when she's thirsty. Now you both wash up -and change yer clothes. You touched off the wrong fuse when you quoted -Bible verses to get excused from school." - -"But, Grandma," Paul persisted, "how can Misty tell anyone she needs -help when Grandpa's in town shucking oysters, and we're trapped in -school and...." - -Grandma didn't answer; yet somehow she interrupted. She handed Maureen -a pitcher of milk and a saucedish. As if by magic Wait-a-Minute, a big -tiger-striped cat, appeared from under the stove and began lapping the -milk even before Maureen finished pouring it. - -"Tell you what," Grandma said after a moment's thought. "I promise to -go out every hour and look in on Misty." - -"You will?" - -"That I will." - -"And will you telephone school in case she needs us?" - -"I'll even promise you that. Cross my heart!" - -Somewhat appeased, Paul and Maureen washed and hurried into their -school clothes. When they dashed out of the house, Grandpa was climbing -into his truck. "Hop in," he said. "I'll give ye a lift." He put the -key in the ignition, but he didn't start the car. A blast of surprise -escaped him. "Great balls o' fire! Look!" - -"What is it, Grandpa?" - -He pointed a finger at a big white goose up-ended in the watering tub. -"Jes' look at him waller! Now," he said in awe, "I got a sure omen." - -"Of what?" both children asked. - -Grandpa recited in a whisper: - - "A goose washin' in the horse trough - Means tomorrow we'll be bad off." - -"Who says so?" Paul wanted to know. - -"My Uncle Zadkiel was a weather predictor, and he said geese in the -trough is a fore-doomer of storm." - -Grandpa started the car, a troubled look on his face. - -The day at school seemed never-ending. Maureen answered questions like -a robot. She heard her own voice say, "Christopher Columbus was one -of the first men who believed the world was round. So he went east by -sailing west." - -"Very good, Maureen. You may sit down." - -But Maureen remained standing, staring fixedly at the map over the -blackboard. Her mind suddenly went racing across the world, and -backward in time, to a tall-masted ship. Not the one that Columbus -sailed, but the one that brought the ponies to Assateague. And she saw -a great wind come up, and she watched it slap the ship onto a reef and -crack it open like the shell of an egg, and she saw the ponies spewed -into the sea, and she heard them thrashing and screaming in all that -wreckage, and one looked just like Misty. - -"_I said_," the teacher's voice cut through the dream, "_you may sit -down, Maureen._" - -The class tittered as she quickly plopped into her seat. - -In Paul's room an oral examination was about to take place. "We'll -begin alphabetically," Miss Ogle announced. "Question number one," she -said in her crisp voice. "With all books closed, explain to the class -which is older, the earth or the sea, and where the first forms of life -appeared. We'll begin with Teddy Appleyard." - -Teddy stood up, pointing to a blood-splotched handkerchief he held to -his nose. He was promptly excused. - -"Now then, Paul Beebe, you are next." - -Dead silence. - -"We'll begin," the teacher raised her voice, "with Paul Be-ee--be-ee," -and she stretched out his name like a rubber band. But even then it -didn't reach him. - -He was not there in the little white schoolhouse at all. In his mind he -was back at Pony Ranch and Misty had broken out of her stall and gone -tearing down the marsh. And in his fantasy he saw the colt being born, -and while it was all wet and new, it was sucked slowly, slowly down -into the miry bog. There was no sound, no whimper at all. Just the wind -squeaking through the grasses. - -Tap! Tap! Miss Ogle rapped her pencil sharply on the desk. "Boys -and girls," she said, "you have all heard of people suffering from -nightmares. But I declare, Paul Beebe is having a _daymare_." - -The class burst into noisy laughter, and only then did the mad dream -break apart. - - * * * * * - -Back home in Misty's shed all was warm contentment. There was plenty of -hay in the manger, good hay with here and there some sweet bush clover, -and a block of salt hollowed out from many lickings so that her tongue -just fitted. She worked at it now in slow delight, her tongue-strokes -stopping occasionally as she turned to watch a little brown hen -rounding out a nest in a corner of the stall. Fearlessly the hen let -Misty walk around her as if she liked company, and every now and again -she made soft clucking sounds. - -Out on the marsh Billy Blaze and Watch Eyes, pretending to be -stallions, fought and neighed over the little band of mares. Misty -looked out at them for a long time, then went to her manger and slowly -began munching her hay. The hen, now satisfied with her nest, fluffed -out her feathers and settled herself to lay one tiny brown egg. - -Contentment closed them in like a soft cocoon. - - - - - _Chapter 3_ - - A BODY WITH A PURPOSE - - -Right after school Paul and Maureen rushed into Misty's stall, almost -in panic. Things should be happening, and they weren't. Grandpa Beebe -joined them. "You two hold her head," he ordered. He put his stubbly -cheek and his ear against Misty's belly. - -"Feel anything? Hear anything?" Paul whispered. - -"Not jes' now. Likely the little feller's asleep." He bent down and -felt of Misty's teats. Gently he tried to milk them. "Some mares is -ticklish," he explained, "and they kick at their colt when it tries to -nurse. I aim to get her used to the idee." - -"You getting any milk?" Maureen asked. - -Grandpa shook his head. "Reckon Misty ain't quite ready to have her -young'un. But no use to worry. Now then, I'd like for ye two to do me a -favor." - -"What is it, Grandpa?" - -"I want ye to climb aboard Watch Eyes and Billy Blaze, 'cause today -noon it 'peared to me Billy was going gimpy. You children try him out -and see which leg's causin' the trouble." - -Paul and Maureen were glad of something to do. The way Grandpa talked -made them feel like expert horsemen. Quickly they bridled the ponies, -swung up bareback, and took off. Paul stayed a few lengths behind on -Watch Eyes, calling commands to Maureen on Billy Blaze. - -"_Walk him!_" - -Ears swinging, head nodding, Billy stepped out big and bold. Almost -bouncy. - -"_Trot him!_" - -Again he went sound, square on all four corners. - -"_Whoa! Turn! Come this way._" - -Maureen pulled up, laughing. "Except for his being so shaggy," she -said, "he could be a horse in a show, his gaits are so smooth. Grandpa -knew it all the time." - -"Of course. He just wanted us to stop fussing over Misty. I'll race -you, Maureen." - -It was fun racing bareback across the marsh. The rising wind excited -the horses, made them go faster, as if they wanted to be part of it. -And it was fun to round up the mares and drive them down the spit of -land, stopping just short of the sea. It was even fun arguing. - -"Maureen, you got to do the pumping tonight." - -"I don't either. I got to gather the eggs." - -"All right, Miss Smarty, then you can just mend that chicken fence, -too." - -It ended by both of them repairing the fence and both taking turns -pumping water. Afterward, they charged into the house, glowing and -hungry. - -Grandma promised an early supper of oyster pie. "And then," she said, -"if you can trust me to keep watch on Misty, you can drive with yer -Grandpa over to Deep Hole to the Reeds' house. Mrs. Reed's got a -pattern I want to copy for our apron sale." - -"_I'll_ take ye up on yer offer, Idy," Grandpa agreed quickly. "It'll -give me a chance to see how my herd's doin' up there on winter pasture." - -But about that time odd things began to happen. A lone marsh hen came -bustling across the open field toward the house. Paul saw her first. He -was at the table in the sitting room, painting a duck decoy. - -"Look! Come quick!" he shouted to the household. "A marsh hen's coming -to pay us a call!" - -Maureen hurried into the room to see. Grandpa and Grandma almost -collided, trying to get through the door at the same time. - -"Jumpin' mullets!" Grandpa whistled. "In all my born days I never see a -marsh hen walkin' on dry ground." - -"Can't say I have either," Grandma agreed. "They're timid folk, ain't -they?" - -"Yup, only feel safe in a marsh, like a rabbit in a briar patch." - -"I saw one, one day," Paul said, "walk right across the causeway." - -"Pshaw!" Grandpa whittled him down to size. "_Everyone's_ seen 'em -do that. They're just makin' a quick trip acrost, from one marsh to -another. But _this_ little hen has made a journey. For her it's like -travelin' to the moon." - -Grandma nodded. "To my notion, she's a body with a purpose. She's -tryin' to find a hidey-hole. Wonder what's frighted her?" - -They all watched as the hen made her way to the high ground near the -smokehouse and settled down on the doorstep as though she'd found a -safe harbor. - -Everybody went back to work except Grandpa. He crossed the room to the -window that faced the channel. "Great guns!" he exclaimed. "Look at how -our lone pine tree is bent! Why, the wind's switched clean around from -sou'west to nor'east! And look at the sky--it's black as the inside of -a cow." Suddenly he sucked in his breath. "The tide," he gasped, "it's -almost up to our field!" - -"Only nacherel," Grandma called from the kitchen. "We're in the time of -the new moon, and a new moon allus means a fuller tide." - -But Grandpa wasn't listening. He began pacing from one room to the -other. "Any storm warnings on the radio today, Idy?" he asked. - -"No," Grandma said thoughtfully, "except the Coast Guard gave out -small-craft warnings this morning. But three outen five days in March, -they hoist that red flag." - -"Even so," Grandpa said, "me and Paul better light out and put the -ponies in the hay house for safety." - -Paul dropped his paintbrush and started for the door. - -"Bring in more wood for the stove," Grandma called after them. - -Darkness was coming on quickly and the wind had sharpened, bringing -with it a fine whipping rain. The old man and the boy whistled the -ponies in from the marsh. They came at a gallop, eager to get out of -the weather. It wasn't often they were given all the hay they could -eat, and warm shelter too. - -Paul grabbed a bundle of hay and ran to Misty's stall. He found her -stomping uneasily and biting at herself, but he blamed the little colt -inside her, not the weather. The wind fluttered the cobwebs over the -window at the back of her stall. He nailed a gunny sack to the frame to -keep the cold out. Then, feeling satisfied, he gave Misty a gentle pat -on the rump. As he went out, he bolted both the top and the bottom of -her door. - -He joined Grandpa, who was gathering up four fluffy black mallards, too -young to fly, and putting them in a high cage in the hay house. The -peacocks and banties were already roosting in the pine trees. Wherever -Paul and Grandpa went, Skipper ran ahead, enjoying the wind and the -feeling of danger and excitement. At the kitchen door he left them, -jumping into his bed in the truck. Habit was stronger than the wind. - -Inside the house, all was warmth and comfort--the fire crackling in the -stove, the oyster pie sending forth rich fragrances, and from the radio -in the sitting room a cowboy's voice was throbbing: - - "Oh, give me a home - Where the buffalo roam, - And the deer and the antelope ..." - -The word "play" never came. The music stopped as if someone had turned -it off. At the same instant the kitchen went black as a foxhole. - -A strange, cold terror entered the house. For a long moment everyone -stood frozen. Then Grandma spoke in her gayest voice, which somehow -didn't sound gay at all. "We'll just eat our supper by candlelight. -It'll be like a party." - -She found the flashlight on the shelf over the sink, and pointed -its beam inside a catch-all drawer. "I got some candles in here -somewheres," she said, poking in among old party favors and odds and -ends of Christmas wrappings. - -Grandpa struck a match and held it ready. "Yer Grandma looks like -Skipper diggin' up an old bone. Dag-bite-it!" he exclaimed. "I'm -burnin' my fingers." The match sputtered and died of itself. - -"I'm 'shamed to say," Grandma finally admitted, "but I recomember now, -I gave my old candles to the family that moved in on Gravel Basket -Road. They hadn't any electric in the house. What's more, I loaned 'em -our lantern." - -Grandpa's voice was quick and stern. "Paul! You drive my pickup over to -Barrett's Store and get us a gallon of coal oil. Maureen, you crunch up -some newspaper to--" - -"Clarence!" Grandma was shocked. "Paul's not old enough to drive, and -hark to that wind." - -"Idy, this here's an emergency. I'm the onliest one knows jes' where in -the attic to put my hand on the old ship's lantern off'n the _Alberta_. -Besides, Barrett's is jes' up Rattlesnake Ridge, as fer as a hen can -spit." - -Paul was out the door in a flash and Grandpa was pulling down the -ladder in the hall to the crawl-space in the attic. As he climbed up he -muttered loud enough for Grandma to hear, "Wimmenfolk and worry, cups -and saucers, wimmenfolk and worry!" - -When he came back with the lantern, he handed it to Maureen. "Like I -said, honey, you crunch up some newspaper and give this chimney a good -cleaning, and then pick the black stuff off'n the wick. Here, ye can -use my flashbeam to work by." - -Seconds passed, and the minutes wore slowly on. It was past time for -Paul to be back. Grandpa peered out the window, trying to pull car -lights out of the dark. He wished Grandma would not just sit there, -hands folded in prayer. He wished she'd sputter and scold. He wished -she'd say something. Anything. - -He even wished Maureen would say something. But she was intent on her -work. "That's good enough, honey. Better shut the flashbeam off now. We -may be needing it for trips to the barn," he added seriously. - -When at last Paul burst into the house, he set the can of coal oil on -the table without a word. Grandma quickly opened it and poured some in -the base of the lantern. - -"Wa-al?" Grandpa asked as he struck a match and lighted the wick. He -turned it slowly up and watched the flame steady. "Where ye been? Yer -Grandma's nigh crazy with worry over ye. What took ye so long?" - -"I drove around to see how bad the storm is." - -"And how bad is it?" - -"Bad. _Real_ bad." - -"What you lookin' so ashy about?" - -"I got bogged down in the sand on Main Street. The bay water's coming -right over the road and lots of cars are stuck. Fire Chief had to push -me out." - -"Oh...." Grandpa looked concerned. "Ye'd better run my truck up to that -high place by the fence, Paul. If this wind keeps up, no tellin' how -far she'll shove the tide." - - - - - _Chapter 4_ - - LET THE WIND SCREECH - - -The storm was sharpening as Paul moved the truck. If he hurried, he -could look in on Misty once more. Skipper read his thoughts and leaped -out with him, but he didn't dash ahead. He hugged close to Paul, his -action saying, "Two creatures against the storm are better than one." - -The wind swept down upon them and struck with an iron-cold blast. It -took Paul's breath. He had to fight his way, reaching up, grasping for -the clothesline. He might not be able to get out again. Suppose Misty'd -already had her colt and was too frightened to take care of it? Suppose -it suffocated in its birthing bag because no one was there to tear it -open? - -He stumbled over a tree root, and only the clothesline kept him from -sprawling. But now he had to let go. He had reached the post where the -line turned back to the house. He was almost to the corral. Now he was -there. He squeezed through the bars. He reached the shed, crying out -Misty's name. - -She came to him, her breath warm on his face. He put both arms around -her body. The colt was still safe inside her. A wave of love and relief -washed over him as he leaned against her, enjoying the warmth of her -body. He stood there, wondering what she would say to him if she could, -wondering whether she was thinking at all, or just feeling content, -rubbing up against a fellow-creature for comfort. - -Skipper nosed in between them, nudging first one and then the other, -wanting to be part of the kinship. - -"You can stay in here tonight, feller," Paul said. "You'll keep each -other warm." Reluctantly he left them and headed toward the house. The -wind and rain were at his back now, pushing him along as if he were in -the way. - -The kitchen felt cozy and warm by contrast, and the acrid smell of the -coal oil seemed pleasant. The light, though feeble, didn't hide the -worry on Grandma's and Grandpa's faces. But Maureen was humming and -happy, her head bent over small squares of paper. Wait-a-Minute was -perched on her shoulder, purring noisily. - -Paul picked up the cat, warming his fingers in her fur. "What you -doing, Maureen?" he asked. - -She folded one of the squares and held it up in triumph. "Isn't it -exciting, Paul?" - -"What's it supposed to be?" - -"Why, a birth announcement, of course." - -"Gee willikers! Horsemen don't send out announcements!" - -"I know that. But Misty's different. Everybody's heard how she came -from the wild ones on Assateague and chose to live with us 'stead of -her own kin." - -Paul held the folder close to the light. He studied it curiously and -in surprise. On the top sheet were three sketches of horses' heads. -The one on the left was unmistakably Misty, and the one on the right -could have been any horse-creature except that it was carefully labeled -"_Wings_." Between the two, in a small oval, there was a whiskery -colt's face and underneath it a dash where the name could be printed in -later. - -"Right purty, eh, Paul?" Grandpa asked. - -"Look at the inside," Grandma urged. - -Paul opened it and read aloud: "_Little No-Name out of Misty by Wings. -Misty out of The Phantom by The Pied Piper. Wings out of a wild mare by -a wild stallion._" He pulled at his forelock, thinking and studying the -pedigree. - -"One thing wrong," he said with authority. - -Maureen's lips quivered. "Oh, Paul, I can't help it if I can't draw -good as you." - -"It's not that, Maureen. The pictures are nice. Better than I could -do," he admitted honestly. "But in pedigrees the stallion's name and -_his_ family always come first." - -"But, Paul, remember how Misty's mother outsmarted the roundup men -every Pony Penning until she birthed Misty? The Pied Piper was penned -up every year, and if it hadn't been for Misty, likely The Phantom -never, ever would of been captured. Remember?" - -"'Course I remember! I brought her in, didn't I?" He stopped and -thought a moment. "But I reckon you're right, Maureen. This pedigree -_is_ different. Misty and The Phantom should come first." - -"These children got real hoss sense, Idy," Grandpa bragged. "I'm so -dang proud o' them I could go around with my chest stickin' out like a -penguin." He strutted across the room, trying to stamp out his worry. - -Suddenly the lights flashed on and a voice blared over the radio: "... -is in the grip of the worst blizzard of the winter. Twelve inches -of snow have fallen in central Virginia and still more to come. At -Atlantic City battering seas have undercut the famous board walk. Great -sections of it have collap...." The voice was cut off between syllables -as if the announcer had been strangled. Again the house went dark, -except for the flame in the lantern and a rim of yellow around the -stove lids. - -"Supper's ready," Grandma sang out in forced cheerfulness. "Guess we -can all find our mouths in the dark. These oysters," she said as she -ladled the gravy over each plate, "is real plump, and the batter bread -is light as a ... as a...." - -"As a moth?" Paul prompted. - -"Well, mebbe not that light," Grandma replied. - -They all sat down in silence, listening to the sound of the wind -spiralling around the house. Suddenly Grandpa pushed his chair back. "I -can't eat a thing, Idy," he said. "But you all eat. I just now thought -'bout something." - -"'Bout what, Clarence?" - -"'Bout Mr. Terry." - -Grandma put down her fork. "That's the man who moved here to -Chincoteague last fall, ain't it?" - -As Grandpa nodded his head, Paul broke in. "He's the man who has to -live in a kind of electric cradle." - -"That's the one. His bed has to rock, Idy, or he dies. And now with the -electric off, he may be gaspin' for air like a fish out o' water. Me -and Paul could go over and pump that bed by hand." - -He hurried into the sitting room, to the telephone on the little table -by the window. "Lucy," he told the operator, "please to get me Miz' -Terry. She could be needin' help." - -Grandma put Grandpa's plate back on the stove. Everyone stopped eating -to listen. - -"That you, Miz' Terry?" Grandpa's voice boomed above wind and storm. - -Pause. - -"You don't know me, but this here's Clarence Beebe over to Pony Ranch, -and I was jes' a-wonderin' how ye'd like four mighty strong arms to -pump yer husband's bed by hand." - -There was a long pause. - -"Ye don't say! Wal now, ain't that jes' fine. But ye'll call me if ye -need hand-help, eh?" - -Grandpa strode back to the table, sat down and stuffed his napkin under -his chin. - -"What did Miz' Terry say?" asked Grandma, setting his plate in front of -him. - -Grandpa ate with gusto. He slurped one oyster, then another, before he -would talk. "Why, ye'd never believe it, Idy, how quick people think! -First, Charlie Saunders, who's in charge of the hull Public Service--he -calls Miz' Terry and warns her 'bout the wind bein' high and the -electric liable to go out, so she calls Henry Leonard down to the -hardware store, and almost afore she hung up there was a boy knockin' -at her door with a generator and some gasoline to run it." - -Grandpa sighed in satisfaction. "So let the wind screech," he said, -"and let the rain slap down, and let the tide rip. We're all here -together under our snug little roof." - -A good feeling came into the room. The lantern flame seemed suddenly -to shine brighter and the homely kitchen with its red-checkered cloth -became a thing of beauty. - - - - - _Chapter 5_ - - NINETY HEAD - - -Before second helpings the storm struck in full fury. It came whipping -down the open sea like some angry, flailing giant. It shook the house, -rattled the shutters, clawed at the shingles. - -The kitchen, so snug and secure a moment ago, suddenly seemed fragile -as an eggshell. - -Grandpa and the children rushed to the sitting-room window. They could -not see beyond the windowpane itself. Only wind-driven rain, streams -of rain, slithering down the glass, bubbling at its edges. Every few -moments one ghostly beam from the lighthouse over on Assateague sliced -through the downpour--then all was blackness again. - -Maureen tugged at Grandpa's sleeve. "Grandpa! What if Misty's baby is -being born? Right now? Will it die?" - -Paul, too, felt panic. "Grandpa!" he yelled. "Let's go out there." - -But Grandpa stood mesmerized. He wasn't seeing this storm. He was in -another storm long ago, and he was thinking: "'Twas the wind and waves -that wrecked the Spanish ship and brought the ponies here. What if -the wind and waves should swaller 'em and take 'em back again!" In -his darkened thoughts he could see the ponies fighting the wreckage, -fighting for air, fighting to live. - -And suddenly he began to pray for all the wild things out on a night -like this. Then he thought to himself, "Sakes alive! I'm taking -over Idy's work." He turned around and saw her at the sink washing -the dishes as if storms were nothing to fret about. A flash of -understanding shuttled between them. They would both hide their fears -from the children. - -Paul's voice was now at the breaking point. And Grandpa knew the -questions without actually hearing the words. But he had no answer. He, -too, was worried about Misty. He put one arm around Paul and another -around Maureen, drawing them away from the window, pulling them down -beside him on the lumpy couch. - -"There, there, children, hold on," he soothed. "Buckle on your blinders -and let's think of Fun Days. I'll think first. I'm a-thinkin'...." - -In the dark room it was almost like being in a theater, waiting for the -play to begin. And now Grandpa was drawing the curtain aside. - -"I'm a-thinkin'," he began again, "back on Armed Forces Day, and I'm -a-ridin' little Misty in the big parade 'cause you two both got the -chickenpox. Recomember?" - -"Yes," they agreed politely. And for Grandpa's sake, Paul added, "Tell -us about it." - -"Why, I can hear the high-school band a-tootlin' and a-blastin' as -plain as if 'twas yesterday. And all of 'em in blue uniforms with -Chincoteague ponies 'broidered in gold on their sleeves. And now comes -the Coast Guard, carryin' flags on long poles, marchin' to the music, -and right behind 'em comes me and the firemen a-ridin'." - -Now the children were caught up in the drama, reliving the familiar -story. - -"Misty, she weren't paradin' like the big hosses the firemen rode. -She come a-skylarkin' along, and ever'where a little rife of applause -as she goes by. But all to once she seen a snake--'twas one of them -hog-nose vipers--and 'twas right plumb in the middle of the street, and -she r'ared up and come down on it and kilt it whilst all the cars in -the rear was a-honkin' 'cause she's holdin' up the parade." - -Grandpa stopped for breath. He gave the children a squeeze of mingled -pride and joy. "Why, she was so riled up over that snake she like to -o' dumped me off in the killin'. But I hung on, tight as a tick, and I -give her a loose rein so's she could finish the job, and...." - -Maureen interrupted. "Grandpa! You forgot all about our pup." - -Grandpa winked at Grandma. His trick had worked. He had lifted the -children out of their worry. "Gosh all fish-hawks," he chuckled, "I -eenamost did. What was that little feller's name?" - -"Why, Whiskers!" Maureen prompted. - -"'Course," Grandpa said, scratching his own whiskers as he remembered. -"Well, that pup was a-ridin' bareback behind me, and when Misty r'ared, -he went skallyhootin' in the air. But you know what? He picked himself -up and jumped right back on, after the snake-killin' was done. And -Misty won a beautiful gold cup for bein' the purtiest and bravest pony -in the hull parade." - -"And that was even afore she became famous in the movie," Paul added. - -Grandpa stopped, groping in desperation for another story. In the short -moment of silence a gust of wind twanged the telephone wires and wailed -eerily under the eaves. - -Maureen's face went white. "Oh, Grandpa!" she whimpered. "Is Misty's -baby going to die?" - -"No, child. How often do I got to tell you I'm the oldest pony raiser -on this-here island, and if I know anything at all about ponies, -Misty'll hold off 'til the storm's over and the sun's shinin' bright as -a Christmas-tree ball." - -Paul leaped from the couch. "Grandma!" he challenged. "Do _you_ believe -that?" - -Grandma was putting away the last of the dishes, and did not reply. The -question was so simple, so probing. She wanted to tell the truth and -she wanted to calm the children. "As ye know," she said at last, "I -had ten head o' children, and it seemed like _they_ did the deciding -when was the time to appear. But from what yer Grandpa says, ponies is -smarter'n people. They kin hold off 'til things is more auspicious." - -Grandpa brushed the talk aside. "I got another worriment asides Misty," -he said. "She's safe enough on high ground and in a snug shed. But what -about all my ponies up to Deep Hole?" He jerked up from the couch. "I -got to call Tom Reed." - -"Clarence," Grandma reproached, "Tom Reed's an early-to-bedder. Time we -bedded down, too. It's past nine." - -"I don't keer if it's past midnight," he cried in a sudden burst. "I -_got_ to call him!" But he didn't go to the phone. He suddenly stood -still, his hands clenched into fists. "Somethin' I been meanin' to tell -ye," he said with a kind of urgency. - -No one helped him with a question. Everyone was too bewildered. - -"All I know in this world is ponies. Ponies is my life," he went on. -"And ever' Pony Penning I buy me some uncommon purty ones." Now the -words poured from him. "Some fellers salt their money in insurance and -such, but I been saltin' mine in ponies. And right now I got ninety -head. And they're up to Deep Hole in Tom Reed's woods. I _got_ to know -how they are!" - -"Ninety head!" Grandma gasped. "I had no idea 'twas so many." - -"Well, 'tis." Grandpa's voice was tight and strained. "If the ocean -swallers 'em, we're licked and done." He looked at the children. "And -there'll be no schoolin' for this second brood o' ours." He rubbed the -bristles in his ears, the worry in his face deepening. "One of the -ponies is Wings." - -"Oh ... oh...." Maureen's lips trembled as if she had lost a friend. -"Not Wings!" - -"Not Wings!" Paul repeated. - -"Who's Wings?" Grandma demanded. - -"Why, Grandma," Paul said, "he's the red stallion who stole Misty away -for two weeks last spring. Don't you remember? He's the father of -Misty's unborned colt." - -Maureen went over to Grandpa and took his gnarled old hand into hers -and pressed it against her cheek. "Tonight I'm going to send up my best -prayer for Wings. And for all ninety head," she added quickly. "But, -Grandpa, we don't mind about school. Honest we don't." - -"'Course not," Paul said. "We'll just raise more ponies from Misty." - - - - - _Chapter 6_ - - OCEANUS - - -"Try oncet more, Lucy! Just oncet more!" Grandpa was imploring the -operator. - -Paul and Maureen were on the floor at Grandpa's feet, listening -anxiously. Grandma brought in the lantern and set it on the organ near -him as if somehow it would help them all hear better. - -After an unbearable wait Grandpa bellowed, "Tom! That you, Tom? How are -my ponies?" - -A pause. - -"What's that? You're worried about your son's _chickens_!" Grandpa -clamped his hand over the mouthpiece and snorted in disgust. He -summoned all of his patience. "All right, tell me 'bout the chickens, -but make it quick." He held the receiver slightly away from his ear so -that everyone could listen in. - -"My son," Tom Reed was shouting as loud as Grandpa, "raises chickens up -to my house, you know." - -"Yup, yup, I know." - -"He's got four chicken houses here, and he comes up about eight o'clock -tonight, and wind's a-screeching and a-blowing, and the stoves burn -more coal when the wind blows hard." - -"I know!" Grandpa burst forth in annoyance. "But what about...." - -"He puts more coal on and he asks me to help, and tide wasn't too far -in then. But when we'd done coaling, he goes on back to his house. And -an hour or so later he calls me up all outa breath. 'Tide's risin' -fast,' he says. 'Storm's worsening. I can't get back up there. Will you -coal the stoves for me?' So I goes out...." - -Grandpa stiffened. "What'd ye find, Tom? Any o' my ponies?" - -"All drowned." - -A cry broke from the old man: "All ninety head?" - -"They was all drowned, two thousand little baby chicks. They was -sitting on their stoves like they was asleep. The water just come right -up under 'em. I guess two-three gasps, and they was all dead." - -"Oh." Grandpa held tight to his patience. He was sorry about the -chickens, but he had to know about his ponies. He cleared his throat -and leaned forward. "Tom!" he shouted. "_What about my ponies?_" - -There was a long pause. Then the voice at the other end stammered, "I -don't know, Clarence, but no cause to worry--yet. Stallions got weather -sense. They'll just drive their mares up on little humpy places." - -Grandpa wasn't breathing. His face turned dull red. - -"They must of sensed this storm," the voice went on. "Tonight after I -watered 'em, they just wanted to stay close to the house. But I drove -'em out to the low pasture like always. I'll go out later with my -flashbeam. You call me back, Clarence." - -There was a choking sound. The children couldn't tell whether it was -Grandpa or a noise on the line. - -"You hear me, Clarence? I'll go out now. Call me back." - -Blindly Grandpa put the receiver in place. He went to the window and -stood there, his head bowed. - -No one knew what to say. Their world seemed to hang like a rock -teetering on a cliff. - -The quiet felt heavy in the room, with only the wind screaming. -Suddenly Grandpa turned around. His eyes seemed to throw sparks. "Idy! -Play something loud. Bust that organ-box wide open. March music, mebbe. -Anything to drown out that wind. And Paul and Maureen, quit gawpin'. -Get up off'n the floor and sing! Loud and strong. Worryin' won't do us -a lick o' good." - -Grandma was relieved to have something to do. She plumped herself on -the organ bench, spreading out her skirt as if she were on the concert -stage. "Now then," she turned to Grandpa, "I'll play 'Fling Out the -Banner.'" - -"I don't know the words," Paul said. - -"Me either," Maureen chimed in. - -"Ye can read, can't ye?" Grandpa barked. "Here's the song book. Go -ahead now. I'll be yer audience." - -The organ notes rolled out strong and vibrant, and the children sang -lustily: - - "Fling out the banner, let it float - Skyward and seaward, high and wide...." - -When they were well into the second verse, Grandpa silently tiptoed -into the hall, put on his gumboots and slicker, and let himself out -into the night. - -A flying piece of wood narrowly missed his head as he went down the -steps, and a piece of wet pulpy paper hit him full in the face. He -wiped it off and focused his light to see the path to the corral. But -there was no path; it was covered by water. He drew his head into -his coat and sloshed forward, bent double against the wind. "'Tain't -a hurricane, it's naught but a full tide," he kept telling himself. -"Still, I don't like it, with Misty so close to her time." - -Inside the shed all was dry and warm. Misty was lying asleep, with -Skipper back-to-back. The light brought the collie to his feet in a -twinkling. He almost knocked Grandpa down with his welcome. Misty -opened wide her jaws and yawned in Grandpa's face. - -He couldn't help laughing. "See!" he told himself. "Nothing to worry -about. Hoss-critters is far smarter'n human-critters." He fumbled in -his pocket and found a few tatters of tobacco and said to himself, -"Watch her come snuzzlin' up to me." And she did. And he liked the feel -of her tongue on his hand and the brightness of her eye in the beam of -his flashlight. - -Affectionately he wiped his sticky palm on her neck and said, "I got to -go in, Misty, now I know ye're all right. See you in the morning, and -by then all the water'll slump back into the ocean where it b'longs." - -When he came into the kitchen, Grandma was standing with a broom across -the door. "Praises be, ye're safe!" she exclaimed. "I been holdin' -these young'uns at bay. They wanted to follow ye." - -"Grandpa! Has the colt come?" Maureen and Paul asked in one breath. - -"Nope. And if I'm any judge, 'tain't soon. Now everybody to bed. Things -is all right. We got to think that." - -"Paul and I, we can't go to bed yet," Maureen protested. - -"And why can't ye?" - -"We haven't done our homework." - -"Clarence," Grandma said, "you're all tuckered out, and you can't call -Tom Reed 'cause our telephone's dead as a doorknob. So you go on to -bed. I'll listen to the homework so's no more members of this household -tippytoe out behind my back." - -Grandpa patted everyone good night and went off, loosening his -suspenders as he went. - -"I feel like Abraham Lincoln studying by candlelight," Maureen said, -bringing her pile of books close to the lantern. - -"Wish you looked more like him," Paul teased, "instead of like a wild -horse with a mane that's never been brushed." - -"Humph, _your_ hair looks like a stubblefield." - -"Children, stop it!" Grandma interrupted. "Ye can have yer druthers. -Either ye go to bed or ye get to work." - -Paul weighed the choices, then reluctantly opened his science book. -But at the very first page he let out a whistle. "Listen to this! 'If -the ancients had known what the earth is _really_ like, they would have -named it Oceanus, not Earth. Huge areas of water cover seventy per cent -of its surface. It is indeed a watery planet.'" - -"Now that's right interesting," Grandma said, putting a few sticks of -wood into the stove. - -"Yes," Maureen pouted, "a lot more interesting than trying to figure -how many times 97 goes into 10,241." - -Paul waxed to his lesson as a preacher to his sermon. "Listen! 'People -used to say the tides were the breathing of the earth. Now we know they -are caused by the gra-vi--gra-vi-ta--gra-vi-ta-tion-al pull of the moon -and sun.'" - -"I do declare!" Grandma said. "It makes my skin run prickly jes' -thinkin' about it." - -"Go on!" Maureen urged. "What's next?" - -Paul read half to himself, half aloud. "'When the moon, sun, and earth -are directly in line--as at new moon and full moon--the moon's and the -sun's pulls are added together and we have unusually high tides called -spring tides.'" - -Grandma sat rocking and repeating, "I declare! I do declare!" until -her head nodded. Suddenly she jerked up and looked at the clock. "Paul -Beebe! Stop! It's way past ten and, lessons or no, we all got to get to -bed. _This instant!_" - - - - - _Chapter 7_ - - THE SEA TAKES OVER - - -All night long Paul heard the driving rain and the wind lashing the -dead vine across his window. Even in his dreams he heard it. As gray -daylight came, his sleepy voice kept mumbling, "They should've named it -Oceanus ... Oceanus ... Oceanus." - -His own words brought him awake. Scarcely touching his toes to the cold -floor, he leaped to the window and pulled the curtain aside. He stared -awestruck. - -The sea was everywhere, all around. The tide had not ebbed. It had -risen, its waves dirtied and yellowed by sand and jetsam. They were -licking now against the underpinning of the house. Suddenly Paul knew -it was more than rain he had heard in his dreams. It was the sea on its -march to the house. - -All at once fear was sharp in him, like a pain. Misty had drowned! She -had drowned because she was trapped in a stall. He himself had bolted -and locked and trapped her. If only, long ago, he had sent her back to -Assateague with the wild things where she belonged! Then she could have -climbed the White Hills and been saved. If only.... If...! - -Angry at himself, almost blaming himself for the storm, he pulled on -his blue jeans over his pajamas. And he yelled for Grandpa as he tore -through the silent house to the back hall. - -The old man was already there, struggling into his hip boots. "Shush! -Shush!" he whispered. "You'll wake yer Grandma and Maureen. Ain't -nothing they can do to help. Mebbe," his voice was tight and bitter, -"ain't nothing anybody can do." - -Paul hoped Grandpa wouldn't notice the tremble of his hands as he -buttoned his jacket. But Grandpa was busy gathering up a pile of -supplies--some old, worn bath towels, a thermos jug of hot water, a box -of oatmeal, and a small brown paper sack. He stuffed the towels inside -his slicker, picked up the jug, and gave the oatmeal and the sack to -Paul. - -"Mind you keep them dry," he cautioned. "The sack's got sugar -inside ... in case o' emergency." - -He opened the door, and the old man and the boy stepped out into -a terrifying seventy-five-mile-an-hour gale. The sudden pressure -half-knocked Paul's breath out. The rain blew into his eyes faster than -he could blink it away. He felt Grandpa thrust a strong arm through -his, and linked tight together they flung themselves against the wind, -floundering ankle-deep in the choppy water. Paul's heart hammered in -his chest and he cried inside, "Please, God, take the sea back where it -belongs. Please take it back." - -As they stumbled along, Grandma's new-hatched chicks swept by them and -out to sea on the tide. And they saw two squawking hens, their feet -shackled by seaweed, struggling to reach their chicks. But they were -already out of sight. Paul and Grandpa, too, were helpless to save them. - -Numb and weary, they reached the shed, and to their relief it was a -windbreak. They caught their breath in its shelter. At least, Paul -thought, the wind won't rush in when we open the door. - -Grandpa set down his jug. Paul opened the door just a crack. Fearfully, -uncertainly, they peered in. They stared unbelieving. Maureen, looking -like a wet fish or a half-drowned mermaid, sat dozing on Misty's back. -Skipper was sleeping at her feet, curled up in a furry ball. - -As the door creaked on its hinges, Misty shied and Maureen fell off in -a surprised heap. She bounced up like a jack-in-the-box. - -"Wal, I never!" Grandpa clucked as he and Paul went inside. "Seems like -we're intrudin'. Eh, Paul?" - -Paul's surprise turned to resentment. "Least you could've done, -Maureen, was to wake me up." - -"And who usually goes off alone?" - -"Who?" - -"You! Remember when you sneaked Grandpa's boat and went to Assateague -all alone?" - -"Oh, that! That was no place for a girl." - -"Stop it!" Grandpa shouted. He gave Maureen a gentle spank, then -turned to Paul. "We've got all the makings here. You and Maureen fix a -hot mash for Misty. I'll wade over to the hay house and see to Watch -Eyes and Billy Blaze and the mares. You two wait for me here." - -Later, at breakfast, Paul started to tell Grandma about her chicks, but -he couldn't bring himself to do it. She was spooning up the porridge, -trying to hide her fears with nervous chatter. "As you said, children, -there's a time to go to school and a time to stay home. Well, this-here -is the time to stay home. I won't have you going out again and catchin' -the bad pneumonia." - -"Guess ye're right, Idy," Grandpa agreed. - -Paul and Maureen merely nodded. For once, a holiday from school did not -seem attractive. They ate in silence. - -"I've a good mind to feed you sawdust after this," Grandma went on. -"Not a one of ye would know the difference." - -Halfway through, Grandpa pushed his bowl of porridge aside. "It's -stickin' in my gullet," he said. He got up from the table and stood -over the stove, flexing his fingers. "Any way ye look at it," he sighed -heavily, "we're bad off. Our old scow tore loose in the night--it's -gone. And likely our ninety head up to Deep Hole are gone, too." His -body shivered. "But even so," he added quietly, "we're lucky." - -Maureen sat up very straight. "You have me and Paul," she said solemnly. - -"That's 'zactly what I mean! We got us two stout-built grandchildren, -and they're not afeard to buckle down and pull alongside us." - -Paul stood up. He felt strong and proud, as if he could tackle -anything. "I'm going with you, Grandpa." - -"How'd ye know I'm going anywheres? But I am! I got to get over to -town. Human folk may need rescuin'." - -Grandma's lips pressed into a thin line. "Ye can't go! There's no road! -Water'd come clean up over your boots." - -"There, there, Idy. The wind's let up some, and Billy Blaze and Watch -Eyes is used to plowin' through water. If they can't walk, they kin -swim. Boy, ye ready?" - -Paul shot a look of triumph at Maureen and immediately felt ashamed. - -"Clarence!" Grandma pleaded, trying to keep her menfolk at home. "I -won't have you going off and over-straining yourself. You, and me too," -she added quickly, "is getting agey. Besides, soon the telephone will -come on, and the electric, and we can all set cozy-like and listen to -the news on the radio." - -"If everyone was to stay home, Idy, a lot of folk might go floatin' out -to sea like yer baby chicks." He clapped his hand over his mouth. He -hadn't meant to tell her. But now it was too late. - -Grandma's eyes filled. She covered her face with her hands. "Pore -little chickabiddies," she whispered, "with their soft yellow fuzz -and their beady birdy eyes." She wiped her tears with her apron. "All -right, go 'long," she said. "I just hope your herd up to Tom's pasture -ain't met the same fate." - -Grandpa put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "That's another reason I got -to go," he said. "When I'm fightin' the elements, I can't be grievin' -about my herd. If they've weathered the night, they'll last the day. -And if they ain't...." - -"I'll keep watch on Misty," Maureen offered. "And if there's any -trouble, Grandma knows all about birthing." - - - - - _Chapter 8_ - - PAUL TO THE RESCUE - - -By the time Paul and Grandpa set out on Watch Eyes and Billy Blaze, the -wind had dropped to fifty miles an hour. Yet the water from the ocean -was stealthily creeping up and up as if to reclaim this mote of land -and take it back to the sea. Spilling and foaming, the tide continued -to rise--flooding chicken farms, schoolyards, stores and houses--in its -surge to join ocean and bay. - -Watch Eyes and Billy Blaze were used to surf and boggy marsh, for they -had been on many a wild pony roundup. Feeling ahead for footholds they -pushed forward, step by step, not seeming to mind the water splashing -up on their bellies. - -Grandpa, on Blaze, cupped one hand about his mouth and yelled above the -wind. "Turn off at Rattlesnake Ridge, Paul. We'll stop at Barrett's -Grocery first and get the news." - -Paul nodded as though he had heard. He was staring, horror-struck, at -the neighbors' houses. Some had collapsed. And some had their front -porches knocked off so they looked like faces with a row of teeth -missing. And some were tilted at a crazy slant. - -Anger boiled up in Paul--anger at the senseless brutality of the storm. -He rode, shivering and talking to himself: "The big bully! Striking -little frame houses that can't stand up to it, drubbing them, whopping -them, knocking their props out." - -A street sign veered by, narrowly missing the horses' knees. _98th -Street_, it said. Grandpa turned around to make sure he had read it -aright. "My soul and body!" he boomed. "It scun clean down from Ocean -City! That's thirty mile away!" - -Without warning, Watch Eyes suddenly slipped and went floundering. -Paul's quick hand tightened on the reins, lifting his head. He felt -Watch Eyes jolt, then stretch out swimming. "Go it! Go it!" he shouted, -and he stood up in his stirrups, feeling a kind of wild excitement. -This was like swimming the channel on Pony Penning Day. Only now the -water was icier and it was spilling into his boots, soaking his blue -jeans and the pajamas he still had on. Yet his body was sweating and he -was panting when they reached the store. - -In front of Barrett's Grocery two red gas pumps were being used as -mooring posts for skiffs and smacks and trawlers. A Coast Guard DUKW, -called a "duck," and looking like a cross between a jeep and a boat, -came churning up alongside Grandpa and Paul. The driver called out: -"Mr. Beebe! We need you both." His voice was a command. "Tie up your -horses in Barrett's barn and come aboard." - -From under the tarpaulin a child's voice cried excitedly, "Paul, how's -Misty?" - -And another spoke up. "Has she had her baby yet?" - -Paul shook his head. - -Mr. Barrett's barn had a stout ramp, and Watch Eyes and Billy Blaze -trotted up and inside like homing pigeons. After Paul and Grandpa had -loosened the ponies' girths and slipped the bits under their chins, -they waded out to the DUKW. The passengers squeezed together to make -room. Then the DUKW turned and chugged toward the village. - -"Sir!" Paul asked the driver. "Could you take us up to Deep Hole to see -about Grandpa's ponies?" - -Grim-faced, the man replied, "Got to save people first." - -As they turned onto Main Street, which runs along the very shore of -the bay, Paul was stunned. Yesterday the wide street with its white -houses and stores and oyster-shucking sheds had been neat and prim, -like a Grandma Moses picture. Today boats were on the loose, bashing -into houses. A forty-footer had rammed right through one house, its bow -sticking out the back door, its stern out the front. - -Nothing was sacred to the sea. It swept into the cemetery, lifted up -coffins, cast them into people's front yards. - -Up ahead, a helicopter was letting down a basket to three people on a -rooftop. Grandpa gaped at the noisy machine in admiration. "I itch to -be up there," he shouted, "lifting off the old and the sick." - -Paul too wanted to do big rescue work. - -As if reading his mind, the driver turned to him. "Son," he said, "do -you feel strong enough to save a life?" - -"Yes, sir!" - -"Good. You know Mr. Terry--the man who has to live in a rocking bed?" - -Paul nodded. "It rocks by electric, but he's got a gasoline generator -now. Mrs. Terry was telling Grandpa last night." - -"Yes, but along about midnight the gas ran low. It took the firemen an -hour to get through this surf to deliver more gas to keep the generator -running. He's still alive...." - -"Then what can I do?" Paul asked. - -"Plenty, son. The whole island's running out of gas, and until -helicopters can bring some in, that respirator's got to be worked by -hand." - -"Oh. 'Course I'll help." - -The driver now turned to Grandpa. "These folks," he said, indicating -his passengers, "are flooded out. We'll take them to the second story -of the Fire House for shelter. Then we got to chug up to Bear Scratch -section and rescue a family with six children. Whoa! Here we are at the -Terrys'." - -The DUKW skewered to a stop in front of a two-story white house. - -"Good luck, Paul. When the gas arrives, grab any DUKW going by, and -we'll meet you back at Barrett's Store along about noon." - -Paul got out and plowed up to the house. The door opened as he stumbled -up the flooded steps, and Mrs. Terry greeted him. Her face was pale, -and there were deep circles under her eyes, but she smiled. "You've -come to man the generator?" - -"Yes, sir--I mean, yes, ma'am," Paul stammered. "I'm Paul Beebe." - -"Oh," she smiled again. "So you're the Beebe boy. You're the one who -rescued Misty when she was a baby and nearly drowned." - -"Yes, ma'am." - -"And to think that now she's going to have a baby of her own." - -"Yes, ma'am. Any minute." - -All the while she watched Paul pulling off his boots and jacket Mrs. -Terry talked to him, but her head was cocked, ears alert, listening to -the steady hum of the generator in the next room. - -"We've so little gas left," she said. "The doctor says I'm to save it -in case relief-men get worn out." She led the way down the hall to Mr. -Terry's bedroom. - -Paul blanched. Hospitals and sick rooms gave him a cold clutch of fear. -But the moment he saw Mr. Terry smiling there in his rocking bed he -was all eagerness to help. Maybe he could do a better job than an old -machine. Maybe he could pump stronger and faster, so Mr. Terry'd get a -lot more air in his lungs and his face wouldn't look so white. - -Mrs. Terry showed Paul how to work the controls. "He's used to just -twenty-eight rocks a minute," she explained. "No faster." - -"Hi, son." The voice from the bed was weak but cheerful. "It's good of -you to help." - -Paul bent to his work, pushing up and down in steady rhythm, -twenty-eight strokes to the minute. Maybe, he thought as the minutes -went by, now I can qualify for a volunteer fireman. He was glad he -was used to pumping water for the ponies. And that set him thinking -of Misty, and the bittersweet worry rushed over him again so that he -barely heard Mrs. Terry. - -"How wonderful people are, Paul," she was saying. "With their property -wrecked and their own lives endangered, they are so concerned about us. -And we aren't even Chincoteaguers. We just came here to retire." - -Paul heard the words far off. He was thinking: Sometimes newborn colts -don't breathe right away and horse doctors have to pump air into their -lungs with their hands--like this, like this, like this. Down, up, -down, up, down, up. Would it be twenty-eight times a minute for a -little foal? Or more? Or less? How would he know? Why hadn't he asked -Dr. Finney, the veterinarian from Pocomoke? - -Runnels and rivulets of sweat were trickling down his back; his face -and hair were dripping as if he were still out in the rain. - -"Paul!" Mrs. Terry was saying, "Look! A whole beautiful tank of gas has -come. And the DUKW man is waiting to give you a ride back. High time, -too. You're all tuckered out, poor lamb!" - -Mr. Terry smiled and shook hands with Paul. "In my book, you are a -hero," he said. - -In Barrett's store the smell of fresh-ground coffee and cheese and -chewing tobacco was mixed with the stench of wet boots and dead fish. -Paul stepped inside and closed the door. - -Groups of men were standing, knee deep in water, gabbling to each -other like long-legged shore birds. Paul waited by the door until Tom -Reed beckoned him over. - -"Yes, sir-r-r!" a man with a cranelike neck was saying, "I figure two, -three pressure areas come together and made a kind of funnel." - -Mr. Barrett was waiting on customers and listening at the same time. He -leaned over the counter. "To my notion," he said, "this storm made a -figure eight and come back again afore the tide ever ebbed." - -Paul tugged at Tom's sleeve. "Mr. Reed," he whispered, "what about -Grandpa's ponies up to your place?" - -"Don't know, Paul. And we won't 'til we can get back into the woods. -Water's too deep to walk in, and the DUKWs are too busy rescuin' -people." - -The storekeeper leaned across the counter, nosing in between Paul and -Tom Reed. "Who's next, gentlemen?" - -Paul felt in his pocket, counting his money. "I have thirty-nine -cents," he said. "I can buy two cans of beans." - -"If only we'd of got some notice of this storm," Mr. Barrett was saying -as he spilled the coins into the drawer. "With a hurricane you know -ahead, and when it's over, it's over." - -"Yup," the men agreed. "A hurricane blows crazy, then it's gone. But a -tidal storm sneaks up on you and stays." - -Wyle Maddox, the leader of the roundup men, had been listening as he -crunched on an apple. He came over now to Tom Reed. "Tom," he said, -"you're blest with mother-wit. You're the one knows most about sea and -sky. How do _you_ figure it?" - -The small, spare man blushed. "Pshaw, Wyle, I'm no authority, but as -I see it, the storm looped and come back, and kept a-pressin' and -a-pressin' the water into the bay instead of letting it go out at ebb -time." - -"But why is the water so high on the bay side nearer the mainland?" - -"'Cause usually it's a nor'west wind that helps the tide flow back -out of the bay, but this time, wind blew nor'east and the water jes' -swelled up into a bulge at the narrows, and it had to go somewheres." - -The door suddenly opened, letting in the sound and cold of the wind, -and with it came Grandpa Beebe, looking hale and ruddy alongside the -lean fisherfolk. - -"What's the news?" Mr. Barrett called out. - -Grandpa looked from face to face. "Bad," he said. "Government's -declared Chincoteague a disaster area." - -A cry of scorn went up. "Disaster area? That's no news." - -"But _this_ is! A hull fleet of heelyacopters is comin' in from the -military this afternoon and we're all supposed to e-vac-u-ate over to -the main." - -"E_vac_uate?" The word dropped like a time bomb. Then the explosion. - -"Why?" - -"What fer?" - -"Mebbe okay for sick folk." - -"Yeh. Or the homeless." - -"Me, I got a second story." - -"Me, too." - -Everyone was talking at once. Everyone but Paul. He felt a hard lump in -his stomach. He would refuse to go ... unless they took Misty, too. The -storekeeper rapped on the counter for silence. "Fellers, let's hear Mr. -Beebe out." - -Grandpa took a moment before he went on. "Tide's supposed to come up -higher," he announced. "Four feet higher." - -"_Four feet!_ Why, that'll flood the whole island. Every house, every -store. Even the Fire House and the churches!" - -"But that's only half the reason. Government says there could be an -epidemic of the typhoid, 'cause of all the dead chickens and fish -a-rottin' and mebbe"--Grandpa avoided Paul's eyes--"mebbe dead ponies." - -The talk ceased. There was a sudden exodus. Men sloshing heavy-footed -out of the store, getting into their boats, going home to their -families, figuring out how to break the news. - -"Come, Paul," Grandpa beckoned. - -Paul followed along. "I bought us two cans of beans," he offered, not -knowing what to say. - -"Ain't goin' to need 'em," Grandpa said gruffly; then he turned to look -at Paul. "They might taste real good, though, come to think of it." - - - - - _Chapter 9_ - - WAITING FOR THE WHIRLYBIRD - - -Getting home was rough going and agonizingly slow. The horses plodded -through the water when they could, and swam when they had to. Paul and -Grandpa stopped once to let them blow. Then they pressed on, man and -creature eager for Home. - -Almost there, Paul saw the higher ground of Pony Ranch with the -buildings still standing brave and whole--the cottage, its green roof -darkened by the rain, the made-over chicken coop and the hay house -and the smokehouse--but they looked littler than before, and somehow -frightened, with the sea creeping up on them. - -At the gate Grandpa made his decision. "Ride down to the smokehouse, -Paul," he said. "Pick us out a big ham. If we got to go, we ain't -showin' up over on the main empty handed. I'll dry off Billy Blaze and -see about Misty." - -Skipper swam out to meet Paul, then paddled alongside all the way to -the smokehouse. Round as a silo and perched on the highest spot of the -ranch, the smokehouse was a landmark for ships in the channel. Inside, -it was a friendly place, with its exciting smells, sweet and smoky. In -the little while it took Paul to select the biggest ham and to cut a -piece of rind for Skipper, the rain turned to icy sleet. - -Grandpa was throwing an old red blanket over Misty when Paul looked -in. "Grandpa!" he cried. "Misty's standing in water!" - -"So'm I!" - -"But you're not going to have a colt!" - -"Wisht I was. Then maybe I'd get a bit o' coddlin'." - -"But, Grandpa! What are we going to do with her?" - -"The only thing left to do." - -"What's that?" - -"Take her smack into the kitchen." - -"Into _Grandma's kitchen_?" - -"The very one. And that's where she's goin' to stay 'til tide ebbs." - -"Whew! How're you going to ask her?" - -"I ain't askin'. I'll jes' put her halter on and lead her up the steps -and onto the porch and in through the door." - -"No, I mean how you going to ask Grandma." - -"O-h. I ain't askin' her, neither. I'll jes' tell her, quiet-like." - -But Grandpa didn't tell her quietly. He led up to it like a growing -storm. "Idy! Maureen!" he thundered as he and Paul stomped in. "Yer -menfolk are home." - -"Praised be the Lord!" Grandma exclaimed. "I been so worried I couldn't -do a lick o' work. Just sat by the window praying double-quick time." - -"Tell it now," Paul whispered to Grandpa. - -"Now ain't the time." - -"But Misty's feet are wet." - -"Won't hurt her none. Salt water's good for feet, man or beast." He -turned now to Grandma. "Idy, dear, don't set the table. We'll jes' -stand up and eat beans and sop up the 'lasses with some of yer good -bread. Then we got some packin' to do, Idy dear." - -Grandma mimicked. "Don't you 'Idy-dear' me, Clarence Beebe! What you up -to? Yer face is red as a gobbler's wattle." - -Paul giggled nervously. Often he had thought their tom turkeys and -Grandpa looked alike, but he had never dared say it. He couldn't stop -giggling. And soon Maureen was laughing along with him. - -Grandma began to chuckle without knowing why. "I declare to goodness! -Hearing people laugh is like sunshine flooding the house." - -"It's floodin' I want to talk to ye about, Idy." - -The laughter stopped. - -Grandpa's voice was stern. "All morning heelyacopters been carryin' off -the sick. Now they're comin' for folks as is well." - -"Not me, they ain't!" Grandma flared up. "They can jes' count me out! -I'm too old to start riding acrost the sky in an eggbeater." - -"All righty! Mebbe ye prefers stayin' here and havin' sharks and crabs -slinkin' into yer house and grabbin' ye." He winked at the children. -"Recomember the day when that crab pinched yer Grandma when she was -bendin' over, gatherin' oysters? Why, she went off like one o' them big -rockets from Wallops Beach." - -Grandma turned her back and began slicing bread with a vengeance. - -"But what'll happen to Misty?" Maureen asked in alarm. - -"_I'll_ stay with Misty," Grandma announced without turning around. -"Much as I dislikes treating ponies like folks, I admit to a kinship -when she's having a baby." - -Grandpa cut open the can of beans with his knife. "Paul," he growled, -"mebbe _ye_ can explain things to yer Grandma." - -"It's true, Grandma," Paul said, helping himself to the heel of bread. -"Tide's coming back four foot higher, and the island's going to be -contamin--going to be spoilt rotten with dead chickens and stinky fish -and snakes and mushrats and maybe even dead horses." He looked at -Grandpa, wishing he hadn't said that. Then he went on quickly. "Health -officials want everybody to clear out. They say there could be a fierce -epidemic." - -No one spoke. Grandma sat down at the table and stared vacantly. She -brushed imaginary crumbs into her hand. - -"Wa-al, Idy," Grandpa said, "ye can have yer druthers. Do ye want to -stay and take a chance on losin' Paul and Maureen to the typhoid? Or do -ye want to light out now, afore the tide pushes us out?" - -For the first time Grandma began to waver. "Why, I had no idea 'twas -that bad, Clarence." - -"Wal, 'tis! Way to look at it is: people _got_ to go. Why, up to the -north end of the island there was one big fat lady, weighed nigh two -hundred pound, and this lady and her teenage girl and her girl's beau -was a-sittin' in their house just talkin' away, and all to once a big -whoosh o' the sea come spang into their sittin' room, and they was -scramblin' atop tables and chairs, and they would've clumb into the -attic if they'd a had one. But they didn't. An' that young boy, he had -to saw a hole in their ceilin', mind ye, and he clumb up into the -teensy air space there under the roof, and with him a-pullin' and the -girl a-pushin' they squeezed the mother up through the hole." Grandpa -stopped for breath. - -"What happened to them?" Maureen asked. "Were they there all night?" - -"Yup, and 'long 'bout daybreak the boy sawed a hole in the roof and -they all clumb out, and later one o' them whirlybirds come down and -rescues the three o' them from the rooftop, all shivery and wet and -hungry. - -"Now, Idy, how'd ye like it if we had to cut a hole in our purty green -roof, and I'd have to haul ye up like a sack o' potatoes?" - -Paul nudged Grandpa. "Tell her now." - -"So ye see, Idy, we could be next. Already flood waters is seepin' into -Misty's stable. She's comin' into yer kitchen," he announced, "and -that's where she's going to stay 'til the tide's out." - -"Good heavings!" Grandma looked beaten. - -"Now then," Grandpa went on heartily, "ye better start packing. We'll -want a blanket apiece and we're takin' a beautiful ham to surprise the -mainlanders. And speakin' o' eatin', these beans is Paul's treat." - -At last Grandma accepted the truth. She began to scurry about, talking -to herself. "We got to take some soap for sure, and we'll have to have -a comb and...." - -Grandpa and the children left her to her bustling. There was much to -be done before the helicopter came. Misty had to be brought into the -kitchen and, before that, the marsh ponies in the hay house had to be -made comfortable. - -"Let's lift down the top bales," Grandpa directed when they reached -the long shed. "We'll pile 'em two deep over the hull floor. That way -even their feet'll be dry." - -"And if we don't break open the bales," Paul said, "it'll take them -just that much longer to eat the hay." - -"They could live for a week in here," Maureen said. - -"'Zackly!" Grandpa nodded. "No need to worry 'bout them." - -Then it was Misty's turn. Paul had expected to lead her out of her -stall quietly and that she would foot her way along carefully, as -any broodmare should. But the moment he put on her halter, she began -quivering as if the wind and waves called up the wildness in her. Her -head went up, her tail went up, her ears pricked sharply. And even in -the bitter cold she broke out in sweat. - -"Whoa there, girl, whoa," Paul soothed. He slid his hand through her -halter as he opened her door. But with one leap she was in the water, -lifting him off his feet. She didn't want to be led. She wanted to -splash and play like any Chincoteague pony. - -Grandpa grabbed her from the other side. "Maureen!" he yelled, "you hop -on and ride her to the steps. Me and Paul'll guide her from behind." - -Maureen climbed aboard. Through her legs she could feel Misty's heart -pounding. The water was up to Misty's knees. Then a swirl of it hit her -belly. She tried to jump over it. - -Maureen grabbed a handful of mane. "Yahoo!" she cried in startled -surprise. - -Misty tried one more leap, then settled down and went steadily forward. -She reached the steps well ahead of Paul and Grandpa, who came wading -up, out of breath. - -"Now here's the touchy part," Grandpa panted. "Steps're mighty slippy -and we don't want her fallin' and hurtin' herself." - -But Misty had been up these steps before. She clomped up happily, -lifting each foot high. On the top step she paused, mesmerized. A -little brown rabbit sat stock-still on the porch rail, not a whisker -twitching. It seemed more statue than real. The two creatures stared -at each other, the big soft brown eyes and the small beady ones. Misty -snorted as if to say, "What you doing here? Go on back to your briar -patch!" But the rabbit never budged, not even when Misty stretched out -her neck and breathed right in its face. - -Grandpa guffawed. Even then the cheeky little thing stood its ground, -more afraid of the rising water than of people or ponies. - -"He's sassing Misty," Paul laughed. "'Don't eye me, ma'am,' he's -saying, 'I been flooded out. Same as you.'" - -At last Misty grew bored and ambled across the porch, through the back -hall, and right into the kitchen. When they were all crowded inside, -Grandpa took off his hat in a sweeping bow. "Meet Idy, my wife," he -said. - -Grandma winced. "We met before," she said drily. Then her heart melted. -"Take off yer purty red shawl, Misty," she said, entering into the -game, "and make yerself to home." She went to the refrigerator while -Misty followed after, snatching a streamer of her apron. - -Grandma jumped in fright, almost stumbling over her apron on the floor. -"Why, that ungrateful rascal! I've a good notion to put these carrots -back in the box." But she didn't. She held them out and let Misty lip -them. "Feels tickly, her lips and whiskers, don't they?" - -Paul and Maureen exchanged glances. - -Grandma stiffened. "You're all dripping pools of water on my clean -floor." She sighed. "But no matter now, I guess. How soon will the -heelyacopter come for us?" she asked. - -"Right soon," Grandpa replied. "Come on, son, we better hurry and haul -in plenty of straw for Misty." - -After they had made a deep rustly bed for her in the kitchen, there was -nothing left to do. Four blankets and the ham were ready and waiting, -and Misty was already at home, contentedly munching wisps of hay while -Maureen combed her mane. - -As the minutes dragged on, Grandma grew pale and fidgety. She busied -herself pouring an extra bowl of milk for Wait-a-Minute. Then she began -watering her sweet potato vine and her fern. - -"That's my girl," Grandpa came over and patted her shoulder. "That's -my girl." Then he broke into a sudden howl as he caught her wetting -down a plant of artificial violets. - -Even Grandma laughed at herself and her color came back. "Believe now -I'll just sit down and play us a hymn," she said. "I hate waiting for -anything, 'specially heelyacopters." - -She opened up the organ and began playing and singing. Her voice -quavered at first, then grew stronger as if she wanted to reach God in -his heaven, direct. - - "_Je_-sus, _Sav_-iour, _pi_-lot _me_, - _O_-ver _life's_ tem-pest-uous _sea_; - _Un_-known _waves_ be-fore me _roll_, - _Hi_-ding _rock_ and treach-erous _shoal_; - _Chart_ and _com_-pass _come_ from _Thee_; - _Je_-sus, _Sav_-iour, pi-lot _me_." - -"That's great, Idy. Misty's ears is keeping time, turning ever' which -way." - -Then Grandpa saw the helicopter breaking through the dun-colored sky. -"Play it once more," he urged. "Just once more!" No use worrying her -too soon, he thought. - -Again Grandma's trembly voice filled the little house. - - "_Je_-sus, _Sav_-iour, _pi_-lot _me_, - _O_-ver _life's_ tem-pest-uous _sea_." - - - - - _Chapter 10_ - - BACKYARD LANDING - - -The helicopter was chewing into the wind, coming closer and closer to -Pony Ranch. Almost over the house it stopped in midair, engine roaring. -It silenced even Grandma's music. - -Everyone flew to the window, including Misty. They watched as the noisy -machine hung over their heads. - -"He's trying to decide!" Paul yelled. - -"Who is? What?" Maureen wanted to know. - -"The pilot, silly. He's figuring out where to land." - -Grandpa was spellbound. "Ain't that beautiful? It's hangin' in the air -jes' like a hummer-bird." - -"Oh, mercy me!" Grandma cried as the helicopter tilted drunkenly, and -began a steep vertical descent. "Oh ... oh! It's going to set right in -my daffydil bed!" - -Like a bird aiming for its nest, the helicopter hovered over the -mounded-up flower bed, then squatted down on the tiny patch. - -Grandma watched in dismay as its rotors spit sand and water in every -direction. She hid her face in her hands. "Oh, Clarence! Oh, Clarence!" -she sobbed. "I can't go. I can't!" - -"And why can't ye?" Grandpa demanded. - -"Because, because...." She groped for a reason. "Misty'll ruin my -linoleum and...." Here the sobbing became a wail, "... she'll chew on -my nice new table with the let-down leaves." - -"No, she won't!" Paul was on the defensive. "I'll stay and watch her." - -"You listen to me, Paul Beebe," Grandpa exploded. "Anybody stayin' -behind'll be me, head o' the household. Quick now! Everybody grab a -blanket. I'll go out and explain things to that pilot." He started for -the door. - -Grandma reached it first and made a barricade of herself. Her crying -was done. "If'n you stay behind, Clarence, we all do. Either we go as a -fambly or we stay as a fambly." - -Grandpa sighed, half amused, half annoyed. "Then everything's settled. -Throw yer mind outa gear, Idy, and get yer duds on." - -While Grandma was struggling into her overboots, Grandpa and the -children were doing last-minute chores: opening a window from the top, -just a crack, taking vegetables from the refrigerator and scattering -them in amongst Misty's hay. Last of all, Grandpa put the stopper in -the sink and turned on the cold water. "Makes a neat water trough, eh?" -he chuckled, avoiding Grandma's eyes. - -"You think she can manage without us?" Maureen asked. - -"We got to think that, honey. And even if the tide seeps in, I made -this straw bed so thick the little colt won't even get his hinder wet." - -"Sure," Paul added. "And see how Wait-a-Minute is cozying up to Misty. -They'll keep each other company. And see how calm she is, watching -that 'copter. She's saying, 'I've seen big birds flapping their wings -before.'" - -"Oh, Paul, I wish I could read critters' minds the way you do." - -"That's easy, Maureen. You just got to be smart as them." - -Mr. Birch, the Coast Guard man, welcomed the Beebes at the foot of the -stairs. Standing there in the water he looked like a preacher, ready -to baptise his flock. "Wisht everybody was prompt, like you folks," he -said as he herded them toward the helicopter, "and willing to cooperate -without arguin'." - -"We did all that afore you came," Maureen said. - -Mr. Birch laughed. "Leave it to the young'uns to come out with the -truth!" He helped Grandma up the steps and into the shuddering plane. -"See, Mrs. Beebe, it's easier than boarding a train." - -Maureen started to follow but suddenly turned to Paul, and almost in -unison they let out one cry. "Skipper! Skipper!" They both called -frantically. "_S-k-i-p-p-e-r!_" - -Mr. Birch was shaking his head. "Sorry, children. We just have room for -folks on this trip. All dogs stay behind." - -"Put him in the kitchen, too," Grandma offered. - -"Skipper! Here, Skipper!" The children whistled and screamed. But there -was no sign of him. Only the water swirling, and the trees bending with -the wind. - -"All aboard!" the pilot called out. "We got another pickup to make -before dark. All aboard!" - -Likely Skipper's drowned, Paul thought but didn't say aloud. He got -into the helicopter and took a seat where he could look out at the -house. But he refused to look. - -"Fasten your seat belts!" the pilot ordered. - -"Now, ain't this excitin'?" Grandpa yelled, as the blades overhead -began whirring madly and the helicopter rose slowly off the earth and -climbed straight up and up. "It's just like bein' in a elevator." - -Grandma shook her head. She leaned toward the earth, taking a long last -look at Pony Ranch, saying good-bye to it. Grandpa squeezed her hand -comfortingly, and he looked down, too, down at the little house growing -smaller and smaller. - -"Such a racket!" Maureen cried. "Sounds faster than we're going." - -Grandma held her hands over her ears. "Feels as if a thousand dentists -are drilling inside my head." - -"On your store teeth?" Paul grinned. - -"Oh, Paul, stop teasing. I wish ... I wish you and Maureen was littler. -If only I had a baby to hold, I'd feel braver." - -Grandma soon got her wish. At the next stop they picked up the Hoopers -and the Twilleys and young Mrs. Whealton with her squalling baby. Just -as the father of the baby was about to board, the pilot poked his head -out the window. "Sorry, sir. We're full. You'll have to wait for the -next one." - -Quickly the young man tried to hand in a pile of diapers, but a gust of -wind tore most of them away and they went flying off like kites. - -Mrs. Whealton, clutching her baby, started to get out. - -"Stay put, lady. Everybody! Stay put!" - -"I'll be along soon," Mr. Whealton called. And before the door closed, -he thrust in the remaining diapers and the baby's bottle. - -As the helicopter took off, Mrs. Whealton began sobbing louder than her -baby. The passengers looked at one another, helpless and embarrassed. -All except Grandma. She opened wide her arms. - -"You just hand that little tyke acrost to me," she smiled, "and wipe -yer eyes. You kin busy yerself foldin' the few diapers you got left." - -Willingly Mrs. Whealton passed the baby across the aisle and into -experienced hands. The crying stopped at once. - -The northeast wind shook the helicopter, but it obeyed the pilot's -stick. "We take no back talk from the elements," Mr. Birch said to -reassure his passengers. - -The plane was heading into the wind, flying low over the channel and -over the long rib of sand that was Assateague. Everyone scanned the -hills and woods for wild ponies. - -"I see a bunch!" Paul cried. - -"I knowed it! I knowed it!" Grandpa exulted. "They're atop the White -Hills." - -The pilot tried to hold the plane steady, but the gale buffeted it -mercilessly. Twice he circled the herd, then climbed and headed due -west. The island of Assateague seemed to be sailing backward, and now -they were over Chincoteague again. - -"Mr. Birch!" Maureen shouted. "Look at the people on that raft. They're -waving a white flag." - -"I see it," Mr. Birch answered, "but it's a housetop, not a raft, and -they're waving a bedsheet. They don't know we got a full load." - -From the cockpit the pilot called back, "We'll get 'em on the next -trip. No, we won't!" he contradicted. "I see another chopper heading -this way. They'll beat us to it." - -Mr. Hooper, a quiet little man, said his first words of the trip. -"Sky's so full o' whirlybirds we're goin' to need a traffic cop up -here." - -In spite of all the tragedy, the passengers couldn't help smiling at -Mr. Hooper's joke. - -"Yup," Grandpa agreed. "I can eenamost see a policeman mounted on a -cloud like a parson in a pulpit." - -But the make-believe fun didn't last. Now they were over the big bay of -water, and now they could see the wavy shore of the mainland. Slowly -the helicopter came down from the sky onto a landing field at Wallops -Station. A thin fog was closing in and the night lights were already on -as the Beebes and Hoopers and Twilleys and Mrs. Whealton tumbled out -of the plane like seeds from a pod. A gust of wind swept them into a -little huddle. - -Suddenly the adventure and excitement were over. Standing there in the -rain, Paul felt what he was, a refugee, homeless and cold and hungry. -And half his mind was far away in a hay-strewn kitchen. - - - - - _Chapter 11_ - - REFUGEES - - -Wallops Station is on the mainland of Virginia, just across the bay -from Chincoteague Island. Once it had been a Naval Air Station, teeming -with activity--planes roaring off and gliding in; signal crews waving -orders; officers and men, pilots and engineers, radio technicians -and clerks all criss-crossing from building to building. Then the -government closed the base, and for three years the buildings stood -empty, like a forest of dead trees. - -But when the helicopter landed that stormy March evening, lights were -blazing in every window. The whole place had come to life. Fire trucks -were racing to meet helicopters, rushing sick refugees to the emergency -hospital and others to the barracks and even the administration -building. - -The storm was now twenty-four hours old. Wind still blowing strong. -Rain gusty. Clouds low. No moon, no stars. - -At the edge of the landing strip the little clump of passengers stood -huddled, clutching their blankets, staring at the yellow headlights -coming toward them. - -"Which building?" a fireman called out as he drove the truck within -earshot. - -Grandpa Beebe shouted back, "Don't know. Be there a fire?" - -The driver replied with a boom of laughter, "There's no fire, Old -Timer. I simply got to ask each family if they want to go where their -friends are. Climb in, folks." - -"Hey, Chief," Grandpa addressed the driver, "we don't any of us know -one building from t'other. But if it's all the same to you, it'd be -best to see to little Mis' Whealton first. In that shawl she's got the -teensiest baby you 'most ever see." - -The driver nodded. "Good idea," he said, backing and turning and -roaring away. He dropped Mrs. Whealton and her baby at the hospital, -left the Hoopers and the Twilleys at one of the barracks, and took -the Beebe family to the mess hall. "There's more children here," he -explained. - -Wet and weary, Grandpa and Grandma, Paul and Maureen climbed the flight -of stairs to the second floor, clutching their blankets. Paul still had -the ham, now slung over his shoulder. An arrow on the wall pointed to -an open door down the hall. Light streamed out and voices buzzed. - -The room, half filled with refugees, was large and bright, and it -smelled of wet wool and rubber boots, and fear and despair. - -"Make yourself to home," an earlier arrival greeted them. "Just find -a little spot to call your own. Lucky thing you have blankets. These -floors are mighty hard for sleeping." - -For a moment the Beebes stood looking around, trying to accustom -their eyes to the light. Benches were lined up against the walls and -scattered throughout the room. Most of the people were strangers to -them, refugees from Nag's Head probably, or other islands nearby. They -sat paralyzed, like animals caught in a trap, not struggling any more, -just numbed. Only their eyes moved toward the entrance as each new -family trudged in. - -"They all look sad and full of aches," Grandma said, searching for a -place to sit down. - -"I see an empty bench," Maureen called, and led the way in and out -among suitcases and camp chairs and children. - -An old grizzled seaman in a ragged jacket came over and confronted -Grandpa. He swore loud oaths to sea and sky. "Can't believe it could -happen here," he said, pounding his fist on his hand. "Why, ye read -'bout it elsewheres...." - -"Yeah. Tidal waves slam up in faraway places, but you never dream about -it happening here." - -At the far end of the room women from the Ladies' Aid were bringing in -platters of sandwiches and a huge coffee pot. - -"Take our ham over to them, Paul," Grandma said. "Mebbe they'd like to -cut it in chunks and bake it with potatoes for tomorrow. I'd feel a -heap happier if I could help," she confided to Maureen. - -When the table was readied, people began forming in line. And all at -once they were no longer trapped animals. They were human beings again, -smiling at one another, sharing stories of rescue. Drawn by the smell -of food, a long-eared pup shot out of a blanket and ran toward the -table, his mistress after him. - -Paul and Maureen joined the chase. "How'd you do it? How could you -bring your dog?" Paul asked. - -"Why, he's all the family I got, and I just rolled him up in his -blanket. This afghan is really his," the woman explained, "and he -burrowed into it like a turtle in his shell. The pilot didn't even see -him. Tonight," she added with a smile, "he's got to share his blanket -with me, for a change." - -Maureen admired the dog, thinking of Skipper. "We couldn't find our -Skipper," she said as she stroked and petted the little pup. - -The lady was all sympathy. "Tell me about your dog." - -"We had a big collie right up until time to leave," Paul answered. - -"And we got a pony in our kitchen back in Chincoteague," Maureen spoke -up. - -The woman seemed suddenly to recognize Paul. "Why, you're the boy who -caught a wild mare over to Assateague and set her free again." - -The children nodded. - -"And the pony in your kitchen--is it Misty?" - -"Yes, ma'am, it's Misty, all right." - -The woman was excited. "Why, they been talking about her on the radio. -Children who saw her movie are swamping the stations with calls, -wanting to know if she drowned." - -"She's safe," Paul said. "That is, she...." He stopped. He could feel -his heart throbbing in his ears. In a split-second dream he was back on -Chincoteague with the ocean rolling and pounding in under the house, -and with a horrible hissing sound it was breaking the house apart, and -in the same instant Misty was swept out to sea until her mane became -one with the spume. Paul shook off the dream as the woman called three -young children to her. - -"You youngsters," she said, "will be glad to know that Misty's safe in -the Beebes' kitchen. And this is Paul and Maureen Beebe." - -Wide-eyed, the children pelted them with questions. In the pain of -uncertainty Paul answered what he could. Then he turned away, pulling -Maureen along back to their bench. Grandma put an arm around each of -them. "More folks are coming in," she said, trying to put their world -back together. "Now mebbe we'll get some heart'ning news." - -In a daze Paul and Maureen listened to the bits and pieces of talk. - -"Old Dick Evans died trying to save his fish nets. Got plumb exhausted. -His heart give out." - -"When _we_ flew over, I saw how the waves had chawed big chunks out of -the causeway, and six autos were left, half-buried in sand. Even one of -the DUKWs was stuck." - -"When we flew over, the sea had swallowed up the causeway. Why, -Chincoteague is cut off from the main like a boat without an anchor." - -"I heerd that a lady over to Chincoteague had a husband and two -children that couldn't swim. She swum two blocks in that icy water for -help. Nearly died afore one of them DUKWs fished her up and drug her, -sobbin' and drippin', to the Fire House. Then they goes back for her -husband and kids." The speaker paused. "But guess what?" - -"What?" someone asked. - -"Why, between whiles a whirlybird airlifted 'em off'n the roof and -they thought _she'd_ drownt and she thought _they'd_ drownt. And later -they all got together at the Fire House." - -"See, children," Grandma whispered, "some of the news is right good." - -A young reporter carrying his typewriter joined the gathering. "I -heard," he said, "that a hundred and fifty wild ponies were washed -right off Assateague." - -"O-h!" The news was met by a shocked chorus. - -"Before I write that for my paper, I'd like you folks to give me your -comments." He took out a notebook and pencil. - -A strained silence followed. The reporter looked around at the tight -faces and put his notebook away. - -Then the talk began again. - -"I s'pose we oughtn't be thinking about wild ponies when people are bad -off," a white-haired woman said. - -"But what would it mean to Chincoteague," the reporter asked, "if Pony -Penning Day had to be stopped for lack of ponies?" - -Grandpa Beebe roused up. "Why, Chincoteague has took her place with -the leading towns of the Eastern Shore. And mostly it's the wild pony -roundup did it." - -"That's what I say," a chorus of voices agreed. - -"And if we had to stop it," Grandpa went on, "Chincoteague and -Assateague both would be nothin' but specks on a map." - -The reporter scribbled a few notes. Then he looked up. "Any of you hear -about the man swept out to sea on a dining-room table while his wife -accompanied him on the piano?" - -His joke met with grim silence. It was too nearly true to be funny. - -Grandma tugged at Grandpa's sleeve. "Clarence," she said, "we been -hearing enough trouble. You tell the folks 'bout me and my violet -plant." - -Grandpa forced himself to smile. For the moment he put the worry aside. -"Folks," he said, "my Idy here commenced waterin' her plants afore we -took off. She give 'em a right smart nip. And then, split my windpipe -if she didn't wet down the artyficial violet the kids give her for -Christmas. She even saucered the pot to catch the come-through water, -and dumped that in too!" - -A young woman laughed nervously. "I can match that story," she offered. -"The sea kept coming in under our door and kept pushing up my little -rug, and I took my broom and tried to whisk it away, and then I got my -dustpan and tried to sweep the water into it! A broom and a pan against -the sea!" - -A man, looking sheepish, said, "I tried the same stunt in my barn, only -I used a shovel and a wheelbarrow!" - -The talk petered out. Then a minister got up and prayed for a good -night's sleep and for the tide to ebb and the wind to die. Gradually -the people went back to their benches. One by one the lights were -switched off, except for the night lights over the doors. - -As the Beebes settled down in their corner, Grandpa whispered, "Close -your eye-winkers, chirren, turn off your worries, and snore away the -night." Then he got down on the floor, wrapped himself up like an -Indian, and began breathing in deep, rhythmic snores. - -"What better lullaby?" Grandma sighed. - -And Paul and Maureen caught his calm, and they too slept. - - - - - _Chapter 12_ - - WAIT-A-MINUTE COULDN'T - - -By six o'clock the next morning the men had been outside summing up the -weather, and had come in to report: "Wind's slacked up a bit. Still -blowin' nor'nor'east. Sky's cloudy, but no rain." - -By seven o'clock a new parade of church ladies marched in with big pans -of sweet rolls and pots of steaming hot coffee. - -At eight o'clock a Coast Guard officer, square-jawed and handsome, -strode into the room. He was a big man, and when he pounded for order, -the few left-over rolls jumped on their plates. "Folks," he boomed -out, "I've good news for you." He waited a moment until his scattered -audience finished folding their blankets and quieted down. "You'll -be pleased to know," he announced, "that the Red Cross is coming in, -bringing canned goods and a steam table so you can have nice hot meals." - -One of the church ladies walked out in a huff. - -"And they are bringing cots and pillows, so there'll be no more -sleeping on the floor." - -A shocked silence followed. Who wanted to stay another night? Even on a -cot? Everyone wanted to get home. - -"Bear in mind, friends," the brisk voice went on, "this is not a -one-day evacuation. More refugees will be coming in." - -"Where'll we put 'em?" several voices demanded. - -The officer ignored the interruption. "By order of the State Department -of Health, no women or children can return to Chincoteague until all -the dead chickens are removed and the other carcasses, too--goats, -dogs, pigs, and of course dead ponies. There could be a plague--typhoid -or worse." - -Grandpa's arms seemed big enough to take in his whole family. "Don't -listen at the man. Ponies got sense. They'll hie theirselves to little -hummocky places and wait it out. And Misty, of course, is dry and -comfortable." - -The officer let the mumblings and grumblings die down. He rapped again -for silence. "The Mayor of Chincoteague has asked for volunteers--only -able-bodied men--to fly back each day to clean up the island and repair -the causeway. Only able-bodied men," he repeated, scrutinizing the -group. "Will all who wish to volunteer come to the front of the room." - -Grandpa leaped forward as if he'd been shot from a cannon. Paul was a -quick shadow behind him. - -"Paul Beebe!" Grandma called out. "You come back!" - -But Paul seemed not to hear. He locked step with Grandpa and they were -almost the first to reach the officer. - -Grandma sighed. "Who can stop a Beebe? We can be proud of our menfolk, -can't we, Maureen?" - -Maureen burst into tears. "Oh, Grandma, being a girl is horrible. Paul -always gets to have the most excitement. And he'll be first to see -Misty's baby. Oh, oh...." And she buried her head in Grandma's bosom -and sobbed. - -"There, there, honey. We'll find something real interesting for you to -do. You'll see." - -A handful of lean, weathered fishermen were now lining up as -volunteers. The officer began counting from the tail of the line. As -he came to Paul, he stopped, trying to make up his mind if he were man -or boy. For the moment he left Paul out and went on with his counting, -"... eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen." At fourteen he paused. - -"But, sir!" Paul heard his own voice sounding tight and urgent. "The -'copter holds fifteen, and Grandpa needs me. Don't you, Grandpa?" - -The officer turned inquiringly to the old man. - -"Fact is," Grandpa said proudly, "when it comes to handlin' livestock -he's worth ten men." - -"That settles it," the officer smiled. "We've completed our first load." - -When the helicopter set down on Chincoteague right beside the Fire -House, the Mayor was waiting for them, standing in the cold and the -wet, slapping his hands together for warmth. He poked his head inside -the cabin, quickly studied the occupants, then clipped out his orders: -"Split into three bunches, men. Beebe, you and Paul go up to Deep Hole -to check on the dead ponies and mark their location for removal by -airlift. Charlie and Jack, you arrange for crews to pile up the dead -chickens at convenient loading points. We'll need the rest of you to -work on the causeway so's we can truck the chickens across. Thank you, -men, for volunteering." - -Three DUKWs were parked alongside the helicopter waiting to take each -group to its base of operation. The driver of the first one beckoned -Grandpa and Paul aboard with a welcoming smile. "You men are lucky," he -said, "your house is okay; at least it was last time I was down there." - -"Is ... uh...." Paul stopped, embarrassed. The Coast Guardsman had just -called him a man, and now he was frightened to ask a question, and more -frightened not to ask. - -"What you lookin' so scairt about?" Grandpa wanted to know. - -"I want to ask him a question," Paul said miserably. - -"Go ahead!" the driver encouraged as he steered through the -debris-clogged street. "Go ahead." - -Holding his breath, Paul blurted, "Is Misty all right? Has she had her -colt?" - -"Sorry, Paul, we been too busy to look in on her. But Mayor says I can -take you there before we go up to Deep Hole." - -It was strange, chugging down Main Street. Paul knew he ought to have -remembered how it was from yesterday. But yesterday Chincoteaguers were -sloshing along in hip boots, or riding horses or DUKWs, and they were -trying their best to joke and laugh. Today there were no home-folk -faces. Grim soldiers were patrolling the watery streets, rifles held -ready. - -"What they here for?" Paul asked. - -"To prevent looting," the Coast Guardsman replied. - -But what's there to loot, Paul wondered, looking at the houses smashed -like match boxes, with maybe only a refrigerator showing, or a bathtub -filled with drift. - -They passed other DUKWs plying up and down, delivering food to the Fire -House, to the Baptist Church, to the few houses on higher ground where -owners had refused to leave. And they passed heaps of rubble which once -were old landmarks--the oyster-shucking house, and the neat white -restaurant whose owner boasted he bought his toothpicks by the carload. -Now there was not even a toothpick in sight. - -As the DUKW headed eastward to the spit of land that was Beebe's Ranch, -Paul winced. The pretty sign, "Misty's Meadow," was still standing, -but it didn't fit the spot. There was no meadow at all. Only a skim of -murky yellow water. - -Paul felt a strangling fear. He had waited all night and half the -morning to see Misty. Now in sight of the house, he couldn't wait -another moment. He started to jump out. - -Grandpa put a restraining arm across his chest. "Ye're jerky as a fish -on a hot griddle, son. Simmer down. Ponies can't abide fidgety folk." - -After what seemed an eternity but was only a minute, the DUKW jolted to -a stop and Paul and Grandpa were out and up the steps. - -Breathless, Paul opened the door a crack, and all in a split second -his worry fell away. Misty was whinkering as if she too had waited -overlong for this moment, and she started toward him, but stepping very -carefully, lifting her feet high, avoiding something dark and moving in -the straw. - -"My soul and body!" Grandpa clucked, looking over Paul's shoulder. -"Ee-magine that!" - -Then he and Paul were on their knees, and Paul was laughing weakly as -he stroked Wait-a-Minute and admired her litter of four squirming, -coal-black kittens. - -"Ee-magine that!" Grandpa repeated. "Misty's postponed hers, but -Wait-a-Minute couldn't!" - -"A whole mess of kittens in Grandma's kitchen!" Paul said. Disappointed -as he was, he couldn't help laughing. - - - - - _Chapter 13_ - - UP AT DEEP HOLE - - -After he had poked and felt of Misty, Grandpa threw up his hands in -despair. "Could be a week yet." - -Paul groaned, wondering if maybe the foal was dead inside her and that -was why it wouldn't come out, wondering if she was really going to have -a colt at all. - -"Yup," Grandpa said, "mebbe she's goin' to wait till her stall dries -out. She's still got plenty hay, so you feed the cat, whilst I take a -quick gander about the house." - -As Grandpa hurried down the hall, Paul searched the refrigerator. He -took out the pitcher of milk and smelled it. "Phew-eee!" he said to -himself. "She'll just have to be satisfied with the left-over beans." - -Grandpa soon came back, rubbing his hands. "Water seeped into only -one bedroom," he announced. "But the rooms is colder'n a tomb, and -they stink like old fish. Beats all how nice it is here. Somethin' -companionable in the smell of a hoss." - -Misty, as if in appreciation, offered to shake hands. - -"Sorry, gal. No time for tricks 'n treats today. Now then, Paul, come -along. We can't keep the DUKW man waiting forever, and I got to see -'bout my herd up to Deep Hole." - -Tom Reed was getting into his boat when the DUKW reached his place on -the north end of the island. "Figured ye'd come along about now," he -called. "Get out of that new-fangled contraption, Beebe, and climb -aboard my old scow." - -"How come she didn't get blowed away, same as mine?" Grandpa asked -as he and Paul waded over. "And how come you and the missus didn't -evacuate?" - -"I tied her up to the rafters of my barn, that's why." - -Paul grinned. "Is she still hanging there?" - -Tom chuckled at the idea. "No, son, 'twas the boat. Truth is, Marjie -just flat refused to go." - -The driver of the DUKW was turning around, ready to leave. "Hey, Mr. -Beebe," he shouted, "how soon should I come back?" - -Tom answered for him. "No telling, captain. Could be all day. Ye'll -just have to keep checking." - -As Paul climbed into the boat, he noticed a bundle of sticks and a -cellophane bag stuffed with pieces of cloth. "What they for, Tom?" he -asked. - -"They're rags from my wife's scrap bag. They're to make flags to mark -where the dead animals are. Can't expect the 'copters to find 'em if -they don't know where they be." - -Although the air was bitter cold, the wind had lessened and holes -of blue sky showed through the clouds. But the water about them was -muddy-brown and full of drift. Grandpa reached for an oar. - -"Wait a minute!" Tom said. "I got strict instructions from Marjie to -give you coffee afore we set out. Wait a minute." - -Grandpa guffawed. "We got a cat by that name 'cause she never does." - -Paul broke in excitedly. "And she just had four kittens--Matthew, Mark, -Luke, and John." - -"Well, I'll be a chipmunk's tail," Grandpa chortled in surprise. "No -worse'n namin' people for saints who they don't resemble a-tall." - -"Easy to remember, too," Tom said, "and no hurt feelings if you call -one by t'other." He was pouring thick black coffee into the lid of his -thermos. "Its extry stout," he said, offering it first to Paul, "to -fortify us for what's ahead." - -Paul tasted it, trying not to make a face. Then he gulped it down, -feeling it burn all the way. - -Grandpa sipped his, meditating. "Over to Assateague," he thought aloud, -"over in those dunes there's plenty hollows to ketch nice clean rain. -Whatever ponies is left, there's places for 'em to drink. But here...." -All at once he dumped the rest of his coffee overboard. "We got to -rescue the live ones _right now_, or they'll bloat on this brackish -water. Let's go!" he bellowed. - -With Tom directing, they each took an oar and poled off into the -morass. It was heavy going. The sludgy water was choked with boards -from smashed chicken houses, and with briar and bramble and weedy vines -so thickly interlaced it was like trying to break through a stout -wire fence. Silently the three in the boat threaded their way along, -stopping time and again to push rubbish aside and to scrape the seaweed -from their oars. - -Suddenly there came a thud and a jolt. The three oars lifted as one. -All movement ceased. The men stared down in horror. - -"Oh God!" Grandpa whispered. "It's my Black Warrior!" - -No one spoke. Tom Reed reached down and took one colored square out of -the bag and tied it to a stick. He drove the marker into the mud next -to the stallion's body. "'Twas a piece of Marjie's petticoat," he said -nervously, just to say something. "I allus liked it with all the bright -pink flowers." - -Grandpa's eyes looked far off. "I was proud of the Warrior," he said -quietly. "He used to help on Pony Penning Days to drive the really -wild 'uns to the carnival grounds, and his tail was so long it sweeped -the street, and his coat a-glistenin' like black sunshine. Recomember, -Paul?" He wiped his arm across his eyes. Then his voice changed. "Move -on!" he commanded. "We got to find the livin'." - -The grim search went on. A quiet hung over the bog, except for the -sloshing of oars and twigs snapping as the scow moved heavily along. -Then a raucous, rasping sound sliced into the quiet of the morning. - -"Look!" Paul cried. "Crows!" - -The men poled faster until they came to a cloud of bold black birds -flapping over a huddle of dead ponies. - -Grandpa's face twisted in pain. "The Warrior's mares and colts," he -said in utter desolation. - -It was almost as if they were alive. Some were half-standing in the -water, propped up by debris. They looked as if they were old and asleep. - -"Guess they just died from exposure and cold." Tom's voice quavered, -but his words were matter of fact. "One flag can do for all." - -Grandpa got out of the boat and he grabbed the flag from Tom's hands. -He stabbed it hard and fierce into the mud. Then he took a good look, -and he began to name them all, saying a little piece of praise over -each: "This one's a true Palomino. She had extry big ears, but gentle -as the day, even though she'd never been rode. And this great big -old tall mare was blind of one eye, but she had a colt ever' spring, -reg'lar as dandylions. And this mare, she's got some pretty good age to -her. She's somewhere in her twenty." - -The crows came circling back, cawing at Grandpa. Angrily he whipped -them away with his hat. "Likely she's had twelve, fifteen head in her -day, and expectin' again." He sighed heavily. "That Black Warrior was -a good stallion. He died tryin' to move his family to safety, but ..." -his voice broke "... they just couldn't move." - -The heart-breaking work went on. They came upon snakes floating, and -rabbits and rats. And they found more stallions dead, with their mares -and colts nearby. And they found lone stragglers caught and tethered -fast by twining vines. As the morning dragged into noon, and noon into -cold afternoon, the pile of flags in the boat dwindled. - -Sometimes an hour went by before they came on anything, alive or dead. -Then Tom would chatter cheerfully, trying to lighten the burden. "Not -ever'thing drowns," he said. "Early this morning I found me a snapper -turtle under a patch of ice. He'd gone to sleep. Y'know, Paul, they -snooze all winter, like bear." - -Tom waited for an answer, but none came. "Funny thing about that little -snapper," he went on, "he was a baby, no bigger'n a fifty-cent piece, -and he was froze sure-enough. 'Tom,' I said to myself, 'he's dead.' But -something tells me to put him in my inside pocket. And walking along I -guess the heat of my body warmed him up, and guess what!" - -"Grandpa!" Paul screamed. "I see something _alive_! In the woods!" - -They turned the boat quickly and went poling through the soggy mass of -kinksbush and myrtle. And there, caught among broken branches was a -forlorn bunch of ponies, heads hanging low, their sides scarcely moving. - -Grandpa slid overboard, trying not to make a splash, trying not to -panic them. Softly he called each one by name. "Nancy. Lucy. Polly. -Gray Belle. Princess. Susy ..." - -The low, husky voice was like a lifeline thrown to drowning creatures. -They lifted their heavy heads and one tried a whinny, but it was no -more than a breath blowing. They were held fast, rooted in the boggy -earth. - -Tom and Paul were beside Grandpa in an instant. Without any signals -between them, they knew what had to be done. They must drive the -ponies to higher land near Tom's house, or they would die. Grim and -determined, they maneuvered their way behind the ponies. Then grabbing -pine boughs for clubs, they brandished them, whacking at the water, -yelling like madmen, stirring the almost-dead things to life. - -A pinto mare struggled free and led off in one desperate leap. The -others stumbled after, trying to keep ahead of the wild thunder behind -them. Scrabbling, crashing through up-rooted trees, squeezing through -bramble and thicket, they slogged forward inch by inch. And suddenly a -mud-crusted stallion leaped out of the woods to join them. - -"It's Wings!" Paul shrieked. - -Men and ponies both were nearing exhaustion. But still they drove on. -They _had_ to. Shoving the boat, the men nosed it into the laggards, -frightening them ever forward. - -And at last they were in Tom's yard. Safe! As one, the ponies headed -for the water barrel. Single-handed Grandpa overturned it, spilling -out the dirty water tainted by the sea. He tried the spigot above it. -"Pressure's good!" he exulted. "They got to blow first, then they can -drink." - -He and Tom and Paul were blowing too. But it was a healthy blow. -_Something_ at last had gone right. - - - - - _Chapter 14_ - - MISTY GOES TO POCOMOKE - - -In the helicopter on the way back to Wallops Station, Grandpa and Paul -talked things over. They would try to seal off today's grief. No need -to speak of it tonight, with folks listening in. It would be like -unbandaging a wound for everyone to see. They would talk of the kittens -instead. And so, when the plane landed, their faces were set in a mask. - -Maureen and Grandma, bundled in coats and scarves, were there to meet -them. Maureen rushed up, bursting with curiosity. Before she could ask -her question, Paul said, "You'd never, _ever_ guess." - -"All right, Mr. Smarty. Then I just won't try." - -"There's more than one!" - -"Twins?" she gasped. "Oh, Paul, isn't that wonderful! One for you and -one for me!" - -"Nope. It's quadruplets--it's four of them." - -"Can't be!" Grandma broke in as they walked toward the mess hall. "I -may be a sea-captain's daughter, but I know 'nough about ponies to know -they don't have four to once. Speak up, Clarence." - -Grandpa took off his hat and let the wind pick up the wisps of his -hair. "Yup, Idy," he nodded, "yer kitchen's a nursery now with four -little ones...." - -Grandma wailed. "Oh, my beautiful new table all bit up, and my linoleum -ruint." - -"Pshaw! The little ones ain't bigger'n nothing," Grandpa said, flashing -a wink at Paul. - -At the door of the mess hall Maureen stopped in her tracks and began -jumping up and down as if she had the answer to a riddle. "It's -Wait-a-Minute!" she shouted. "She's had kittens again!" - -Paul smiled. "Yep, Grandma's kitchen is a mew-seum now." - -The children and even Grandma and Grandpa laughed in relief, not -because they thought the joke so funny, but because it was good to be -together again. - -The refugee room had been transformed--cots lined up against the wall, -neat as teeth in a comb, and new tables and chairs, and a television -set with a half-circle of giggling children. - -The Beebes went directly to their corner. Maureen and Grandma were -still full of questions. But the answers were short. - -"Yup, Misty's okay." - -"No, no sign of Skipper anywheres." - -"Rabbit's gone, too." - -"Yup, our house is dry, 'cept for a tiny bit of wetting in one o' the -bedrooms." Here Grandpa pinched his nose, remembering. "But it's got a -odor to it that'll hold you." - -In her dismay over her house, Grandma had forgotten all about Grandpa's -ponies. Now as she helped him pull off his sweater, she asked, "What -about your ninety head, Clarence? Are they...." - -Paul kept very still, and Grandpa's old leathery face did not change -expression. He looked dead ahead. "There was losses," was all he said. -He turned to Maureen, and his voice was tight and toneless. "Me and -Paul have done a lot of yelling today, and we're both wore out. We just -don't feel talky, do we, Paul?" - -"No, Grandpa." - -"Suppose you and Grandma be like Red Cross angels and tote our suppers -over here. We'd ruther not eat up to the big table with ever'body." - -As Maureen and Grandma heaped the trays and carried them back, -Maureen's lip quivered. "Oh, Grandma, Paul didn't even ask what I did -today. He doesn't even know I was at Doctor Finney's, riding a famous -trotter. Oh, Grandma, why was I born a girl?" - -"It's God's plan, Maureen. Oops! Take care. Ye're spilling the soup." - - * * * * * - -Friday. The fourth day of the storm. Gray skies over Chincoteague. Rain -off and on. Temperature rising. Wind and tide slowly subsiding. The -causeway in use again--red ambulances carrying off the sick, yellow -school buses the well, dump trucks removing the dead chickens. - -Misty in the kitchen at Pony Ranch is growing restless. Her hay is -gone. The water in the sink is gone. She is bored with the squeaky, -squirmy kittens, and tired of looking out the window. Nothing seems to -happen. No ponies frisking. No dog teasing her to come out and play. No -birds flying. No friendly human creatures. - -The room is getting too warm. Her winter coat itches. Even the bony -part of her tail itches. She looks for something to scratch against. -The handle of the refrigerator! She backs up to it. To her surprise the -door kicks right back at her! She wheels around, barely missing the -mewing kittens. She pokes her head in the box, sniffing and nosing. -She tries to fit her tongue into a pitcher of molasses. Crash! A dark -dribble spills down on the kittens, on Wait-a-Minute too. - -At last Misty has something to do. Good sweet molasses to clean up. -She licks Wait-a-Minute, and Wait-a-Minute licks her kittens. The -steady strokes bring on rumbly purring sounds. Misty grows drowsy. She -turns to lie down, but the kittens are in her way. At last she sleeps, -standing over them. - - * * * * * - -Afternoon came, and with it strange happenings. Paul and Grandpa -arrived at Pony Ranch. This time their concern over Misty was desperate. - -"A day or two at most," Grandpa said gravely. - -"_You been saying that!_" Paul replied accusingly. - -"I know." Grandpa looked crestfallen as if he'd failed in his duty. He -made up his mind on the spot. "We're carryin' her over to Doc Finney's -today, _to once_!" - -They led Misty out of the house and into the old truck. They stowed a -bundle of hay in its accustomed place, just as if she were going off to -a school or a library story hour. - -"You wait, Misty, we'll be right back," Grandpa said. "Paul and me got -to give the kitchen a quick lick." - -"Oh, do we _have_ to?" Paul was all impatience. - -"Yes, son. Some way I got a hunch yer Grandma's coming home right soon." - -Back in the kitchen Paul and Grandpa mucked out the old straw, and gave -the floor a hasty cleaning. - -"Gives you a new regard for wimmenfolk, don't it, Paul?" Grandpa asked, -dipping the broom into a pail of suds. - -"Why?" - -"Well, how'd _you_ like to get down on yer knees and scrub suds and -dirt together and try to get a slick surface?" - -"I'd ruther muck out stalls." - -"That's what I mean. Misty is what I'd call a tidy pony. She uses one -corner and keeps ever'thing mounded up real neat. But even so--!" - -When they had done the best they could, they turned to inspect their -handiwork. The room looked better, they admitted, with the kittens in -the laundry basket and the straw swept out and the molasses fairly well -cleaned up, but somehow the pattern of the linoleum was gone. - -"Oh, well," Grandpa sighed, "yer Grandma'll say, 'Clarence Beebe, this -floor looks like a hurrah's nest.' And then she'll get right down -with her brush and pail, and she'll begin purrin' and hummin' like -Wait-a-Minute with her kittens. So let's leave it to her and get on -with Misty." - -Driving the truck through town to the causeway took an hour instead -of minutes. The streets were filled with men and machines. Huge -bulldozers were pushing sand back into the bay and rubble into piles -for burning. - -Every time the truck had to stop, Misty was recognized and men shouted -questions. - -"Where ye taking Misty?" - -"To Doctor Finney's!" - -"Clear to Pocomoke City?" - -"But why now, when the weather's fairin' off?" - -"'Cause she needs a doctor, that's why," Grandpa answered. "She's way -past her time." - -"Shucks, you never done this with your other ponies." - -"But they're used to wild ways," Paul broke in. "Misty's more like -folks." - -"My grandchildren set a mighty store by her," Grandpa said. "We just -can't chance it." - -In front of his house the Mayor came out and flagged them down. -"Beebe," he said, looking heavy-eyed and discouraged, "we're having a -time getting those carcasses airlifted." - -"How come?" - -"The government has approved sending 'copters to take fresh water to -the ponies still alive on Assateague, but they have no orders yet to -take out the dead ones." - -Grandpa exploded. "Mayor! The live ones has _got_ water. There's allus -water in the high-up pools in the White Hills. Them ponies know it." - -"You and I know it too, Clarence. But sometimes outside people get -sentimental in the wrong places. They mean well enough," he added with -a tired smile. "It's the same old story about the evacuation. Even -though the drinking water is piped to Chincoteague from the mainland, -the Health Department still says no women or children can return yet." - -Grandpa's face went red. "Mayor, I guess you don't need me to tell you -the wimmenfolk is madder'n fire and sputterin' like wrens. Less'n they -get home soon and tote their soggy mattresses and chairs out in the -air, ever'thing'll be spoilt." - -"Yes, I know. I know. I'm doing the best I can to get things cleared -up. Right now I have a call in for our Senator in Washington. Perhaps -he can get some action for us." - -"But how about all the folk who didn't evacuate?" - -"We can't force them to leave their homes, Clarence. But those that -are at Wallops Station just can't come back until all the dead animals -are removed. And Clarence," he called as Grandpa shifted into gear, -"when the order does come through, we'll want you to help with the -airlifting." - -On the long trip to Pocomoke, Grandpa kept grumbling and muttering to -himself. - -Paul couldn't keep his eyes open. With Misty close by him, where he -could reach back and touch her, he suddenly felt easy and relaxed, -easier than he had since the storm began. He tried to stay awake. He -tried to listen to Grandpa. He tried to watch the scenery. But his -eyelids drooped. Finally he crawled in with Misty and slept on the -floor beside her. - -When at last they turned into Dr. Finney's place, Grandpa had to shake -him awake. - - - - - _Chapter 15_ - - GRANDPA MAKES A DEAL - - -Dr. Finney was a big man, outwardly calm, but his face looked as if it -knew patience and pain. - -"What do you think, sir?" Paul asked as they stood with Misty in the -paddock. - -"Well, to be frank, she's a little too heavy, Paul. That is, for one so -fine-boned. And that's never good at a time like this. But we'll pull -her through." - -Misty shouldered her way into the center of the group, ears listening -and questing, as if she were part of the conference instead of the -cause. - -The doctor put a gentle hand on Paul's shoulder. "Misty won't be -lonesome here," he said. "In the next stall she can neighbor with -Trineda, a well-bred trotter. And my boy David can comfort her and -take your place--for the time being," he added quickly. - -Just then Dr. Finney's son came racing out of the house. Paul almost -hated the boy on sight, for Misty trotted right up to him, sniffing -curiously. - -"Doctor Finney," Paul said urgently, "couldn't I stay here? Please?" - -Grandpa answered before the doctor had finished clearing his throat. -"If ye could be of help, me and Doc'd both say yes. But ye're needed -over to Chincoteague. Lots o' moppin' up to be done, and ye volunteered -as an able-bodied _man_. Recomember?" - -Still Paul could not bring himself to go. He slid his hand under -Misty's mane, scruffing his fingers along. "Doctor Finney," he asked, -"would it be a good idea for us to get a nanny goat just in case...?" - -The doctor was about to say it wouldn't be necessary. Then he saw the -troubled look on the boy's face. Better, he thought, to keep him busy -instead of worrying. "It wouldn't hurt at all, Paul. Many breeding -stables keep a goat for that very purpose. By the way," he turned now -to Grandpa, "you must know Buck Jackson from Chincoteague." - -Grandpa flinched. "Yup, I know him. Sells goat's milk." - -"Well, he's delivering a flock of goats to Girdletree today, and I'm -to give them a health certificate. If you'd like to buy a nanny, I'll -ask Buck if he can spare one. But you'd have to keep her at Pony Ranch, -because I'm short of space." - -Grandpa shrugged helplessly. "Allus it's me against the world," he -said, half joking, half in earnest. Then he stared down the highway in -amazement. - -A shining white truck was barreling along toward them. Now it was -slowing, and in big black letters on its side Grandpa made out the -words: - - BUCK JACKSON DELIVERY--GOAT'S MILK. - -With a screeching of tires the truck turned into the driveway and came -to a stop. A big-shouldered man jumped down from the cab and opened the -tailgate. "Hi, Paul and David," he called. "Hi, Doc. Hi, Mr. Beebe. Hi, -Misty. Heavens-to-Betsy, I didn't expect a welcoming committee!" - -Misty and Paul and David were first to peer inside. The two boys were -suddenly friends, buyers, judging an odd assortment of goats. - -Grandpa stuck his nose into the truck and sniffed noisily. "I jes' -don't like 'em," he insisted. "They smell from here to Kingdom Come. To -me, a polecat smells purtier." - -But Paul was ecstatic. "They can't help it, Grandpa. And besides, -Misty needs someone to play with, now that Skipper's gone." - -"She'll have her colt," Grandpa reminded. - -Paul was not listening. "I like that brown nanny with the little white -kid." - -"So do I," David agreed. "And if I was your Grandpa, I'd let you have -the whole truckload," he offered generously. - -"Who says I want to sell any?" Buck Jackson asked. - -That did it. Grandpa was a born trader. "Buck," he said, "there's lots -o' goats over to Chincoteague. Some nicer'n yours. Cy Eustace has a -hull flock, and Ben Sykes has...." - -"Not any more they don't. They're drowned." - -Grandpa ignored the interruption. "But since my grandson has took a -fancy to that brown one and her kid, what'll ye take for the pair?" - -Buck winked at Dr. Finney. "I'll take Misty and her unborn." - -Now Grandpa's blood was up. "Quit yer jokin'!" - -"Who says I'm jokin'?" - -In the waiting silence Misty poked her head inside the truck and the -brown goat gave her a friendly butt. Misty came right back, asking for -more. - -"I give up!" Grandpa sighed. He pulled out his ancient leather purse -and began fumbling inside, transferring bits of string and wire to -a pocket. At last he held out a much-folded five-dollar bill. "This -may seem mighty little to ye, but hoss-keepin' ain't what ye'd call -profitable. Here, take it." - -Buck Jackson chewed on a toothpick, thinking. "If I didn't say yes," he -said at last, "even Misty here'd hate me. It's a deal, Clarence, and -I'll throw in a bale of hay besides." - -The transaction was quickly completed. But even with the nanny and her -kid in the pickup, Paul didn't find it easier to say good-bye to Misty. -"Don't ride her," he cautioned David. "She's going to have a colt." - -"I know she is," David replied in disgust. "_Everybody_ knows that." - -Dr. Finney held onto Misty's halter. "Don't you worry, Paul. I'll sleep -in the stall next to her, and I'll stay within sight and sound during -her foaling period." - -"You promise?" - -"I promise." - - * * * * * - -It was almost dark when Grandpa and Paul crossed the state line back -into Virginia. - -"Tradin' whets my appetite," Grandpa confided to Paul. "What d'ye say -we stop by Wallops Station and have some nice hot Red Cross food with -Grandma and Maureen?" - -"What about our goats? Shouldn't we hurry home and put them in the hay -house with Billy Blaze and Watch Eyes? They got to get used to being -with horses." - -Grandpa wasn't listening. A flicker of a smile crossed his face. "Don't -interrupt me, son. My mind's turnin' over important thoughts." - -The refugee room looked much the same, except for more cots and more -people. And it still smelled of old rubber and leather and steamy -woolen socks. - -As the family sat down at the long table, Paul whispered to Maureen, "I -like the smell of goats better'n people, and we got two--a nanny and a -kid." - -"Oh, Paul, how beautiful!" - -"They're not beautiful; they're really kind of funny-looking with their -eyes so different from horses'." - -"I know. They're bluey-yellow, and they look glassy, like marbles." - -Paul and Maureen could hardly eat for all they had to say to each other. - -"Misty's at Doctor Finney's, Maureen. She can't keep on postponing -forever and she can't go on living in Grandma's kitchen. Ain't healthy -and airy for her. And besides...." - -"Besides what?" - -"I overheard the doctor say there could be complications." - -Grandma and Grandpa were deep in conversation, too. Grandpa seemed to -have forgotten he was hungry. "Idy," he said, "Pony Ranch is now the -owners of a nanny goat and her kid. A billy-kid, at that! It's got -whiskers as long as yer sea-captain pa." - -"Clarence Beebe! Don't you talk like that. I'll not have ye comparin' -my father to a billy goat!" - -"Oh, come now, Idy. I'm jes' bein' jokey. Besides, yer father smelled -real good--of tobaccy and things. By the way," he asked, trying to -appear casual, "you and Maureen had yer arms scratched against the -typhoid?" - -Grandma nodded. - -"Good! I'm turribly glad." - -"Why? Is the typhoid raging?" - -"No, but I need ye at home, Idy, to perten me up for what I got to do." - -"What's that?" Grandma asked in alarm. - -"I got to see that all my dead ponies is taken off'n Chincoteague, and -the dead ones on Assateague, too." - -"Oh ... oh, how dreadful! But they say wimmenfolk can't go home now. -Regardless." - -"I know they _say_ so." Grandpa's eyes crinkled with his secret. "But -_I_ say the Lord helps them as helps theirselves." - -Grandma looked at him questioningly. - -"Idy, how'd ye like to...?" - -"Like to what?" - -Grandpa sopped up some tomato gravy with a chunk of bread and ate it -slowly, enjoying Grandma's impatience. Then he leaned close to her ear. -"How'd ye and Maureen like to be smuggled back home? Right now!" - -Grandma beamed. "Be ye serious?" - -"Serious as a cow at milkin' time." - -"Why, mercy me, I'd feel young and chipper doin' a thing like that." - -"Ye would?" - -"Yes, I would." - -"Even if ye had to hide in the back o' a truck under a bundle o' hay -with goats eatin' through to ye?" - -"Even if!" Grandma hurriedly left the table, motioning Maureen and Paul -to follow. "Don't ask any questions," she said. "Just slip into your -jackets and come along, and leave our blankets on the cots." - -The people nearby looked up in surprise as the Beebe family put on -their wraps. - -"My husband has got some goats down in the truck he wants us to see," -Grandma explained. - -"But it's raining, Mrs. Beebe." - -"I know. That's why we're bundling up." Grandma blushed. "Y'see, my -husband's like a little boy whenever he's got a new pet to show me." - - - - - _Chapter 16_ - - WELCOME HOME, PROGGER - - -The night was dark and broody with no moon or stars. Not a glimmer of -light anywhere. A curtain of fine rain closed in the deserted parking -lot. - -With a great heave Grandpa hoisted Grandma up into the back of the -truck. "It's easier loading Misty," he panted. - -Grandma was too excited to answer. Feeling her way in the dark, she -pushed the goats aside, took off her head scarf, and sat down on it. -Then she opened a clean handkerchief for Maureen. But Maureen ignored -it, lost in delight over the little white kid. - -The motor made a roar in the night as the truck pulled out of the lot -and headed for the highway. Almost there, Grandpa turned down a gravel -lane, dimmed the lights, and parked. He and Paul jumped out and ran to -the back of the truck. Hastily they broke open the bale of hay, and -began shaking it over the stowaways. - -Maureen sneezed. - -"Hay's dusty," Paul said. - -"Might of knowed it," Grandpa snorted. "No wonder Buck Jackson give it -away. Now whichever of ye sneezed, we can't have no more o' that. If -yer nose feels tickly, jes' clamp yer finger hard underneath it, and -'twon't happen." - -Before Paul and Grandpa got back into the cab, they looked around -cautiously. No one was in sight. - -"I feel like the smugglers we read about in Berlin," Paul said, -"sneakin' refugees to West Germany." - -It was only a half-hour's ride to Chincoteague, but with no one singing -or laughing, it seemed more like half a day. In silence they rode past -Rabbit Gnaw Road and through Horntown and past Swan's Gut Road and -across the salt flats that led to the causeway. - -Almost at the end of the causeway their headlights showed up a -temporary guardhouse. A soldier with a rifle came out and flagged them -down. He shone his flashlight into the cab of the truck. "Hi there, Mr. -Beebe," he grinned in recognition. "Hi, Paul. How's Misty?" - -"She's still all right," Paul replied. - -The guard flicked off his flashlight and leaned one arm on the lowered -window. He seemed hungry for talk. "Funny thing," he said, "about the -telephone calls comin' in from all over the countryside. Mostly they're -from children. It's not folks they're worried about. It's the ponies. -'Specially Misty. Yeah," he laughed, "_she's_ their prime concern." - -"Mine, too!" Paul said. - -Unmindful of the drizzle, the guard went on. "By the way, how's -everybody over at Wallops?" - -Grandpa coughed. "They're all hankerin' fer home." - -"Wal, maybe it won't be long now. The Mayor got through to Washington, -and they're sending four big 'copters tomorrow to work with you and Tom -on liftin' the dead ponies." In a routine manner he went around to the -back of the truck and flashed his light inside. "Any stowaways?" he -asked jokingly. - -Grandpa matched the joking tone. "Yup, we got two." - -After an interminable silence the soldier's laughter filled the night. -"Wal, I'll be a billy goat's whiskers if ye 'ain't got a nanny and her -kid! How's the missus going to like that?" - -"I figger she's going to feel mighty close to 'em," Grandpa chuckled. - -"Why? How's that?" - -Suddenly Grandpa panicked. The sweat came cold on his forehead. He cut -off the dashlight so his face would be in the dark. He couldn't speak. - -Paul came to the rescue. "We bought them for Misty's colt," he -explained. "Sup-pli-ament-ary feeding, you know." - -The guard snapped off his light and tweaked Paul's ear. "Ye got a -bright boy here, Mr. Beebe. G'night, folks. Ye can move on now." - - * * * * * - -Home was clammy cold, and it had a stench of fish, and the bedroom rug -with the roses was wet as a sponge. But it was Home! And Wait-a-Minute -was there with a wild welcome, turning somersaults, then flying round -and round like a whirling dervish. - -"This floor is like walkin' on mucilage," Grandma said, "but no matter -how messy, there's jes' no place like Pony Ranch." - -Maureen sighed in agreement. Then she added soberly, "Even without the -ponies." - -"You forget," Paul corrected, "we still have Watch Eyes and Billy -Blaze, and the mares in the hay house." - -"And," Grandpa added with a crooked smile, "Wings' herd up to Tom's -Place ... and with Misty expectin' ... and two goats and five cats, we -got the beginnin's again." - -"Grandma!" Maureen cried. "What's happened to the back of your dress?" - -Grandma swished her skirt around. Her eyes widened. The whole back from -the waist down was gone. "Why, whatever in the world!" she gasped. - -Paul and Maureen began to shriek in laughter. "The nanny goat!" - -"Like I said," Grandpa roared, "Missus Beebe'll allus feel mighty close -to that nanny." - -Grandma flounced to the drawer where she kept her aprons. In pretended -anger she took out two. "I'll just wear 'em both," she said. "One fore -and one aft." - -There was much to be done before bedtime--the ponies in the hay house -to be grained and watered, the nanny and her kid to be tended to, -kindling to be brought in. And late as it was, Grandma got down on her -hands and knees and scrubbed the floor with vigor and strong naphtha -soap. - -When she had almost finished, Maureen, muddy but radiant, sloshed into -the back hall. "Guess what, Grandma!" - -"What _now_?" Grandma asked without looking up. Her lips were set in a -thin line as she carefully pushed the basket of kittens back under the -stove. "Now what you so tickled about?" - -"Feel in my pocket!" - -"Mice?" - -"No, Grandma. Guess again." - -"Probably some toady-frog or lizard." - -"No! No! Feel!" - -Grandma wiped her hands on her apron and poked a cautious fingertip -into Maureen's pocket. She touched something smooth and curved. -Smiling, she reached in and brought out two tiny brown-flecked eggs. - -"And there's two in my other pocket! I found 'em high and dry in -Misty's manger." - -Grandpa and Paul came stomping into the back hall with armfuls of wood. -"What's to eat?" Grandpa shouted. "I could swaller a whale." - -Grandma shook her head. "Bread's mouldy. Milk's sour. Only thing we got -is four little bitty banty eggs." - -"Why, they're good," Maureen said in a hurt tone. - -"Course they are, honey." Grandma placed them on the table. "Paul, you -still got your boots on. Run out to the smokehouse for some bacon. -We'll have a tiny fried egg apiece and plenty o' crispy bacon. I'll put -the skillet on and have it spittin' hot." - -When Paul had gone out, Grandma turned to Maureen and Grandpa. "Now you -two wash up so's I can tell who's who. And for pity's sake, use that -naphtha soap. If'n I had any sense at all, I'd go around this house -with a clothespin twigged onto my nose." - -Grandpa's face broadened into a grin. "Humpf! A sea-captain's daughter -complainin' 'bout a little bilge water." - -Suddenly Maureen shushed Grandpa and held up a warning finger. "Listen!" - -Faint and far off, like something in a dream, came a sound like a dog's -barking. Then it faded away and stopped. They all stood still--waiting, -listening. For long seconds they heard nothing. Only the clock -hammering and the fire crackling in the stove. - -But there! It came again. Louder this time. Nearer! A gruff, rusty -bark, then three short yaps, familiar, beloved. - -In one stride Grandpa was at the door. He flung it wide and a flash of -golden fur bulleted into the room, skidding across the wet floor until -it reached Maureen. - -"Skipper! Skipper!" she cried, hugging him passionately, wildly. - -Grandpa and Grandma seemed to forget they were grown. They let Skipper -come leaping at them, let him put his front feet on their shoulders. -Who minded muddy paws? Who minded the icy-cold nose? Who minded the -wet tongue-swipes? And the tracked floor? Not even Grandma! Only -Wait-a-Minute hissed and spat at him. - -Everyone was laughing and crying and talking all at once. - -"Where you been, feller?" - -"_I_ thought you'd been caught in a mushrat trap." - -"_I_ thought you'd drowned, for sure." - -"Why, ye're strong as a tiger." - -"And yer coat's got a nice shine." - -Paul came in then, a wide smile spread across his face. "He _should_ be -fat and shiny. He's been in the smokehouse eatin' his way through hams -and salt pork." - -Grandma wiped her laughter-tears away. "He allus was crazy on smoked -meats," she said. - -Maureen buried her nose in his ruff. "He's even got a smokehouse smell -to him," she said. "Remember, Paul? Last thing you did was to go get a -ham before we left on the helicopter." - -Grandpa went to the sink and plunged his face into the wash basin, -making a sound like a seal. He came up bellowing: "Skipper's a progger!" - -"What's that?" Maureen and Paul wanted to know. - -Grandpa scruffed his beard, thinking. "It's a old, old Chincoteague -word, and it means ... wa-al, it jes' means someone as is smart enough -to grab a livin' when things is dire bad." And he cupped his hands -around his mouth and boomed, "Welcome home, ye old Progger!" - - - - - _Chapter 17_ - - SAWDUST AND SADNESS - - -Saturday. News briefs from around the world were coming over the radio -like flak: - -"India agrees to a conference with Pakistan.... African leaders at -the United Nations are exploring the Common Market.... Russia accuses -the United States of war-mongering.... Jordan and Israel again at -loggerheads over the River Jordan.... England's Queen Elizabeth and -Prince Philip return in triumph from Australia and New Zealand." - -The newscaster paused and took a breath as if all this were far away -and only a prelude to the real news. His tone became neighborly now and -concerned. - -"And here on the home front, the tiny flooded island of Chincoteague -has aroused the sympathy of the whole nation. The islanders, whose -livelihood depends on chickens and sea-food and ponies, have suffered a -savage blow to all three industries. Their oyster beds are gone; their -chickens are gone. And today's report indicates that only a remnant of -the wild pony herds on Assateague Island have survived. These are the -ponies that made Chincoteague famous for the annual roundup and Pony -Penning celebration, and that have brought visitors by the thousands. -How seriously this loss will affect the tourist industry can only be -estimated. - -"Yet the Chincoteaguers are showing indomitable courage. With -bulldozers and scoop shovels they are pushing tons of sand off streets, -off lawns, out of cellars, and back into the channel. Clean-up crews -are making bonfires of rubble and debris. - -"Oh ... flash news! Two notes were just handed me. One says Misty, -the movie-star pony, has been evacuated from her owner's kitchen to -an animal hospital in Pocomoke, Maryland, where her colt is expected -momentarily. - -"The other says the Second Army at Fort Belvoir is flying in -helicopters within the hour to remove the dead ponies from Chincoteague -and Assateague...." - -At Pony Ranch Grandpa snapped off the radio in mid-sentence. "I got to -go now," he said in a tone of finality. "Them's my orders." He kissed -his family good-bye as solemnly as if he were going away on a long -journey and might never return. - -"No, son." He shook his head in answer to Paul's asking look. "No, -ye're needed here today to work on Misty's stall. Somebody's got to -ready it for her homecoming. Besides, Grandma and Maureen can't lift -that wet rug out on the line by theirselves. They need an able-bodied -man." - -"But who's going to help lift the dead po--" - -Grandpa cut off the word with a sharp glance. His eyes said, "Less -talk, the better." And his voice said, "Each 'copter has a crew of four -stout army men, and there's Tom Reed and Henry Leonard to help me." - -Grandma's eyes were bright with unshed tears. Quickly she went to -the cupboard and took out a small brown sack. "I was saving these -peppermints for Misty's baby. But here, Clarence, you take them. For -extry strength," she whispered, "when things is rough." - - * * * * * - -Paul and Maureen were soon so busy with preparations for Misty's -return that they forgot Grandpa. The phone might ring any minute, long -distance, with big news from Pocomoke. And if it did, the made-over -chicken coop had to be dry and snug and warm, and waiting. - -The day was spent in a fever of activity. At first they tackled the -heavy, sodden straw with enthusiasm. They were used to cleaning -Misty's stall every morning before breakfast. It took only a few -minutes--fifteen at most. But now clumps of seaweed made the bedding -slithery as soup and heavy as lead. With fork and shovel they pitched -and tossed for an hour. Each wheelbarrowful seemed heavier than the -last, until finally it took both of them, one at each handle, to push -it and dump the muck in the woods. - -Skipper found an old pulpy potato and asked Paul and Maureen to play -ball, but they were too busy and too tired. - -At morning's end the floor of the shed was emptied of wet bedding, -but what remained was a churned-up, slimy mass of mud. Maureen leaned -against the wall, rubbing an arm across her face. "How are we _ever_ -going to get it dry?" she said, bursting into tears. - -Paul felt defeated too, and his head and body ached. "What we need," he -groaned, "is a thousand million blotters. But where?" Suddenly his face -lighted in inspiration. "Sawdust!" he cried. "That's what we need!" -He ran sloshing toward the road, calling back over his shoulder, "You -wait, I'm going to see Mr. Hancock." - -Mr. Hancock was a long-time friend. He was a wood-carver, and had given -work to Paul and Maureen when they were earning money to buy Misty's -mother. Often for fifty cents apiece they had swept his shop clean of -sawdust and shavings. - -By the time Maureen had finished her cry and wiped away her tears, Paul -and Mr. Hancock were driving into the yard in his newly painted truck. -She gaped in astonishment as she watched them unload bushel basket -after bushel basket of sawdust at the door of the stall. - -"Ain't near enough," Mr. Hancock said as he helped dump the yellow -sawdust on the floor and saw it turn dark and wet in seconds. "Tell -ye what," he said, noticing Maureen's tear-streaked face, "it's -eatin'-time now and we all got to eat, regardless. That'll give this -stuff time to absorb all the wet it's a-goin' to. Then ye got to heave -it all out, and I'll bring more sawdust, and some chips too. Lucky -thing I had it stored high and dry in my barn loft." - -Paul piled the empty baskets into Mr. Hancock's truck. Then he and -Maureen headed wearily for the house. Maureen was trying not to cry. - -"See what I see?" Paul pointed to the back stoop. And there was Grandma -milking the nanny goat, who was tied to the stair railing. - -"Sh ... sh!" Grandma warned as the children came up. "Don't frighten -her. This ain't easy, but I got eenamost enough to make us a nice pot -of cocoa." - -All during lunch Grandma kept up a stream of conversation to cheer -them. "Children," she said brightly, "a she-goat was 'zackly what we -needed. If not for Misty, then for us. Ain't this cocoa _de_-licious?" - -Paul and Maureen nodded, too tired for words. - -"You can each have two cups. And all the biscuits you can eat, with -gooseberry jam. I figger the starving people of the world would think -this a Thanksgiving feast, don't ye?" - -"Yes, Grandma." - -"And since you still got work on Misty's stall, you don't need to hang -my rug outside today. I got all the windows open and there's a good -breeze blowing in." - -"Thank you, Grandma." - -"Now, you two perten up. Everything's going to be better this -afternoon. Life's like a teeter-totter. Heartbreak, happiness. -Happiness, heartbreak. You'll see. Everything'll be better this -afternoon." - -Grandma was right. By the time the wet sawdust was shoveled out, Mr. -Hancock was back again with a small tow wagon hooked onto his car. - -"Got a big surprise fer ye," he chuckled. "The road people was putting -down some ground-up oyster shells, and I got 'em to fill my wagon plumb -full. With them shells first, and the shavings atop that, ye'll have -the driest stable this side o' Doc Finney's." - -The rest of the afternoon flew by in a fury of work. Paul dumped the -oyster shells onto the floor. Maureen raked them even. Then came layer -on layer of chips and shavings. For a final touch they took a bale of -straw and cut it up, a sheaf at a time, into short wisps. - -"Why can't we just shake it airy?" Maureen asked. "My fingers ache. Why -do I have to cut it?" - -"Do you want his pipestem legs getting all tangled up and throwin' him -down?" - -"'Course not. When you tell me why, I don't mind doing it. But, Paul, -how do you know it's going to be a 'he'?" - -"I don't, silly. People always say 'he' when they don't know." - -"Well, _I_ say 'she.'" - -With the work done, Paul flopped down on the straw and lay there quite -still. - -"You sick?" Maureen asked in fright. - -"No!" - -"Then what are you doing?" - -"I'm a newborn colt and I'm testing to see if there are any draughts. -Doctor Finney says they can't stand them." - -"I feel the wind coming in through the siding. I can feel it blowing my -hair." - -"That's easy to fix." Paul got up and plastered the cracks with straw -and mud. Meanwhile Maureen stripped some pine branches and scattered -the needles lightly for fragrance. - -By twilight any horse-master would have tacked a blue ribbon on the -old chicken-coop barn. Maureen called Grandma to come out and inspect. -"You've got to see, Grandma. It's beautiful. Misty's going to be the -happiest mother in the world." - -Grandma, holding her sweater tight around her neck, stepped inside the -snug shelter. She beamed her approval. "I declare to goodness, I'd like -to move in myself. Just wait 'til yer Grandpa sees this. Likely he'll -do a hop-dance for joy." - -But that night Grandpa never even looked at Misty's stall. It was -dark when he came home. Without a word he made his way toward the -kitchen table and sat down heavily. His face seemed made of clay, gray -and pinched and old. Without removing his jacket he sat there, hands -folded, just staring at the floor. - -The noisy clock was no respecter of grief. Each stroke of the hammer -thudded like a heartbeat. The seconds and minutes ticked on. Paul and -Maureen sat very still, saying nothing, doing nothing. Just waiting. - -"Yer Grandpa's had a mill day," Grandma whispered at last. "He's all -cut to pieces. Jes' leave him be." - -It was as if the gentle words had broken a dike. The old man hid his -face in his arms and wept. - -"Don't be ashamed to cry, Clarence. Let the tears out if they want to -come." Grandma put her clean, scrubbed hand on the gnarled, mud-crusted -ones. "King David in the Bible was a strong man and he wept copiously." -Her voice went on softly. "In my Sunday School class just two weeks ago -I gave the story of King David. There was one verse and it said, 'The -King covered his face and wept.' Just like you, Clarence." - -Neither Paul nor Maureen made a sound. They were too stunned. They -watched the heaving shoulders in silence. Grandpa, who had always -seemed so strong and indestructible, now looked little and feeble and -old. When his sobs quieted, he wiped his eyes and slowly looked up. "I -ain't fit to talk to nobody," he said, his voice no more than a breath. - -"Oh ... oh, Grandpa!" Maureen cried. "Your voice! It's gone! You ain't -bellerin'!" And she ran to him and flung her arms about him, sobbing -hysterically. - -"There, there, child. Don't you cry, too. I'm plumb 'shamed to break -down when we're lots luckier than most folks." He smiled weakly. "We -got our house and each other and...." - -"And Misty," Paul said earnestly. - -"And Misty," Grandpa nodded. "It's jes'...." He swallowed hard and his -hands gripped the table until the knuckles showed white through the -dirt. "It's jes'," he repeated, "that all the days of my life I'll hear -that slow creakin' of the crane liftin' up the dead ponies, and I'll -see their legs a-swingin' this way and that like they was still alive -and kickin'." Now the words poured from him in a tide; he couldn't stop -the flow. "And some had stars on their faces, and some had two-toned -manes and tails, and some was marked so bright and purty, and most o' -the mares had a little one inside 'em." His voice broke. "I knowed all -my herd by name." - -"How many were there in all, Clarence? Yours and the others?" - -Grandpa's breath came heavy, as if he were still at work. "We lifted -off more'n we could count," he said, "includin' the wild ones over -to Assateague. And when the trucks was all lined up with their dead -cargo, ever' one of us took off our hats, and the army men and us -Chincoteaguers all looked alike with our sunburnt faces and white -foreheads. And we was all alike in our sadness. - -"Then the preacher, he come by and he said somethin' about these hosses -needin' no headstone to mark their grave, and he put up a prayer to the -memory of the wild free things. He said, 'Neither tide nor wind nor -rain nor flight of time can erase the glory o' their memory.'" - -Everyone in the little kitchen let out a deep sigh as if the preacher's -words were right and good. - -After a moment Grandpa got up from the table and put his arm around -Grandma. "Now ye see, Idy, why I had to smuggle ye home. I needed ye -for comfort." - -Grandma wiped her spectacles with her apron. "Must be steam in the -room," she said. - -Grandpa had one more thing to say. "Fer jes' this oncet in my life I -wisht I was a waterman 'stead of a hossman. When oysters die, ye can -plant another bushel, and when boats drift away, ye can build another. -But when ponies die ... how can ye replace 'em?" - -Paul glanced around in sudden terror. It was as if a cold blade of fear -had struck him. His eyes sought Maureen's. They were very dark and wide -and asking. - -Was Misty all right? - - - - - _Chapter 18_ - - WITHIN THE FOALING BOX - - -On the same day that Grandpa was airlifting the ponies and Paul and -Maureen were drying out Misty's stall, Misty herself felt strangely -unhappy. - -She had a freshly made bed in a snug stable, and she couldn't have been -lonely for she was never without company. If she so much as scratched -an ear with a hind hoof, young David Finney tried to do it for her. -If she lipped at her hay, he tore handfuls out of the manger and -presented it joyously to her. If she lay down, he tried to help her get -comfortable. - -And there were newspaper men coming and going, taking pictures of her -in her stall, out of her stall, with David, without David. One caught -Misty pulling the ponytail of a lady reporter. There was plenty of -laughter and a constant flow of visitors. - -But in spite of all the attention she was getting, Misty felt -discontented and homesick. She was accustomed to the cries of sea -birds, and the tang of salt air, and the tidal rhythm of the sea. And -she was accustomed to going in and out of her stall, to the old tin -bathtub that was her watering trough. But here everything was brought -to her. - -She kept shaking her head nervously and stamping in impatience. -Occasionally she let out a low cry of distress which brought David and -Dr. Finney on the run. But they could not comfort her. She yawned right -in their faces as much as to say, "Go away. I miss my own home-place -and my own children and my own marsh grass." - -In all the long day there was only one creature who seemed to sense her -plight. It was Trineda, the trotter in the next stall. The two mares -struck up a friendly attachment, and when they weren't interrupted by -callers, they did a lot of neighborly visiting. If Misty paced back -and forth, Trineda paced alongside in her own stall, making soothing, -snorting sounds. The newsmen spoke of her as Misty's lady-in-waiting, -and some took pictures of the two, nose to nose. - -When night came on, Trineda was put out to pasture, and Misty's sudden -loneness was almost beyond bearing. She shied at eerie shadows hulking -across her stall. And her ear caught spooky rustling sounds. Filled -with uneasiness, she began pacing again, not knowing that the shadows -came from a lantern flame flickering as the wind stirred it, not -knowing that the rustling sounds were made by Dr. Finney tiptoeing -into the next stall, carefully setting down his bag of instruments, and -stealthily opening up his sleeping roll. - -When at last there was quiet, Misty lay down, trying to get -comfortable. But she was even more uncomfortable. Hastily she got up -and tried to sleep standing, shifting her weight from one foot to -another. - -Suddenly she wanted to get out, to be free, to high-tail it for home. -She neighed in desperation. She pawed and scraped the floor, then -banged her hoof against the door. - -Trineda came flying in at once, whinnying her concern. Trying to help, -she worked on the catch to the door, but it was padlocked. She thrust -her head inside, reaching over Misty's shoulder, as much as to say, -"There, there. There, there. It'll all be over soon." - -Dr. Finney watched, fascinated, as the four-footed nurse quickly calmed -her patient. "It'll probably be a long time yet," he told himself. -"Nine chances out of ten she'll foal in the dark watches of the night. -I'd better get some sleep while I can." He was aware that many of his -friends would pity him tonight, shaking their heads over the hard life -of a veterinarian. But at this moment he would not trade jobs for any -other in the world. Each birth was a different kind of miracle. - -Sighing in satisfaction, he slid down into his sleeping bag and settled -himself for a long wait. The seconds wore on, and the minutes and the -slow hours. He grew drowsy and he dozed, and he woke to check on Misty, -and he dozed again. Toward morning his sleep was fitful and he dreamed -that Misty was a tree with ripening fruit--just one golden pear. And -he dreamed that the stem of the fruit was growing weak, and it was the -moment of ripe perfection. - -A flush of light in the northeast brought him sharply awake. He -peered through the siding and he saw Misty lying down, and he saw wee -forehoofs breaking through the silken birth bag, the head resting upon -them; then quickly came the slender body with the hindlegs tucked under. - -He froze in wonder at the tiny filly lying there, complete and whole in -the straw. It gave one gulping gasp for air, and then its sides began -rising and falling as regularly as the ticking of a clock. - -Alarmed by the gasping sound, Misty scrambled to her feet and turned to -look at the new little creature, and the cord joining them broke apart, -like the pear from the tree. Motionless, she watched the spidery legs -thrashing about in the straw. Her foal was struggling to get up. And -then it was half way up, nearly standing! - -Suddenly Misty was all motherliness. She sniffed at the shivering wet -thing and some warning impulse told her to protect it from chills. -Timidly at first, she began to mop it dry with her tongue. Then as her -confidence grew, she scrubbed in great rhythmic swipes. Lick! Lick! -Lick! More vigorously all the time. The moments stretched out, and -still the cleaning and currying went on. - -Dr. Finney sighed in relief. Now the miracle was complete--Misty had -accepted her foal. He stepped over the unneeded bag of instruments -and picked up a box of salt and a towel. Then, talking softly all the -while, he unlocked Misty's door and went inside. "Good girl, Misty. -Move over. There, now. You had an easy time." - -With a practiced hand he sprinkled salt on the filly's coat and the -licking began all over again. "That's right, Misty. You work on your -baby," he said, unfolding the towel, "and I'll rub _you_ down. Then -I'll make you a nice warm gruel. Why, you're not even sweating, but we -can't take any chances." - -Misty scarcely felt Dr. Finney's hands. She was nudging the foal with -her nose, urging it up again so that she could scrub the other side. - -The little creature _wanted_ to stand. Desperately it thrust its -forelegs forward. They skidded, then splayed into an inverted V, like -a schoolboy's compass. There! It was standing, swaying to and fro as if -caught in a wind. - -Smiling, Dr. Finney stopped his rubbing. He saw that all was well. -Reluctantly he left the stall. - -Minutes later he was on the telephone. Young David stood behind him, -listening in amazement and disgust. How could grown-ups be so calm, -as if they'd just come in from repairing a fence or pulling weeds? He -wanted to do hand-springs, cartwheels, stand on his head! But there was -his father's voice again, sounding plain and everyday. - -"Yes, Paul. She delivered at dawn." - -"A mare-colt, sound as a dollar." - -"Yes, I'm making Misty a warm mash. Just waiting for it to cool a bit." - -"No, Paul, she's just fine. Everything was normal." - -"No, don't bring the nanny goat. Misty's a fine mother." - -"Don't see why not. By mid-afternoon, anyway." - -Dr. Finney put the receiver in place, stretching and yawning. - -"Dad, what don't you 'see why not'?" David asked. - -"Why they can't take Misty and her foal home today." - -"Can I go out and see her now?" David pleaded. - -"No, son," Dr. Finney replied. Then he saw the flushed young face and -the tears brimming. "Of course you can go later. Just give them an hour -or so alone." - - - - - _Chapter 19_ - - GLORY HALLELUJAH! - - -Paul turned from the telephone and let out a war whoop loud enough to -break the sound barrier. He grabbed Maureen and they pulled Grandpa -between them and went dancing around the kitchen table, lifting their -knees high, bugling like wild horses. It was a free-for-all frolic. -Grandpa was suddenly himself again, spry-legged and bellowing. - -Grandma laughed in relief. She dropped her spoon in the pancake batter -and half ran to the organ. Recklessly she threw back the lid and, with -all stops open, made the notes thunder and throb as she sang in her -full-bodied voice: - - "Glory, glory, halle-_loooo_-jah, - Glory, glory, halle-_loooo_-jah, - Glory, glory, halle-_loooo_-jah, - His truth is marching on." - -Around and around the table marched the three Beebes. Skipper burst -into the house, joining the dance, howling to the music. At last -Grandpa had to sit down, and Paul and Maureen fell limp and exhausted -on the floor. - -Grandma turned from the organ, her eyes crinkled with joy. She clapped -her hands for attention, then chanted: - - "_Come_ day, _go_ day; - God send _Sun_-day. - -And where do we go today?" she asked. - -"To Pocomoke!" Maureen burst out. - -"But before that, where? And who do we thank today?" - -"Misty!" Paul shouted. But he grinned as he said it, knowing what -Grandma had in mind. - -Grandpa twisted uncomfortably. "Me and him," he said, scratching -Skipper behind an ear, "we got to clean out the truck and do a passel -o' things. We'll jes' do our churchin' while we work." - -"Clarence Beebe, you'll do no sech a thing! Today is a shining special -day and we won't argify. To church we go. _As a fambly!_" - -Promptly at nine forty-five the truck, now clean as water and soap -could make it, rattled out of the yard with Grandpa and Grandma sitting -dressed up and proud in the cab, and Maureen and Paul in back, feet -dangling over the tailgate. The sun was shining for the first time in a -week, and the sky was a luminous blue. - -"Seems almost like it's Easter," Maureen said. "Seems different from -other Sundays. Wonder why?" - -"'Cause we're wearing shadow rolls over our noses, just like race -horses." - -Unconsciously Maureen felt of her nose. - -"Can't you see, Maureen? We're not even looking at the houses with -their porches ripped off and mattresses and things drying in the sun. -We're seeing bigger." - -"Like what?" - -Paul looked up. "Like that flag flying over the Fire House, painting -stars and stripes on the sky. And the sea smiling and cheerful as if -it'd never been nasty-mean." - -Maureen nodded. "And even if the houses _are_ all bashed in, Paul, you -hardly notice them for the clumps of daffydils." - -It was true. The world seemed reborn. The blue-green water of the bay -was unruffled and washing softly against the drift. Gulls were gliding -on a seaward breeze with scarcely a wing-flutter. And here and there -in all the mud and muck, hosts of yellow daffodils were nodding like -spatters of sunshine. - -Up in front Grandpa and Grandma were feeling the same joy. "The storm -sure bloomed the place up," Grandpa said. - -Grandma sighed in deep contentment. "Takes a wrathful storm to make us -'preciate bonny weather, don't it?" - -As the Beebe family took their seats in the rapidly filling church, the -men of the Coast Guard filed into the front rows. - -"Paul!" Grandpa whispered loud enough for the whole congregation to -hear. "There's Lieutenant Lipham. He's the one rescued you the day you -snuck over to Assateague and your boat drifted away." - -The lieutenant turned around, smiling broadly. Paul's cheeks reddened. - -Maureen had secretly brought the birth announcements to church so that -she and Paul could fill in the hour and date, everything except the -name. But they never even opened the package. From almost the beginning -of the sermon, they leaned forward, listening with every fiber. - -"The earth is the Lord's," the deep voice of the preacher intoned. "He -hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods." - -And just by listening to the resounding voice, Paul and Maureen could -see God commanding Noah to build the ark, big and flat-bottomed, and -they could see the flood waters rising and the animals marching in, two -by two. - -"God is in the rescue business," the preacher's words rolled out, "and -every believer is a member of His rescue force. Today we pay special -tribute to the United States Coast Guard. In the sight of God, men who -do not know the harbor of His love are like men lost at sea, grasping -for something or someone to save them. The Church is God's rescue -force, just as the Coast Guard is the government's rescue force." - -The preacher half-closed his eyes. "On Thursday night," he said, "when -the last of the refugees staying here in our church had been taken to -their homes or to the mainland, I walked down the streets and saw the -havoc and the emptiness of our once lovely island. Yet no Chincoteaguer -had lost his life, and I paused to thank God. - -"Then I came back to the parsonage. All was dark and quiet. I was -alone. Darkness was all around. Then a flash across the sky! The only -light left shining came from the old lighthouse on Assateague Island. -It was spreading wide its beam of hope and guidance. So it is when the -lights of this old world are snuffed out, and the storms of life would -destroy us, the steady light of God's love still shines. As our great -Coast Guard keeps the light flashing from the lighthouse, so it is our -task to keep our lights burning here at home. - -"Let us sing." - -Paul and Maureen were almost sorry when the sermon ended. They rose -with the congregation, and sang as lustily as Grandma. Even Grandpa -made his lips move as if he knew the words: - - "Brightly beams our Father's mercy - From His lighthouse evermore, - But to us He gives the keeping - Of the lights along the shore." - -Just as the final "Amen" faded, the preacher was handed a message. -He read it to himself in apparent pleasure. Then he stilled the -congregation. - -"Friends," he said with a smile, "I have an important announcement." He -cleared his throat and glanced at Paul and Maureen before he began. "On -this day, in a stable in the city of Pocomoke, a foal was born--a tiny -mare colt." He paused. Then he added, "And her mother is Misty." - -There was a rustle as everyone turned to look at Paul and Maureen, then -smiles and murmurs of "Misty ... Misty" from every pew. - -Quickly the congregation moved out into the bright sunshine. Preacher -Britton was greeting the members, and Paul and Maureen, blushing in -embarrassment, were standing beside him. Everyone was shaking hands -with everyone else. Hands that all week had lifted and scrubbed and -prayed now clasped each other in joy. - -"It's the happiest news to reach Chincoteague in a week of terror!" - -"The very happiest." - -For once Grandpa didn't bolt for home as if his house were on fire. He -shook hands heartily with the preacher. "Reverend," he said, "ye jes' -put up one o' the greatest sermons I ever heerd!" - -"Come oftener," the preacher replied with a grin. - - - - - _Chapter 20_ - - HOME AT LAST - - -After returning home from church, all of the Beebes hurried into old -clothes and went to work in a kind of happy frenzy. Everything needed -doing at once. - -Paul crushed oats in Grandma's coffee grinder and mixed them with bran -and linseed, all ready for the hot water when Misty came home. He -filled the manger with good-smelling hay. He washed the salt block. - -"Wouldn't surprise me none if ye licked it clean with yer own tongue," -Grandpa laughed as he went by with Nanny's kid tugging at his pants leg. - -In the kitchen Maureen was sewing strips of tape on an old blanket. -Every now and then she ran to try it on Grandma to see if the ties were -in the right place. "If it fits you, Grandma, it'll fit Misty." - -Grandma made a wry face. "Reckon I should be complimented," she -snorted, "'stead of laying my ears back. Beats me!" she added as she -wrapped jelly sandwiches in waxed paper. "There's barely a speck o' -meal in the house for biscuits or bread, and scarce a dry thing to -cover folks with, but there's allus oats and bran a-plenty, and a royal -blanket for Miss Misty." - -"Missus Misty!" Maureen corrected. - -Grandma disappeared into her bedroom for a moment and came back with -a shy smile. "Here's my contribution," she said. "Likely I'll have no -more use for this soft baby blanket. With a couple of safety pins to -fasten it under her belly, it'll be just the right size for Misty's -young'un. That long ride home will be kind o' drafty for a newborn." - -By half-past noon Grandpa and Paul and Maureen were waving good-bye to -Grandma and were on their way to Pocomoke City. To their amazement, -the causeway to the mainland was jammed with a long procession of cars -coming from Maryland, Delaware, and even Washington, D.C. - -"Why in tarnation they coming to Chincoteague today?" Paul asked, -opening up the lunch box. - -"I'll tune ye if I catch ye sayin' 'tarnation' again," Grandpa scolded. -Then he cackled in laughter. "'Tain't fittin' except fer an old feller -like me." - -"But why _are_ they?" Maureen wanted to know. - -"Folks is funny," Grandpa mused. "Some jes' nacherly likes to waller -in woe like pigs in a pen. Sure as shootin' they're comin' to gawp at -the wreckage and to take pitchers o' the boats in the streets, and the -soggy beddin' and things dryin' in the sun. Curiosity folks, I calls -'em." - -A station wagon with a Maryland license flagged them down. Brakes -screeched for a mile as cars behind honked in a mad chorus. A young man -with a shock of red hair called out, "How do we get to the Beebe Ranch? -We want to see Misty's colt." - -Grandpa stopped the truck and guffawed. "News out already?" he asked in -amazement. - -"Yes, sir! Network had it on the radio, and my kids gave me no peace--" - -"Wal, what do ye know! Sorry, young feller, but you passed plumb by -her. She's over to Pocomoke City, to Doc Finney's house." Grandpa drove -on, chuckling. - -"See!" Maureen said. "Not everybody comes to look at trouble." - -"Ye're right, honey. Lucky thing yer Grandma stayed to home. She -would've flew into the air, hearin' me talk like that." - - * * * * * - -When they reached Dr. Finney's place, the doctor, who had been -watching from the house, came to meet them. With a welcoming smile he -unlocked the gate and motioned Grandpa to drive in and park alongside -the corral. Then without a word he led the way. In absolute silence -the three Beebes walked one after the other Indian file behind him. -They moved across the paddock as if it were hallowed ground. Still in -silence they eased up to the barn. And then, after almost a year of -waiting, the moment had come! - -Unconsciously Grandpa took off his hat and tucked it under his arm. -Paul and Maureen stood on tiptoe, peering in without breathing. They -were utterly still, not wanting the scene to change. There, at the far -end of the stall, stood Misty. She eyed them dispassionately as if -they belonged to another world and another time. Like a bird brooding -a chick she was hovering over a wise little, fuzzy little, scraggly -little foal. For a moment the tiny thing took fright and leaned -quivering against her mother, who made soft whuffing sounds. Then, -comforted, she nosed her way to Misty's teats and began nursing. - -"Wa-al, I never!" Grandpa sighed in deep contentment. "Them -sucky-smacky sounds is purtier 'n a hull flock o' meadow larks!" - -Maureen brushed away a tear. How could a creature be so young and -breakable-looking, and yet so spunky? "Why, I feel like I'm its -grandma!" she whispered shyly. "And hasn't it got the longest -eye-winkers and the curliest tail you most ever saw?" - -Paul whispered too. "Look at the strange marking on her forehead--it's -in the shape of a new sickle moon! I know!" he exulted. "That's 'cause -she was born in the time of the new moon." - -Grandpa stared. "She's the onliest colt I ever see with a markin' like -that." - -"Yes," Dr. Finney said. "There's nothing like her on the Eastern Shore." - -"Likely not in all the world," Paul said. - -After the colt had drunk her fill, Misty came to the door and nickered -happily, sniffing Paul and Maureen by turns. - -"She's inviting us in," Paul said. - -Slowly, quietly, not to startle the little one, the Beebes went into -the stall, and the gentlest of hands lifted her forelock that was -only beginning to be a forelock. "Here's a girl's got a head on her," -Grandpa approved. "There's enough Arabian into her to make that purty -head. And ain't she marked up nice? Not a reg'lar map on her shoulders -like her mommy, but she's got her four white stockings." - -"And her color is sorrel, like Wings," Maureen said. - -Dr. Finney looked at his watch, thinking of the calls still to be made. - -Grandpa followed his glance. "If'n ye'll excuse us," he said, "we got -to hyper along now. Any last-minute advice, Doc?" - -"For now," Dr. Finney said, "avoid bulky food for Misty. Nothing rich -or hard to digest." - -"How about ground oats and bran and linseed?" Paul asked hopefully. - -"Couldn't be better! And no need to remind you children that daily -mucking-out is a MUST." - -Grandpa nodded vigorously, an "I-told-you-so" twinkle in his eye. - -"Right now their stall is the cleanest in the whole wide world," -Maureen said proudly. - -With quiet confidence she and Paul tied Misty's blanket in place for -the trip back. Grandpa took the soft baby blanket and laid it on the -little one. Then he crouched down and lifted her up in his arms and -carried her out, with Paul leading Misty alongside. - -As she approached the truck, Misty planted her feet and balked. Plain -as day she bellered: "I'm _not_ getting into that thing without my -baby!" But when she found out that her foal was safely stowed in the -cab in front, she hurried up the ramp, poked her head through the -window, and nickered in relief. - -Dr. Finney started to wave good-bye, then had a last-minute request. -"Mind driving by David's window?" he asked. "I had to put him to bed -this morning with a case of old-fashioned measles. Poor lad hasn't seen -the colt. He's heartbroken." - -Paul felt a prick of shame. "I'm sorry, Dr. Finney, I didn't even miss -him." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a tiny wooden gull. "I -made it to sell to the tourist folk," he explained, "but I want to -give it to David instead. And some day," he added, warming to his own -generosity, "I might make a carving of Misty and her foal. Just for -him." - -Grandpa drove home very carefully, avoiding ruts and bumps. He didn't -want to jar the little filly, who lay asleep across Paul's and -Maureen's laps, her soft woolen blanket rising and falling with her -breathing. - -Going over the causeway, they slowed to a crawl. One driver spotted -Misty and put on the brakes so suddenly that his two children almost -flew through the windshield. "There she is!" he shouted. "Hey, Mister, -wait!" - -Grandpa came to a stop, grinning. He felt good toward the whole world. -"Want a picture?" he asked. - -"Do we!" And now other cars were stopping and out popped dozens of -children and dozens of cameras. Traffic stalled while shutters clicked -on all sides. - -After a few moments Misty began stomping and whinnying. There was a -curious urging in her mind, a tremendous pull for home. - -"Let's go," Paul said. "Misty's getting nervous." - -Grandpa stopped the picture-taking and drove on. And at long last -they were going down Beebe Road into Pony Ranch. Once the tailgate -was lowered Misty slow-footed down the ramp like a queen returning to -her kingdom. Skipper, the official greeter, welcomed her in ten-foot -bounds, jumping, rolling, yelping in pure joy. And out on the marsh, -Wings added his voice in a great cry of triumph. - -Grandma rushed out of the house, calling, "Where's Misty's baby? Where?" - -For answer Paul and Grandpa lifted her out of the truck and carefully -set her down beside her mother. She tried a little caper, lost her -balance and fell in a heap. Bravely she scrabbled up again, then -staggered to her mother and began drinking thirstily. Satisfied, she -blew bubbles, sending little beads of milk running down her whiskers. - -Misty whickered in contentment. "Home at last," she seemed to say. And -she gave the little rump at her side a nip, ever so gentle and motherly. - - - - - _Chapter 21_ - - A GRAVE DECISION - - -That night, when Pony Ranch had simmered down into a semblance of -peace, Maureen brought out the birth announcements and piled them -on the kitchen table. She and Paul were alone. Grandpa had gone to -an emergency meeting of the Pony Penning Committee, and Grandma was -attending the evening church service. - -"You put the date on," Paul said to Maureen. "You write better than me. -Besides, I got some important thinking to do." - -"Oh?" - -Paul flicked open his pocketknife and began working on a block of wood. -Out of the corner of his eye he saw Maureen dip her pen in the ink -bottle and wait with it poised in the air. - -"I declare, Paul Beebe, you can be downright mean! What _are_ you -thinking?" - -"And you can be such a _girl_!" Paul said in disdain. "Always poking -and prying." - -"All right, I won't ask. 'Cause I already know. So there!" - -"What do you know?" - -"You're trying to think of the right name for Misty's baby." - -"Okay then. I reckon you got what Grandpa calls 'woman's tuition.' Now -you know what's occupying my mind, whyn't you keep quiet and do your -work?" - -_Sunday, March 11, 6 a.m._ Maureen wrote again and again until her -fingers were tired. - -At last Paul was ready to talk. "There's three ways to do it. One is by -her markings...." - -"Like _New Moon_ or _White Stockings_, Paul?" - -"Uh-huh. And the second way is by using her family's names--like _Misty -Wings_ or _Pied Phantom_." - -"And what's the third way, Paul?" - -Just then Grandpa's truck roared into the yard, brakes screeching. -Grandpa himself banged into the house like a Fourth of July -firecracker. He threw his hat on the peg, then with both hands began -rubbing the bristles in his ears. - -"I say there's _got_ to be a Pony Pennin' this year like allus," he -stormed. "Why, it's the oldest roundup in America! We jes' can't let -folks down 'cause of a little flood. Why, come July and roundup time, -folks are goin' to pack their night things and set out for Chincoteague -hopin' to give their kids a real hollerday. And they're goin' to drive -fer miles an' miles, and when they get here--NO hollerday! No Pony -Penning!" He snorted in disgust. "I won't hear to it! I jes'--" - -"Grandpa!" Paul interrupted. "Who says there won't be a Pony Penning?" - -"Why, the Mayor's committee and the firemen, they say ain't enough wild -ponies left over to Assateague to make it excitin', and no money in the -treasury to buy new ones. - -"What's more," he bellowed, "they're right! But I ain't told 'em so! -'Cause without ponies this-here island is dead. Do ye think folks comes -here to see oysters and clams and biddies?" - -"No, Grandpa." - -"Ye're dead right they don't! They come to see wild ponies swimmin' -across the channel, and feudin' and fratchin' in the pens. Pony Penning -Day! That's what they come fer. Can't see it nowhere else in the world." - -Paul and Maureen were aghast. July without Pony Penning was -unthinkable. "All year I been answering letters about Misty," Maureen -said. "And in every one I invited people to come to Pony Penning, -people from all over the United States. Even one to Alaska." - -Paul broke in. "And this year folks'll come special on purpose to see -Misty's baby." - -Grandpa began pacing, thinking out loud. "If only we had the ponies! -If only the Town Council could buy back some of the colts that was -auctioned off last year and the year afore that." - -He quickened his pace. "Why, we could load 'em onto a big old barge, -and chug 'em acrost the channel to Assateague, and they'd go wild again -jes' like they'd never left." Now he spoke out with great conviction. -"Why, then we could put up one o' the greatest Pony Pennings in -Chincoteague history." - -Grandpa ran out of breath. He gulped for more. "But all that'd take a -heap o' money," he sighed. - -"Maybe," Maureen said excitedly, "maybe Paul and me could earn a lot of -money like we did to buy Misty's mother. We could rake clams or help -people clean up their houses." - -Paul looked pityingly at his sister. "When you going to grow up, -Maureen? Why, it took us three whole months to earn enough to buy just -one mare and her colt. Besides, folks here lost most everything in the -flood. They can't afford to hire us." - -"Paul's right, honey." - -"But, Grandpa," Paul asked, "even if we had the money, would people -sell back their ponies?" - -"Likely some'd be right anxious to help," Grandpa replied, "and some'd -sell fer other reasons. A lucky thing me and the Fire Company got a -record o' each sale, and if only half them people say yes, that'd give -us the start we need." - -Grandpa suddenly remembered that his feet hurt. He collapsed into the -nearest chair and began unlacing his Sunday shoes. "Can't abide 'em!" -he grumbled. "I jes' stormed outen that meetin' afore it was done--half -'cause my hackles was up, but half 'cause my shoes squinched me." - -The phone rang insistently. "You answer, Paul. There's another thing I -can't abide. Phone-talkin'. A contraption o' the devil." - -"It's for you, Grandpa. It's the Mayor and he sounds real important." - -Grandpa thudded to the phone. "Hall-oo-oa!" he bellowed. - -"Grandpa doesn't need a phone," Paul snickered. "He could just open a -window." - -"Sh!" Maureen put up a finger, listening. - -"_Who_ called you?" Grandpa questioned. - -There was a pause. - -"What in tunket _he_ want?" - -Another pause. - -"He did!" - -Paul and Maureen looked inquiringly at each other. - -"Wa-al, Great Jumpin' Jehoshephat! Now ain't that nice?... What's that -ye say?" - -A long pause. - -Still holding the receiver, Grandpa turned and looked penetratingly at -Paul and Maureen. His voice sobered. "Sure I like the ideer, Mayor, but -'tain't fer me to say. I'll have to put it to Paul and Maureen and get -their yes or no. The colt, nor Misty neither--they ain't mine, y'know." - -Grandpa hung up the receiver and walked back to the table, collecting -his thoughts. Paul and Maureen stared at him, unable to ask the -question except with their eyes. - -Grandpa hummed and hawed. "Now I ain't a-goin' to influence ye," he -said. "It's _yer_ druthers, an' no one else's." - -"But what is it?" - -"Y'see, uh, it's this way. One o' the big chiefs from the movie company -that made Misty's picture--he jes' telephoned the Mayor long distance. -From his home, mind ye." - -"What did he want?" Maureen asked. "Does he want to make a picture of -Misty's baby?" - -"Stop interruptin'," Paul scolded. "Let Grandpa finish." - -"Wa-al," Grandpa went on, "seems he'd been readin' 'bout the storm and -how so many ponies had drowned. And he wants to do somethin' to help. -Why, he's willin' to let theaters borry the picture of Misty free; that -is, _if_ the money tooken in goes to build up the lost herds." - -Paul did a flying leap over his chair. "That's great, Grandpa. You -don't have to get our okay on that." - -"But I ain't told ye the kernel yet," Grandpa explained. "Y'see, the -Mayor and the Council wants to start a disaster fund, and call it the -Misty Disaster Fund." Grandpa stroked his chin and a far look crept -into his eyes. "They want to cast Misty in the biggest role o' her -life; even bigger'n bein' a star in a movie." - -The children listened, speechless. - -"Even bigger," Grandpa added, "than birthin' a colt." - -"What could be bigger?" Maureen asked. - -"They want Misty and her young'un to make a personal tour wherever her -picture is playing, and go right spang up onto the stage. And part o' -the ticket money'll be used to tidy up the island, but most of it to -buy back the ponies. Mind ye, it'll all have to start right away. Mebbe -in two weeks--that is, if there's to be a roundup this year." - -Paul turned to his sister. "What do you say, Maureen?" - -Maureen's face clouded and she thought carefully before replying. "If -Misty's baby wasn't so new and tiny, I'd say yes." - -Paul picked up the block of wood and his knife, and made a few fierce -jabs. "Exactly the way I feel." He looked at Maureen. "'Course, it'd -be fun to be excused from school and all." - -"Mostly it'd be on Saturdays," Grandpa said drily. - -"But suppose," Paul was serious now, "suppose they caught the shippin' -fever, or bad coughs from travelin' and going in and out of hot -theaters. Or even broke a leg." - -All three of them lapsed into silence. No one knew what to say. Maureen -screwed the cap onto the ink bottle as if she would never have need of -it again. Paul threw his piece of wood into the stove and closed his -knife. The silence was a growing power. Grandpa sat down and crossed -his arms, using his paunch as a ledge. He looked up at the ceiling and -across at the clock. He picked up one of the birth announcements and -studied it. The corners of his mouth twisted into a smile of sympathy -and understanding. "It'd be chancy," he admitted. "Mighty chancy." - -"But suppose," Paul spoke slowly, earnestly, "suppose we let Misty and -the colt go to just one theater, and if they come home feeling frisky, -they could go again. But if they got sick or were off their feed for -just one day, they'd _never_ have to go again." - -Grandpa's eyes shone like twin meteors. "Sometimes I think you two is -the livin' image o' me! I'm so proud of ye I could strut like one o' -our peacocks in full sail. I'll take it up with the Council first thing -in the--" - -_Bong! Bong!_ ... The clock struck the hour of ten, and with the last -_bong_ the telephone rang shrilly. Grandpa clapped a hand to his -forehead, then grabbed for his shoes. "Great balls o' fire! I plumb -forgot to pick up yer Grandma from the meetin' house. You answer, -Maureen. I'm gone!" - - - - - _Chapter 22_ - - THE NAMING BEE - - -Over the weekend the schoolhouse had been dried out, and on Monday it -re-opened with only the high-tide mark showing. Paul and Maureen were -present and on time. But it was a hard thing to remember the provinces -of Canada, or to stand up and recite: "Washington, Adams, Jefferson, -Madison, Monroe ..." when Misty's filly had to be named. The Town -Council was insistent. They had to have a name at once. And the more -Paul and Maureen were pressed to make a decision, the harder it was to -decide. - -For the next few days, in school and out, they thought up names and -just as quickly discarded them. None seemed right. Either they were -too long, or when you called them out across the marsh they sounded -puny. It wasn't like naming just any colt. - -For three days they struggled. Then on Wednesday almost at dusk Mr. -Conant, the postmaster himself, arrived at Pony Ranch with a whole bag -of mail for the Beebes. When Grandma spied him striding across the -yard, she quickly set an extra place at the table and sent Maureen to -the door. - -"Evenin', Mr. Conant," Maureen said politely, but her eyes were on the -mailbag. - -"How do you do, Maureen and Mrs. Beebe?" - -"How-do, Mr. Conant. I declare," Grandma chuckled, "you look jes' like -Santa Claus with that leather pouch ye're carryin'. Let me hang it on -a peg whilst you set down. Mr. Beebe and Paul will be in right soon. -Now then," she beamed, "do stay to supper. We got us a fine turtle -stew with black-eyed peas, and light bread, and some of my beach-plum -preserves." - -"I'd be very honored to stay!" Mr. Conant replied. "My wife has taken -her mother to Salisbury for over night, and while she has no doubt -prepared some tasty treat for me, what is food without good talk to -digest it?" - -Grandma looked pleased. "That's what I allus tell Clarence, only I -don't say it so elegant." - -Maureen was still eyeing the mailbag, her curiosity at the bursting -point. - -"Oh, I almost forgot," Mr. Conant smiled broadly. He reached into his -inside pocket and drew out an envelope bearing a bright red Special -Delivery sticker. "It's for you and Paul," he said, handing it to -Maureen. "Since it's marked _Special_, I decided to bring all of your -mail along, instead of letting it wait until tomorrow." Pointing to -the mailbag, he added, "It's the biggest batch of mail ever to come to -Chincoteague for one family in one day." - -There was a clatter and a stamping in the back hall as Grandpa and Paul -came in. "Why, if 'tain't Mr. Conant," Grandpa said, putting out his -hand. "I'm as pleased to see ye as a dog with two tails!" - -"Look, Paul!" Maureen cried. "A letter, Special Delivery! For us!" - -Paul took the news with outward calm, but his eyes strained to see the -postmark and his fingers itched to snatch the letter and run off, like -Skipper with a bone. - -"You children put that letter with the others and wash up now," Grandma -scolded gently as she stirred the stew. "Turtles is hard to come by, -and I ain't minded to let our vittles get ruint. Besides," she said, -"if it's good news, it'll keep, and if it's bad, time enough to read it -after we've et. Everyone, please to sit. You here, Mr. Postmaster." - -In spite of company, supper that night was, as Grandpa put it, "a lick -and a gallop." Everyone was in a fever of excitement to start opening -the letters. But first the table had to be cleared, and the crumbs -swept clean. Then Grandma spread out a fresh checkered cloth to protect -the top. "We allus use the kitchen table for everything," she explained -to Mr. Conant, "fer readin' and writin', fer splintin' broken bird -legs--whatever 'tis needs doin'." She nodded now in the direction of -the mail pouch. - -The postmaster took down the bag and dumped the letters onto the table. -With the hand of an expert he stacked them in neat piles, placing the -Special Delivery on top. - -"It's like Christmas!" Maureen gasped. - -"It's _bigger_ than Christmas," Paul said. - -"Who they for?" Grandpa wanted to know. - -"Some are for you, Mr. Beebe, and some for Paul and Maureen." - -Wait-a-Minute jumped on the table and began upsetting the piles. Paul -swept her off with his arm. "You tend to your kittens," he said not -unkindly. "We got important business!" He took out his pocketknife. -"I'll do the slitting," he announced. - -"I'll do the pullin' out and unfoldin'," Grandpa offered. - -"You read them to us, Grandma," Maureen said. "You make everything -sound like a storybook." - -Grandma blushed. "Mr. Conant's got the edification. I'd be right shy -readin' in front of him." - -"Not at all, not at all, Mrs. Beebe. I agree with Maureen. Many a -Sunday I've gone by your class and heard you reading from the Bible. I -feel complimented you let me stay and be part of the family." - -For a moment the slitting of the envelopes and the crackle of paper -were the only sounds in the room. Then Grandma picked up the Special -Delivery letter, took a deep breath, and in her best Sunday voice began: - - "_Dear Paul and Maureen,_ - - "_I am sorry the storm came. But I am glad Misty had a baby. Was I - surprised!_ - - "_I hope some day I can visit your island or maybe even live there. - I hope to go to Pony Penning Day and maybe buy a pony._ - - "_I hope you don't mind if I send you a name for Misty's baby. I - think 'Windy' would be nice._" - -"By ginger!" Grandpa exclaimed. "That's uncommon purty. Let's have -another, Idy." - -Mr. Conant took pencil and paper out of his pocket and wrote down -_Windy_ with a checkmark after it. - -"This one is to Misty herself," Grandma went on. "Why, it's a regular -baby card, and it says, _Congratulations to you and the new little -bundle of joy_." - -"Turn it over, Grandma, there's a note on the back," Maureen said. - -"So there is! Listen: - - "_Dear little Misty,_ - - "_I've heard so much about you I feel like I know you. I love - horses and I was worried about you during the storm. You have a - wonderful master and mistress to bring you into the kitchen._ - - "_You should name your filly 'Misty's Little Storm Cloud.'_ - -Isn't that beautiful, folks?" - -Grandpa looked inquiringly at the children. "To my notion," he -hesitated, "it'd be too long a handle fer such a little mite--even if -we was to boil it down some." - -Maureen was impatient. "More, Grandma. More!" - -"Here's one from a fifth-grader up to Glassboro, New Jersey: - - "_I am a boy ten and a half years old. This is not a very long - letter, but I like the name 'Windy' for Misty's colt._" - -Mr. Conant made a second checkmark after _Windy_. "Two for _Windy_," he -announced. - -"Doggone, if this ain't jes' like an election," Grandpa said. "Vote -countin' and all." - -Grandma broke out in smiles. "This one's mostly questions: - - "_Dear Paul and Maureen,_ - - "_How are you? I am fine. I read in the paper that Misty is safe._ - - "_How do you pronounce your island's name?_ - - "_If I should come to your island, would you show me how to eat - oysters?_ - - "_How are your Grandpa and Grandma? I think you are one of the - greatest families in the U.S.A._ - - "_P.S. Do you think you'll have a Pony Penning this year?_" - -"See?" Maureen said. "Folks are asking already, but I just won't answer -this one until later. Go on, Grandma." - -"Here's one from a lady teacher: - - "_We read in the paper that Misty had a filly and also that 145 - ponies died. My heart just sinks._ - - "_One of my pupils said that colts have such twinkly legs he - thought 'Sand Piper' would be a good name for Misty's baby._" - -"Hmmm," Paul said approvingly. "See what I mean, Maureen? _Sand Piper_ -would honor her granddaddy, the Pied Piper." - -Mr. Conant wrote down the name with one checkmark and a star beside it. - -"If she was a horse-colt instead of a mare-colt," Maureen said, "I'd -like it fine. But we got to think about when she's grown up." - -Mr. Conant erased the star. - -Grandma pursed her lips as she read the next letter to herself. - -"Land sakes, Idy, I'll be a bushy-whiskered old man by the time ye make -that one out." - -"Oh, it's easy to make out," she replied. "The writing's beautiful. -It's to you, Clarence." She held it up for all to see. Then she cleared -her throat: - - "_Dear Sir:_ - - "_I cut a picture from the state paper yesterday of Misty's filly, - born Sunday, March 11th. The caption said she was foaled at an - animal hospital, but I am hoping that someone in your town can give - me more information about her. Is she healthy? And is she for - sale?_" - -There was a stunned silence. Grandpa's face went red and the cords of -his neck bulged. - -Mr. Conant looked at him in alarm. "Mr. Beebe," he said, "I know the -answer to that one. If you'll allow me, I'd like to do the replying." - -Grandpa didn't trust himself to speak. He managed a nod of thanks. - -"Grandma, try another!" Maureen urged. - -"Here's a real short one," Grandma said cheerily, "and it says: - - "_If I owned Misty, I would name her colt 'Stormy.'_" - -Paul's eyes met Maureen's and held. Then he leaped up from his chair, -stood on his head, and cried, "Yahoo!" In an instant he was right side -up again. He shouted the name, "STORMY!" Then he whispered it very -softly, "_Stormy_." - -Maureen clapped her hands. "Why, it sounds good both ways!" - -Promptly Mr. Conant wrote it down. "I'll give this one two stars," he -said. - -And still there were more letters and more names--_Gale Winds_ and _Rip -Tide_ and _Sea Wings_ and _Ocean Mist_ and _Misty's Shadow_ and _Mini -Mist_ and _Foggy_ and _Cloudy_--until at last they were down to one -letter. - -Grandpa loosened his suspenders, yawning and stretching. "Out with that -last one, Idy. Sandman's workin' on me, both barrels." - -Grandma's face lighted with pleasure. "Why, it's signed by a whole -bunch of school children over to Reistertown, Maryland." She adjusted -her spectacles and began: - - "_Our class read the book about Misty. Now we are reading about the - awful storm that flooded your island. We are glad Misty was not - drowned. As soon as we heard the news about her colt, we decided to - write you. We think you should name her 'Stormy' because she was - born in a storm. Would you like that? We would. We had a secret - ballot, and 'Stormy' won first place with twenty votes._" - -Paul drew in his breath. "That does it!" he said. "Remember, Maureen? -Sometimes they name 'em for markings, sometimes for ancestors, and the -third way is for natural phenom ... happenings of Nature." - -"Like the storm?" - -"Exactly." Paul got up from the table and spoke now in great -seriousness. "Mr. Conant, how many votes do we have for _Stormy_?" - -"Twenty-two, Paul." - -"All those in favor of _Stormy_ please say Aye." - -The Ayes were loud and clear. - -Maureen heaved a great sigh. "Oh, Paul, now we can fill in the -announcements." - - - - - _Chapter 23_ - - DRESS REHEARSAL - - -It was unanimous! The Town Council, the Firemen, the Ladies' Auxiliary, -Preacher Britton, and of course the Postmaster--everyone approved the -name _Stormy_. Stormy, they said, was the one good thing to come out of -the storm. - -News of the Misty Disaster Fund swept the Eastern Shore. Theater owners -all up and down the coast wanted to present the famous ponies on their -mission of mercy. - -Now that Paul and Maureen had agreed to a tryout, they entered into the -project with enthusiasm. "It's got to be good!" Paul kept repeating. -"If children are going to spend their allowance money, they're entitled -to a real show." - -"Why, Paul, the movie of Misty is a beautiful show," Maureen said in a -hurt tone. - -"Sure it is. But lots of folks have seen it. What they want now is to -see Misty herself and little Stormy. Even the Mayor says so." - -The performance in the big city of Richmond was scheduled for a week -from Saturday. That left only ten days to do a million things, big and -little. - -They scrubbed Misty's stepstool and gave it a fresh coat of paint, -bright blue. And the moment it was dry, and a dozen times each day, -they made her step up on it and shake hands vigorously, just for -practice. Often while she shook hands, Stormy nursed her. - -"Makes Misty seem ambi-dextrous," Paul said. - -Grandpa chortled. "Reckon you could call it that. I swan, the way -that gal shakes hands on the slightest excuse it looks like she's -campaignin'." - -"She is!" Maureen said. "She's campaigning for the Misty Disaster Fund." - -"Maureen, you go get my nippers," Grandpa ordered. "I better trim them -hoofs. She's shakin' hands so high she's liable to plant her hoofograph -on some little younker's head." - -As for Stormy, working on her was pure joy. Every night after school -Paul and Maureen curried and combed her, not to make her less fuzzy, -but to get her used to something besides Misty's tongue. And gradually -they halter-broke her. Of course, there wasn't a halter anywhere on -the island--or even in Horntown or Pocomoke--tiny enough to fit. Paul -had to make one out of wickie rope, just as he had done for Misty when -she was a baby. And after a little urging Grandma gave up her favorite -piece of chest flannel to wrap around the noseband of the halter. - -"Just feel of it now, Grandma," Paul exclaimed. "It's as soft as the -lamb's wool they use for racehorse colts." - -"Don't need to feel it. I know," Grandma said drily. - -Stormy accepted the halter with only a little head tossing. -Occasionally as she was being led about, she turned to gaze at Skipper -and the kid as much as to say: "Hey, you! Why can you two run free?" - -For answer they blatted and barked and dared her to join in the fun. -But Misty wouldn't let her. When they came too close, she leaped at -them, lashing out with her forefeet, head low, teeth bared. They -quickly got the message, scattered in panic, and stayed away for hours. - - * * * * * - -As Saturday approached, everything was ready except the old truck. How -ugly and drab it seemed for a movie star and her filly! It needed paint -and polish and a new floor and a new top. But there was no money and no -time to do anything about it. - -Then late on Friday, just before darkness closed in, Mr. Hancock -arrived looking pleased as a boy. He took a long bundle from his car -and with a proud flourish unrolled two enormous pieces of canvas. -On each he had painted a life-size picture of Misty and Stormy. "To -cover the sides of your truck," he said proudly. "I want the folks in -Richmond to know that us Chincoteaguers do things up right." - -Now even the truck was resplendent and gay! - -By six o'clock the next morning, chores were done and Grandpa and the -children were loading up the truck. Grandma and Skipper, Nanny and -the kid were clustered about, watching, as Misty walked up the ramp -in eager anticipation. She could smell the sweet hay aboard and the -juicy slices of a Delicious apple tucked here and there. Little Stormy -skittered along after her, with Paul and Maureen on either side, arms -spread-eagled to keep her from falling off. - -"I feel so left-behind," Grandma said, folding and unfolding her hands -in her apron. "Like a ... well, like a colt that's bein' weaned." - -Grandpa was about to break into laughter, but when he saw Grandma's -woebegone face, he came over to her, his voice full of tenderness. -"Tide o' life's flowin' normal again, eh, Idy? The goin' out and the -comin' in." - -"Sure, Grandma," Maureen said, "and we'll be home afore dark." - -"And hungry as bears," added Paul. - -Grandma blinked hard. "I reckon the storm's brought us so close I hate -to lose sight o' ye, even for a day." Big tears began running down her -face. - -"Idy!" Grandpa bellowed. "You come with us. Call up them Auxiliary -ladies and tell 'em you can't sew on the children's band uniforms -today. What if the old ones did float out to sea? Tell the kids to play -in their birthday suits! Tell 'em anything. Tell 'em we can't load and -unload the ponies without your help." - -Suddenly the tension was gone. Grandma wiped her tears with a corner of -her apron and began laughing at the thought of her lifting the ponies. -"Now be off with you. I can't stand out here all day. I got a pile of -work to do." - -But as the truck swung out of the drive, she didn't go into the house. -Her eyes followed it to the road, as she continued wrapping and -unwrapping her arms in her apron. Then suddenly she took off the apron -and waved good-bye. - -Paul turned and waved back. He could see Grandma growing smaller and -farther away, standing in front of the sign that said "Misty's Meadow." -And even while he was feeling sorry for her, having to do up the -dishes and go to the Ladies' Auxiliary and all, his mind raced ahead -to Richmond. In sudden panic he wondered, Would there be anyone at -the theater at all? Maybe the day was too nice, and children would be -shooting marbles and flying kites and playing baseball, and they had -seen the movie anyway. - - - - - _Chapter 24_ - - STORMY'S DEBUT - - -In Richmond, a hundred and twenty miles away, children of all ages -were waking up, springing out of bed, aware that this morning held a -delicious sense of adventure and wonder. They dressed more quickly than -usual and fretted at grown-ups who dilly-dallied over breakfast. They -wanted to be sure of getting to the theater on time. - -A few of the children could boast of having seen real actors making -personal appearances, and some had even seen animal actors like Trigger -and Lassie. But no one ever had seen the live heroes of a story that -had really and truly happened. It was almost too exciting to think -about. - -The employees of the Byrd Theater, too, felt an enthusiasm they -could not define. By nine o'clock the manager arrived, just out of -the barber chair. He was followed closely by the projectionist, who -disappeared into his cubicle under the ceiling. Then came the cashier, -the popcorn-maker, and the ticket-taker, followed by the musicians with -their cellos and piccolos and kettledrums. - -And last of all, the ushers and the doorman in bright blue uniforms -with gold braid and buttons. - -By ten minutes after nine all was in readiness: the lights blazing, the -film threaded properly, the orchestra tuning up, popcorn popping and -filling the lobby with its tantalizing smell; and, most important, a -special ramp was snubbed up tight against the stage. To test it, the -manager stomped up the ramp and stomped back down again as if he were a -whole cavalcade of horses. "Solid as the Brooklyn Bridge!" he said in -satisfaction. - -By nine-fifteen the ushers took their posts, the doorman opened the -plate-glass doors, and down in the pit the orchestra began playing -"Pony Boy, Pony Boy, won't you be my Pony Boy?" At the same time the -pretty cashier climbed to her perch in her glass cage. - -By nine-sixteen she was looking out the porthole saying, "How many, -please?" "Thank you." "How many, please?" "Thank you." Her fingers flew -to make change and tear off the right number of tickets. - -No one, not even the manager, was prepared for the swarms of people -coming all at once--Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and -Brownies, Campfire Girls and Bluebirds, classes from schools, from -churches, from orphanages, families of eight and ten, with neighbor -children in tow. It was a human river, so noisy with shuffling and -shouting that even the drums in the orchestra could scarcely be heard. - -By nine-forty every seat on the first floor was taken. By nine-fifty -the balcony was filling up, and by one minute to ten there was not -a seat left anywhere, not even in the second balcony. From floor to -ceiling the theater was packed. - -At the stroke of ten the asbestos curtain went up, the ponderous -red velvet curtains parted, and the house lights dimmed, except for -the tiny red bulbs at the exits. With a crash of cymbals the music -stopped. A hush spread over the theater and rose like heat waves from a -midsummer hayfield. - -Then in all that breathless quiet the picture flashed on the screen, -and suddenly Time ceased to exist. A thousand people were no longer -in a darkened theater. They were transported to a wind-rumpled island -with sea birds crying and wild ponies spinning along the beach. By pure -magic they were playing every role. They were roundup men spooking -out the wild ponies from bush and briar, and suddenly coming upon -the Phantom with her newborn foal, Misty. And then they _were_ that -foal, struggling to swim across the channel, struggling to keep from -being sucked down into a whirlpool. And in a flash they were a daring -tow-headed boy, jumping into the sea, grabbing Misty's forelock, -pulling her to safety. - -Even the ushers in the aisle were caught up in the spell--cheering when -the Phantom raced Black Comet and won; laughing when Misty came flying -out of Grandma's kitchen; gulping their tears when Paul bade farewell -to the beautiful wild mare who was Misty's mother. - -An unmistakable sniffling filled the theater as THE END flashed upon -the screen. Grownups and children smiled at each other through their -tears as if they had come through a heartwarming experience together. - -Then a handful of boys in the balcony began shouting: "_We want Misty. -We want Stormy!_" And the whole audience took up the chant. - -From the wings the manager walked briskly onto the stage. His face was -one wide happy smile. He raised his hand for silence. "Boys and girls!" -he spoke into the microphone. "Thank you for coming to this gala -performance. All of the proceeds today--every penny you paid--will be -used to restore the island of Chincoteague and to rebuild the herds of -wild ponies on Assateague." - -The applause broke before he had finished. He opened his lips to say -more, but the same handful of boys shouted, "_We want Misty. We want -Stormy._" And again the whole audience joined in. "_We want Misty. We -want Stormy!_" - -When the chant showed no signs of diminishing, the manager shrugged -helplessly, then signaled to the stagehand. As if he had waved a -wand, the lights went out, one by one, until the theater was in total -blackness. An utter quiet fell as a slender beam of light played up and -down the left aisle. It steadied at a point underneath the balcony. - -And there, from out of the darkness into the shaft of light stepped two -ponies. They were led by a spry-legged old man and flanked by a boy -and a girl, but no one saw them for they were lost in shadow. Every -eye was riveted on the two creatures tittupping down the aisle--one so -sure-footed and motherly, one so little and wobbly. - -From a thousand throats came the whispered cry, "There they are!" And -the murmuring grew in power like water from a dike giving way. The -children in the balconies almost fell over the railing in their urgency -to see. And down below, those on the aisle reached out with their arms, -and those not on the aisle crowded on top like a football pile-up, and -the fingers of all those hands stretched out to feel the furry bodies. - -The theater manager cried out in alarm: "Don't touch the ponies--you -might be kicked!" But it was like crying to the sun to stop shining or -the wind to stop blowing. - -With his body Paul tried to protect Stormy and Misty. But they didn't -want protection. They were enjoying every minute of their march down -the aisle. - - * * * * * - -And now the little procession has reached the ramp to the stage. Misty -walks up calmly, in almost human dignity, and with only a little -pushing from behind, Stormy joins her. The stage is ablaze with light -so that the audience is nothing but a black blur, far away and quiet -now. Misty looks around her at the big bright emptiness. It is bigger -than her stall at home, bigger even than Dr. Finney's stable. Her eyes -give only a passing glance to the artificial palm trees. Then they -pounce on the one thing she recognizes. Her stepstool! In seeming -delight she goes over and steps up with her forefeet, nickering to -Stormy: "Come to me, little one." - -Stormy shows a moment of panic. Her nostrils flutter in a petulant -whinny. Then, light as thistledown, she skitters across the stage. And -with all those faces watching, she nuzzles up to her mother and begins -nursing, her little broomtail flapping in greedy excitement. - -So deep a silence hangs over the theater that the sounds of her -suckling go out over the loud speakers and carry up to the second -balcony. In quiet ecstasy each child is hugging Stormy to himself in -wonder and love. - -Done with her nursing the filly turns her head, wiping her baby -whiskers on Paul's pants leg. The audience bursts into joyous laughter. - -The spell is broken. Misty jostles her foal and nips along her neck -just in fun; then she licks her vehemently as if to make up for that -long separation during the ride from Chincoteague. - - * * * * * - -All this while none of the human creatures on the stage had spoken a -word. But suddenly Grandpa was over his stage fright. "If Misty ain't -careful," he bellowed to the last row in the balcony, "she'll erase -them purty patches off'n Stormy." - -The children shrieked. When at last they had quieted down, Grandpa -thanked them in behalf of all the people of Chincoteague, and the -ponies that were left, and the new ones which their money was going to -buy. - -"And Stormy thanks you, too." Grandpa set her up on the stepstool -alongside her mother, and they posed with their heads close together -even when a flash bulb popped right in their faces. - -Then Grandpa selected one boy from the audience and one girl and -invited them up on the stage so that Misty could shake their hands and -so thank everyone. Eagerly the two children ran up the ramp, but once -on the stage they suddenly froze, their arms rigid at their sides. It -was Misty who without any prompting offered her forefoot first. Then -timid hands reached out, one at a time, to return the gesture. But -again it was Misty who did the pumping and enjoyed the whole procedure. - -Grandpa threw back his head and howled. Still chuckling he explained, -"In my boy-days I was an organ-pumper on Sundays. If only I'd of had a -smart pony like Misty, she could've done it fer me!" - -Then a man went up the aisles with a microphone, and children asked -their questions right into it. - -"Was Misty really in your kitchen during the storm?" - -"Was it funny to see a pony looking out your kitchen window, instead of -Grandma?" - -"Why are colts mostly legs?" - -"How many days old is Stormy?" - -"How many ponies will the firemen buy with our money?" - -"Will they go wild again on Assateague?" - -"Did Grandma get mad at Misty messing in the house?" - -"Did Wings live through the storm?" - -Grandpa patiently answered each question, with a nod and smile of -agreement from Paul and Maureen. With dozens of eager hands still -waving for attention, time ran out. The musicians started playing -"America, the Beautiful," while Misty and Stormy went down the ramp and -up the other aisle this time so that more hands could reach out and -touch. - -The sun seemed brighter than ever when the little procession reached -the door of the theater. Paul and Maureen drew a deep breath. It had -been a rousing, heart-lifting performance, and they knew they had never -been so happy. - - - - - _Chapter 25_ - - THE LAST SCENE - - -It was afternoon before Misty and Stormy were loaded into the truck for -the long drive home. All the way Grandpa and the children sat in quiet -contentment, too full for words. They rode in silence, each one tasting -his own memories of the performance, each one filled to the brim with a -deep, almost spiritual happiness. - -The pine trees were throwing long shadows and the sun was slipping -into Chincoteague Bay when they arrived back at Pony Ranch. Grandma -came hurrying out to meet them, her eyes asking a dozen questions. She -waited expectantly for the news, but all she got was a "Hi, Grandma. It -was great!" - -Grandma buttoned her sweater against the evening breeze and sat down to -watch the unloading. "No use pressin' now; else I'll only get half the -story," she told herself. "Allus the ponies come first. I'll bide my -time." Nanny shouldered up to her, butting very gently. Unconsciously -Grandma tucked her skirt out of Nanny's reach. Then she settled herself -to watch and wait. - -Grandpa and the children were like actors working in pantomime. Each -one knew exactly what to do. Paul lowered the tailgate of the truck -and led Misty down to the fence. Grandpa picked up Stormy, carried her -out and set her beside Misty. Maureen took off Stormy's halter. Then -she and Paul quickly went around to the gate to let the bars down. But -before even the top one was lowered, Misty did something she had done -only as a yearling. From a standing start she leaped nimbly over the -bars and landed inside. Then she turned around as if wondering what to -do about her youngster. Stormy let out a frightened squeal, then with -head and tail low, she scrambled under the bars and found her mother. - -The twilit quiet ended in a crash of noise. A gaggle of geese rose in -a honking cloud, the peacock let out a hair-chilling scream, Skipper -yelped, the goats blatted. Even Grandpa swelled the racket. "By -thunder!" he boomed. "'Twas quieter in that there movie house with a -thousand kids screeching." - -In the midst of all the confusion Misty let Stormy nurse, but only for -a matter of seconds. After the long hours of being a sedate mother, she -suddenly had to be a wild pony again. She took off down the pasture in -a quick streaking run, Stormy hopping along behind. - -"Look at that little tyke go!" Paul exclaimed. - -Maureen cried out in sudden alarm as Misty began crow-hopping, -twisting, swerving, kicking at the sky. "Stormy'll get hurt!" she -screamed. - -But Stormy was trying out little kicks of her own, kiting away, falling -to her knees, picking herself up, yet always keeping out of reach. - -"She knows just how far to stay away," Paul laughed proudly. - -"Why, they're brimful of spirit after all the doin's!" Grandma -exclaimed. "Wisht I felt like that." - -"_I_ feel spry as a hopper-grass," Grandpa boasted. - -"So do I," Maureen said. - -"I don't," Paul declared. "I feel better ... and bigger ... and wilder." - -"How do you mean, Paul?" Grandma asked. - -He pointed a finger to the darkening sky. "See that gull 'way up yonder -heading into a cloud?" - -"Uh-hmm." - -"Well, I can fly up there right alongside him." - -Grandma took off her spectacles to study the white soaring wings tipped -with the last gold of the sun. "You can?" She smiled at him in pleased -wonder. "Even without wings?" - -Paul nodded, embarrassed, not knowing how to explain. - -There was a strained silence. At last he spoke in a hushed voice, -"Grandma, today in the theater I felt and knew things I never knew -before." - -Grandpa put an arm around Paul and another around Maureen. "I know -jes' what he means, Idy. And I don't think no one--not their teacher, -nor the postmaster, and mebbe not even Preacher Britton--could really -put it to words. Idy, to those city kids in Richmond, today was like a -fairy story come to life. It meant something real to 'em. And you'd of -thought Misty and Stormy was borned actors, the way they played their -parts." He sighed in deep satisfaction. "Fer oncet everything come out -jes' 'zackly perfect. And fer oncet in my lifetime I'm too happy to -eat." - -Misty and Stormy seemed to feel the same way. Their kicking and -cavorting done, they turned tail on their friends and walked down the -meadowland toward their pine grove by the sea. - -It was like the end of a play, their walking off, slow-footed and -contented, side by side. Without benefit of words they were playing -the last scene. It was good to be out under the big sky. And good to -breathe in the fresh, clean air. And how cool the marshy turf felt to -their feet. Home was a good place to be. - - - - - _Epilogue_ - - TO MAKE THE STORY COMPLETE - - -Misty and little Stormy showed no ill effects, even the next day, -because of their trip to the theater. They were, as Grandpa Beebe said, -"borned actors." They seemed to burst into bloom like the daffodils -after the storm. And so they traveled to more and more theaters. Each -time they seemed eager to go, eager to meet their enraptured audiences, -and deliriously happy to come back home. - -At the end of the tour there was money enough to start the Volunteer -Firemen buying back the ponies sold in other years. - -But this is only half the story. While Misty and Stormy were doing -their part, boys and girls all over the United States were helping, -too. They deluged Chincoteague with a fresh tide--of letters! From big -cities and tiny hamlets they came, and tucked inside were pennies, -dimes, and dollars. - -The letters are stories in themselves: - - _Here is a check for four dollars and four cents for the Misty - Disaster Fund. It is an odd number because we earned it weeding - dandelions and they grow odd. We hope the money will come in handy. - Please excuse our poor writing. We are doing this in my tree house._ - - _We had a lemonade stand and Mother didn't charge us for the lemons. - We made three dollars to help restore your herds. We think the new - ponies will be glad to go wild again._ - - _I was sad to hear of your disastrous flood because I feel like - Misty and Phantom and the Pied Piper are my friends. I know that - a quarter is just a drop in the bucket, but I hope that enough - people send in "drops" to fill it up._ - - _The radio said your ponies and chickens drowned. I will send you a - surprise with this letter. It is one dollar. I know that isn't much, - but that's how much I can give._ - - _We all voted to give our class treasury of five dollars to the - Misty Disaster Fund so you can buy a whole pony in the name of us - fifth graders. We want Pony Penning Day to go on forever._ - - _I been picking blueberries all day and here's my fifty cents. Give - my regards to Misty._ - - _During our Story Hour we set out a jar marked "For Pony Pennies," - and we marched around the library until 386 pennies were dropped - in._ - - _We are a group of 4-H girls, 10 to 16 years old. Every year we - have a horse show and we do all the planning, fixing rings, making - jumps, and getting prizes and ribbons. From our proceeds this year - we want to give a hundred dollars to help replenish the herds that - were drowned._ - -Day by day the Misty Disaster Fund grew and grew. By June the firemen -had bought back enough ponies to restore the herds on Assateague. And -on the last Wednesday of July the annual roundup and Pony Penning took -place just as it has for over a hundred years. Thousands of visitors -came, and they marveled at how quickly the new ponies had gone back to -their wild ways. The celebration was a rousing success. - -Of course Stormy and Misty were on hand where everyone could see and -pet them. _They_ were not wild at all. Yet they were the heroes of the -day. - - - - - _For their help the author is grateful to_ - -RALPH AND JEANETTE BEEBE, uncle and aunt of Paul and Maureen - -SAM BENDHEIM, SR., AND SAM BENDHEIM, JR., President and Vice President -of the Byrd Theaters, Richmond, Va. - -THE REVEREND RAYMOND BRITTON, Chincoteague - -WARREN CONANT, Postmaster of Chincoteague, and his wife, PAULINE - -MIRES HANCOCK, terrapin trapper and wood-carver, Chincoteague - -LT. WILLIAM LIPHAM, U.S. Coast Guard - -WILLIAM E. NICHOLS, JR., Councilman of Chincoteague - -ROSERT N. REED, Mayor of Chincoteague - -TOM REED, naturalist, Chincoteague - -JOYCE TARR, map maker, Chincoteague - - - PRINTED IN U.S.A. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORMY, MISTY'S FOAL *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Stormy, Misty's Foal</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Marguerite Henry</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: February 1, 2022 [eBook #67298]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORMY, MISTY'S FOAL ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter x-ebookmaker-drop"> - <img src="images/illusc.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>STORMY</h1> - -<h2>MISTY'S FOAL</h2> - -<h3>By MARGUERITE HENRY</h3> - -<p>Illustrated by Wesley Dennis</p> - -<p>RAND McNALLY & COMPANY</p> - -<p>CHICAGO NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus0.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p><i>Copyright 1963 by Rand McNALLY and Company</i></p> - -<p><i>Copyright 1963 under International Copyright Union<br /> -by Rand McNALLY and Company</i></p> - -<p><i>All rights reserved</i></p> - -<p><i>Printed in U.S.A.</i></p> - -<p><i>Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 63-13334</i></p> - -<p><i>First printing, September, 1963</i><br /> -<i>Second printing, November, 1963</i><br /> -<i>Third printing, May, 1964</i></p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus1.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<h2><i>DEDICATION</i></h2> - - -<p class="ph1">Dedicated to the boys and girls everywhere<br /> -whose pennies, dimes, and dollars helped restore<br /> -the wild herds on Assateague Island,<br /> -and who by their spontaneous outpouring of love<br /> -gave courage to the stricken people<br /> -of Chincoteague.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus2.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table summary="contents"> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Prologue"><i>Prologue</i></a></td><td align="left"><i>Land Across the Water</i></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_1"><i>1</i></a></td><td align="left">Before the Storm</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_2"><i>2</i></a></td><td align="left">A Duck in the Horse Trough</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_3"><i>3</i></a></td><td align="left">A Body with a Purpose</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_4"><i>4</i></a></td><td align="left">Let the Wind Screech</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_5"><i>5</i></a></td><td align="left">Ninety Head</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_6"><i>6</i></a></td><td align="left">Oceanus</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_7"><i>7</i></a></td><td align="left">The Sea Takes Over</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_8"><i>8</i></a></td><td align="left">Paul to the Rescue</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_9"><i>9</i></a></td><td align="left">Waiting for the Whirlybird</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_10"><i>10</i></a></td><td align="left">Backyard Landing</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_11"><i>11</i></a></td><td align="left">Refugees</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_12"><i>12</i></a></td><td align="left">Wait-a-Minute Couldn't</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_13"><i>13</i></a></td><td align="left">Up at Deep Hole</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_14"><i>14</i></a></td><td align="left">Misty Goes to Pocomoke</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_15"><i>15</i></a></td><td align="left">Grandpa Makes a Deal</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_16"><i>16</i></a></td><td align="left">Welcome Home, Progger</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_17"><i>17</i></a></td><td align="left">Sawdust and Sadness</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_18"><i>18</i></a></td><td align="left">Within the Foaling Box</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_19"><i>19</i></a></td><td align="left">Glory Hallelujah!</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_20"><i>20</i></a></td><td align="left">Home at Last</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_21"><i>21</i></a></td><td align="left">A Grave Decision</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_22"><i>22</i></a></td><td align="left">The Naming Bee</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_23"><i>23</i></a></td><td align="left">Dress Rehearsal</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_24"><i>24</i></a></td><td align="left">Stormy's Debut</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Chapter_25"><i>25</i></a></td><td align="left">The Last Scene</td></tr> -<tr><td align="right"><a href="#Epilogue"><i>Epilogue</i></a></td><td align="left"><i>To Make the Story Complete</i></td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus3.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="Prologue" id="Prologue"><i>Prologue</i></a></h2> - -<h3>LAND ACROSS THE WATER</h3> - - -<p>In the gigantic Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Virginia a sliver -of land lies exposed to the smile of the sun and the fury of wind and -tide. It almost missed being an island, for it is only inches above the -sea. The early Indians who poled over from the mainland to hunt deer -and otter and beaver named this wind-rumpled island <i>Chin-co-teague</i>, -"the land across the water."</p> - -<p>Today a causeway, five miles long, connects it with the eastern shore -of Virginia. Sometimes, when the sea breaks loose, it swallows the -causeway. Then the people on the island are wholly isolated.</p> - -<p>But most of the time Chincoteague enjoys the protection of a neighbor -island, a great long rib of white sandy hills. The Indians called it -<i>Assa-teague</i>, or "outrider." They named it well, for it acts as a big -brother to Chincoteague, protecting it from crashing winds and the high -waves of the Atlantic.</p> - -<p>For many years now Assateague has been preserved as a wildlife refuge -for ponies and deer and migrating waterfowl. On clear days herds of the -wild ponies can be seen thundering along its shores, manes and tails -flying in the wind.</p> - -<p>Assateague, then, belongs to the wild things. But Chincoteague belongs -to the people—sturdy island folk who live by raising chickens and by -gathering the famous Chincoteague oysters and clams and diamond-backed -terrapin. The one big joyous celebration of their year comes toward -the end of July on Pony Penning Day. Then the volunteer firemen round -up the wild ponies on Assateague, force them to swim the channel to -Chincoteague, and pen them up for tourists and pony buyers who come -from far and near. Of course, only the young colts are gentle enough -to be sold. The money from the auction is used to buy fire-fighting -equipment to protect the fisherfolk and chicken farmers who live on -Chincoteague.</p> - -<p>There is one family whom the firemen look upon as friendly competitors -in their yearly pony sale. They are the Beebes—Grandpa and Grandma and -their grandchildren, Paul and Maureen. Except for Grandma, whose father -was a sea captain, they call themselves "hossmen." They are in the pony -business the year around. Their place at the southern end of the island -is known simply as Pony Ranch.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus4.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p>CHINCOTEAGUE AND ASSATEAGUE ISLANDS</p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus5.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<h1>STORMY</h1> - -<h2>MISTY'S FOAL</h2> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_1" id="Chapter_1"><i>Chapter 1</i></a></h2> - -<h3>BEFORE THE STORM</h3> - - -<p>The clock on the shelf pointed to five as young Paul Beebe, his hair -tousled and his eyes still full of sleep, came into the kitchen. Paul -did not even glance at the clock, though it was a handsome piece, -showing the bridge of a ship with a captain at the wheel. For Paul, his -banty rooster was clock enough.</p> - -<p>Grandpa Beebe was bent over the sink, noisily washing his face. He came -up for air, his head cocked like a robin listening for worms.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus6.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Just hark at that head rooster!" he grinned, his face dripping. He -reached for the towel Grandma was handing him. "That banty," he went -on as he mopped his face, "is better than any li'l ole tinkly alarm -clock. Why, he's even more to depend on than that fancy ticker yer -sea-farin' father brung us from France." He gave Grandma a playful -wink. "What's more, ye never have to wind him up, and I never knowed -him to sleep overtime."</p> - -<p>"Me neither," Paul said, "even when it's cloudy."</p> - -<p>The old man and the boy went thudding in their sock feet to the back -hall, to their jackets hanging over the wash tubs and their boots -standing side by side.</p> - -<p>Grandma's voice tailed them. "Wrap up good now. Wind's bitter." She -came to the doorway and looked sharply at Paul. "I got to brew some -sassafras roots to perten ye up. I declare, ye look older and tireder -than yer grandpa."</p> - -<p>"Who wouldn't look tuckered out?" Grandpa asked in pride. "Paul took -the midnight watch on Misty."</p> - -<p>"This household," Grandma sputtered, "does more worritin' over Misty -having a colt than if she was a queen birthin' a crown prince."</p> - -<p>"Well, she is!" Paul exclaimed. "She's a movie queen."</p> - -<p>"Yup," Grandpa joined in. "Name me another Chincoteague pony who's a -star of a movin' picture like Misty is. And her being famous—well, -it's made a heap o' difference to Pony Ranch."</p> - -<p>Paul nodded vehemently. "Yes, Grandma. You know we sell more ponies -because of her, and we can buy better fodder, and this summer I'm going -to build her a fine stable and...."</p> - -<p>"And I'll never hear the end of it!" Grandma grumbled. "Our place is -a reg'lar mecca for folks comin' to see her, and when she has her -colt—land o' mercy!—they'll be thicker'n oysters in a pie."</p> - -<p>Paul and Grandpa were out the door. Grandma's sputtering bothered them -no more than a mosquito before the fuzz comes off its stinger.</p> - -<p>A faint light had begun to melt the darkness and there was a brim of -dawn on the sea. The wind, blowing from the southwest in strong and -frequent gusts, rippled the old dead marsh grasses until they and the -waves were one.</p> - -<p>As Grandpa and Paul hurried to the barn, a golden-furred collie leaped -down from his bed in the pickup truck and came galloping to meet them.</p> - -<p>"Hi, Skipper!" Paul gave him a rough-and-tumble greeting, but his -heart wasn't in it. He caught at his grandfather's sleeve. "Grandpa!" -he said, talking fast. "Buck Jackson's got some she-goats up to his -place."</p> - -<p>"So?"</p> - -<p>"Well, if Misty should be bad off...."</p> - -<p>"What in tarnation you gettin' at?"</p> - -<p>"Maybe we'd ought to buy a goat, just in case...."</p> - -<p>"In case <i>what</i>?"</p> - -<p>"Misty couldn't give enough milk for her colt."</p> - -<p>The old man pulled himself loose from Paul. "Get outen my way, boy. -What's the sense to begin worryin' now? We got chores to do. Listen -at them ponies raisin' a ruckus to be fed, and all the ducks and -geese a-quackin' and a-clackin' and carryin' on. Everybody's hungry, -includin' me."</p> - -<p>"But, Grandpa!" Paul was insistent. "You yourself said April or May -colts have a better chance of living than March ones."</p> - -<p>The old man stopped in mid-stride. "It just ain't fittin' fer colts -to drink goat's milk," he said gruffly. "'Specially Misty's colt." He -clumped off toward the corncrib, muttering and shaking his head.</p> - -<p>Paul skinned between the fence rails and ran toward the made-over -chicken coop that was Misty's barn. He heard her whinnying in a low, -rumbly tone. His heart pumping in expectancy, he unbolted her door. -She came to him at once, touching nostrils as if he were another pony, -then nibbling his straw-colored hair so that he couldn't see what he -was looking for. Gently he pushed her away and stepped back. He looked -underneath and around her. But there was no little colt lying in the -straw. He looked at her sides. They were heavily rounded, just as they -had been at midnight, and the night before, and the night before that.</p> - -<p>"Surely it'll come today," Paul said to her, trying to hide his -disappointment. "For a while it can live right in here with you. But -soon as school's out, I got to build us more stalls. Maureen can help."</p> - -<p>"Help what?" came a girl's voice.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus7.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Paul turned to see his sister standing on tiptoe looking over his -shoulder. "Help me pump," he added hastily.</p> - -<p>"Paul! Maureen!" Grandpa shouted from the corncrib. "Quit lallygaggin'! -Water them ponies afore they die o' thirst."</p> - -<p>Most of Grandpa's herd were still away on winter pasture at Deep Hole -on the north end of the island. There the pine trees grew in groves and -the whole area was thickly underbrushed so the ponies could keep warm, -out of the wind. And they could fend for themselves, living on wild -kinksbush and cord grass.</p> - -<p>But here at Pony Ranch Grandpa kept only his personal riding -horses—Billy Blaze, and dependable old Watch Eyes—as well as a few -half-wild ponies from Assateague. All winter long this little bunch of -ragged creatures ran free out on the marshland, fenced in only by the -sea. But every morning they came thundering in, manes and tails blowing -like licks of flame. At the gate they neighed shrilly, demanding fresh -water and an ear or two of corn. It was Paul's and Maureen's duty to -pump gallons and gallons of water into an old tin wash tub and dole out -the ears of corn.</p> - -<p>"It's your turn to pump," Maureen said. "I'll let the bunch in, and -I'll parcel out the corn."</p> - -<p>"Don't you start bossing me!" Paul retorted. "One grandma to a house is -enough." Then he grinned in superiority. "You pump too slow, anyway. -Besides, it develops my muscles for roundup time."</p> - -<p>As Maureen let the ponies into the corral, two at a time, they dashed -to the watering tub and drank greedily. Paul could hardly pump fast -enough. He drew in a breath. Cold or no, this was the best time of day. -And no matter how hard and fast his arms worked, nor how many times -he had to fill the tub, he liked doing it. It made him feel big and -strong, almost godlike, as if he had been placed over this hungry herd -and was their good provider. He liked the sounds of their snorting and -fighting to be first, and he liked to watch them plunge their muzzles -deep in the water and suck it in between their teeth. He even liked it -when they came up slobbering and the wind sent spatters against his -face.</p> - -<p>Usually Misty was first at the watering tub, for she ran free with the -others out on the marsh. But now that her colt was due she was kept in -her stall, where she could be watched constantly. So Paul watered her -last. He wanted her to take her time and to drink her fill without a -bunch of ponies squealing and pawing at the gate, getting her excited. -But today, even with the tub all to herself, she acted skittery as -dandelion fluff—not drinking, but playing with the water, blowing at -it until it made ripples.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus8.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Paul grew alarmed. Why wasn't she drinking? Did that mean it would be -soon? Or was she sick inside? He stopped pumping and gave himself up to -bittersweet worry. It could be this very morning, and then he'd have to -stay home from school to help dry off the colt and to see that Misty -was a good nurser.</p> - -<p>"Paul! Maureen!" Grandpa's voice boomed like a fog-horn. "Put Misty -in and come help me feed." He stood there in the barnyard with his -head thrown back, shrilling to the heavens: "<i>Wee-dee-dee-dee! -Wee-dee-dee-dee!</i>"</p> - -<p>The call was a magnet, pulling in the fowl—wild ones from the sky, -tame ones from the pasture. Geese and ducks and gulls, cocks and -chickens and guinea hens came squawking. Above the racket Grandpa -barked out his orders. "You children shuck off this corn for the -critters." He handed them a coal scuttle heaped high with ears. "I got -to police the migrators. Dad-blasted if I'll let them Canadian honkers -hog all the feed whilst my own go hungry."</p> - -<p>Faster than crows the children shelled out the corn until the scuttle -held nothing but cobs, and at last the barnyard settled down to a -picking and a pecking peace.</p> - -<p>Grandpa scanned the sky for stragglers, but he saw none. Only gray -wool clouds, and an angry wind pulling them apart. "Looks like a storm -brewing, don't it?"</p> - -<p>Paul laughed. "You should've been a weatherman, Grandpa, 'stead of a -hossman. You're always predicting."</p> - -<p>"Allus right, ain't I? Here, Maureen, you run and hang up the scuttle. -I can whiff Grandma's bacon clean out here, and I'm hungry enough to -eat the haunches off'n a grasshopper."</p> - -<p>It was a bumper breakfast. The table was heaped with stacks of hotcakes -and thick slices of bacon. Grandpa took one admiring look at his plate -before he tackled it. "Nobody," he said, "not nobody but yer Grandma -understands slab bacon. Over to the diner in Temperanceville they -frazzle all the sweetness outen it so's there ain't no fat left. Tastes -like my old gumboots."</p> - -<p>Grandma beamed. If someone had given her a string of diamonds or a -bunch of florist flowers, she couldn't have looked more pleased. -"Clarence," she asked in her best company voice, "will you have honey -or molasses on your hotcakes?"</p> - -<p>"How kin I have <i>mo'</i> 'lasses when I ain't had <i>no</i> 'lasses at all?"</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen giggled at Grandpa's old joke—not just to please him -but because it tickled them, and when they went visiting they sprang it -on their cousins every chance they got.</p> - -<p>Quiet settled down over the table except for the clatter of forks and -Grandpa slurping his coffee. With second helpings talk began.</p> - -<p>"Grandma," Paul asked, "how'd you like a few goats? A billy maybe, but -a she-goat for sure? Y'see, she could be a nurser just in case."</p> - -<p>Grandma put down her fork. "Paul Beebe! I swan, it must be mental -telegraphy. Why, only last night I dreamt we had a hull flock of goats, -and Misty friended with a nice old nanny and she let her kid run with -Misty's baby and they'd butt each other and play real cute."</p> - -<p>Grandpa clamped his hands over both ears. "I'm deef!" he bellowed. -"I heerd nary a word!" He got up from the table. "Six o'clock!" -he announced. "You children light out and clean Misty's stall. -Schooltime'll be here afore ye know it. The sea's in a fret today and -there's a look to the sky I don't like. No time for gabbin'."</p> - -<p>"Pshaw," Grandma said. "My daddy, who was captain of the...."</p> - -<p>"Yes, Idy," he mimicked, "yer daddy, who was captain of the <i>Alberta</i>, -the last sailing vessel here to Chincoteague, he'd say—wa-ll, <i>what'd</i> -he say?"</p> - -<p>"He'd say," Grandma repeated, proud of her knowledge of the sea, -"'There's barely a riffle of waves in the bay. Glass is down low, and -we're due for a change in the weather.' But, Clarence, aren't we always -in for a change?"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus9.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_2" id="Chapter_2"><i>Chapter 2</i></a></h2> - -<h3>A DUCK IN THE HORSE TROUGH</h3> - - -<p>When Misty's stall was mucked out and her manger filled with sweet hay, -Paul and Maureen burst into the kitchen, laughing and out of breath.</p> - -<p>"<i>You</i> say it, Maureen."</p> - -<p>"No, you."</p> - -<p>Paul shuffled his feet. He glanced sidelong at Grandma. "Me and -Maureen ... I and Maureen ... Maureen and I.... Well," he blurted, -"we'd like to say some Bible verses, with a little change to one of -them."</p> - -<p>Grandma almost dropped the cup she was wiping. She spun around, smiling -in surprise. "There's no call to blush about quoting from the Good -Book," she said. "It's a fine thing."</p> - -<p>Paul swallowed hard. His eyes flew to Maureen's. "You say it," he urged.</p> - -<p>Maureen looked straight at Grandma. "Last Sunday in church," she spoke -quickly and earnestly, "Preacher read: 'There's a time to sow and a -time to reap.'"</p> - -<p>"Yes, that's what he said," Paul nodded. "And he said, 'There's a time -to cry and a time to laugh.'"</p> - -<p>"'And a time to love and a time to hate,'" Maureen added.</p> - -<p>Paul began shouting like the preacher. "'There's a time to make war and -a time to make peace.'"</p> - -<p>"How 'bout that!" Grandma's eyes were shinier than her spectacles. "You -heard every bit of the message, and here I thought you two was doing -crossword puzzles all the time! Now then, what's the made-up part?" she -asked encouragingly.</p> - -<p>The answer came loud and in unison: "There's a time to go to school and -a time to stay home."</p> - -<p>"And just when is that?" Grandma demanded.</p> - -<p>"When a mare is ready to foal," Paul said with a look of triumph.</p> - -<p>The kitchen grew very still. Grandma shook out the damp towel and -hung it above the stove. To gain thinking time she put the knives and -forks in the drawer and each teaspoon in the spoon rack. Then she -glanced from one eager face to the other. "You two ever see a wild mare -birthing her young'un?"</p> - -<p>They both shook their heads.</p> - -<p>"Nor have I. Nor yer Grandpa neither." She looked far out on the marsh, -at the ponies grazing peacefully. "Well, the way the mares do it," -she said at last, "is to go off a day, mebbe more, and hide in some -lonely spot. And the next time you see her come to the watering trough, -there's a frisky youngster dancing alongside. Why, one mare swum clean -across the channel to Hummocky Isle to have her baby, and three days -later they both come back and joined the herd—even that little baby -swum."</p> - -<p>"But <i>they're</i> wild, Grandma," Paul said. "Misty's different. She's -lived with people since she was a tiny foal."</p> - -<p>Grandma took an old cork and a can of powder and began scouring the -stains on her carving knives. She nodded slowly. "And Misty's smart. If -she needs help, she'll come up here to the fence and let us know right -smart quick, same's she does when she's thirsty. Now you both wash up -and change yer clothes. You touched off the wrong fuse when you quoted -Bible verses to get excused from school."</p> - -<p>"But, Grandma," Paul persisted, "how can Misty tell anyone she needs -help when Grandpa's in town shucking oysters, and we're trapped in -school and...."</p> - -<p>Grandma didn't answer; yet somehow she interrupted. She handed Maureen -a pitcher of milk and a saucedish. As if by magic Wait-a-Minute, a big -tiger-striped cat, appeared from under the stove and began lapping the -milk even before Maureen finished pouring it.</p> - -<p>"Tell you what," Grandma said after a moment's thought. "I promise to -go out every hour and look in on Misty."</p> - -<p>"You will?"</p> - -<p>"That I will."</p> - -<p>"And will you telephone school in case she needs us?"</p> - -<p>"I'll even promise you that. Cross my heart!"</p> - -<p>Somewhat appeased, Paul and Maureen washed and hurried into their -school clothes. When they dashed out of the house, Grandpa was climbing -into his truck. "Hop in," he said. "I'll give ye a lift." He put the -key in the ignition, but he didn't start the car. A blast of surprise -escaped him. "Great balls o' fire! Look!"</p> - -<p>"What is it, Grandpa?"</p> - -<p>He pointed a finger at a big white goose up-ended in the watering tub. -"Jes' look at him waller! Now," he said in awe, "I got a sure omen."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus10.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Of what?" both children asked.</p> - -<p>Grandpa recited in a whisper:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"A goose washin' in the horse trough</div> - <div class="verse">Means tomorrow we'll be bad off."</div> -</div></div> - -<p>"Who says so?" Paul wanted to know.</p> - -<p>"My Uncle Zadkiel was a weather predictor, and he said geese in the -trough is a fore-doomer of storm."</p> - -<p>Grandpa started the car, a troubled look on his face.</p> - -<p>The day at school seemed never-ending. Maureen answered questions like -a robot. She heard her own voice say, "Christopher Columbus was one -of the first men who believed the world was round. So he went east by -sailing west."</p> - -<p>"Very good, Maureen. You may sit down."</p> - -<p>But Maureen remained standing, staring fixedly at the map over the -blackboard. Her mind suddenly went racing across the world, and -backward in time, to a tall-masted ship. Not the one that Columbus -sailed, but the one that brought the ponies to Assateague. And she saw -a great wind come up, and she watched it slap the ship onto a reef and -crack it open like the shell of an egg, and she saw the ponies spewed -into the sea, and she heard them thrashing and screaming in all that -wreckage, and one looked just like Misty.</p> - -<p>"<i>I said</i>," the teacher's voice cut through the dream, "<i>you may sit -down, Maureen.</i>"</p> - -<p>The class tittered as she quickly plopped into her seat.</p> - -<p>In Paul's room an oral examination was about to take place. "We'll -begin alphabetically," Miss Ogle announced. "Question number one," she -said in her crisp voice. "With all books closed, explain to the class -which is older, the earth or the sea, and where the first forms of life -appeared. We'll begin with Teddy Appleyard."</p> - -<p>Teddy stood up, pointing to a blood-splotched handkerchief he held to -his nose. He was promptly excused.</p> - -<p>"Now then, Paul Beebe, you are next."</p> - -<p>Dead silence.</p> - -<p>"We'll begin," the teacher raised her voice, "with Paul Be-ee—be-ee," -and she stretched out his name like a rubber band. But even then it -didn't reach him.</p> - -<p>He was not there in the little white schoolhouse at all. In his mind he -was back at Pony Ranch and Misty had broken out of her stall and gone -tearing down the marsh. And in his fantasy he saw the colt being born, -and while it was all wet and new, it was sucked slowly, slowly down -into the miry bog. There was no sound, no whimper at all. Just the wind -squeaking through the grasses.</p> - -<p>Tap! Tap! Miss Ogle rapped her pencil sharply on the desk. "Boys -and girls," she said, "you have all heard of people suffering from -nightmares. But I declare, Paul Beebe is having a <i>daymare</i>."</p> - -<p>The class burst into noisy laughter, and only then did the mad dream -break apart.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Back home in Misty's shed all was warm contentment. There was plenty of -hay in the manger, good hay with here and there some sweet bush clover, -and a block of salt hollowed out from many lickings so that her tongue -just fitted. She worked at it now in slow delight, her tongue-strokes -stopping occasionally as she turned to watch a little brown hen -rounding out a nest in a corner of the stall. Fearlessly the hen let -Misty walk around her as if she liked company, and every now and again -she made soft clucking sounds.</p> - -<p>Out on the marsh Billy Blaze and Watch Eyes, pretending to be -stallions, fought and neighed over the little band of mares. Misty -looked out at them for a long time, then went to her manger and slowly -began munching her hay. The hen, now satisfied with her nest, fluffed -out her feathers and settled herself to lay one tiny brown egg.</p> - -<p>Contentment closed them in like a soft cocoon.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_3" id="Chapter_3"><i>Chapter 3</i></a></h2> - -<h3>A BODY WITH A PURPOSE</h3> - - -<p>Right after school Paul and Maureen rushed into Misty's stall, almost -in panic. Things should be happening, and they weren't. Grandpa Beebe -joined them. "You two hold her head," he ordered. He put his stubbly -cheek and his ear against Misty's belly.</p> - -<p>"Feel anything? Hear anything?" Paul whispered.</p> - -<p>"Not jes' now. Likely the little feller's asleep." He bent down and -felt of Misty's teats. Gently he tried to milk them. "Some mares is -ticklish," he explained, "and they kick at their colt when it tries to -nurse. I aim to get her used to the idee."</p> - -<p>"You getting any milk?" Maureen asked.</p> - -<p>Grandpa shook his head. "Reckon Misty ain't quite ready to have her -young'un. But no use to worry. Now then, I'd like for ye two to do me a -favor."</p> - -<p>"What is it, Grandpa?"</p> - -<p>"I want ye to climb aboard Watch Eyes and Billy Blaze, 'cause today -noon it 'peared to me Billy was going gimpy. You children try him out -and see which leg's causin' the trouble."</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen were glad of something to do. The way Grandpa talked -made them feel like expert horsemen. Quickly they bridled the ponies, -swung up bareback, and took off. Paul stayed a few lengths behind on -Watch Eyes, calling commands to Maureen on Billy Blaze.</p> - -<p>"<i>Walk him!</i>"</p> - -<p>Ears swinging, head nodding, Billy stepped out big and bold. Almost -bouncy.</p> - -<p>"<i>Trot him!</i>"</p> - -<p>Again he went sound, square on all four corners.</p> - -<p>"<i>Whoa! Turn! Come this way.</i>"</p> - -<p>Maureen pulled up, laughing. "Except for his being so shaggy," she -said, "he could be a horse in a show, his gaits are so smooth. Grandpa -knew it all the time."</p> - -<p>"Of course. He just wanted us to stop fussing over Misty. I'll race -you, Maureen."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus11.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>It was fun racing bareback across the marsh. The rising wind excited -the horses, made them go faster, as if they wanted to be part of it. -And it was fun to round up the mares and drive them down the spit of -land, stopping just short of the sea. It was even fun arguing.</p> - -<p>"Maureen, you got to do the pumping tonight."</p> - -<p>"I don't either. I got to gather the eggs."</p> - -<p>"All right, Miss Smarty, then you can just mend that chicken fence, -too."</p> - -<p>It ended by both of them repairing the fence and both taking turns -pumping water. Afterward, they charged into the house, glowing and -hungry.</p> - -<p>Grandma promised an early supper of oyster pie. "And then," she said, -"if you can trust me to keep watch on Misty, you can drive with yer -Grandpa over to Deep Hole to the Reeds' house. Mrs. Reed's got a -pattern I want to copy for our apron sale."</p> - -<p>"<i>I'll</i> take ye up on yer offer, Idy," Grandpa agreed quickly. "It'll -give me a chance to see how my herd's doin' up there on winter pasture."</p> - -<p>But about that time odd things began to happen. A lone marsh hen came -bustling across the open field toward the house. Paul saw her first. He -was at the table in the sitting room, painting a duck decoy.</p> - -<p>"Look! Come quick!" he shouted to the household. "A marsh hen's coming -to pay us a call!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus12.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Maureen hurried into the room to see. Grandpa and Grandma almost -collided, trying to get through the door at the same time.</p> - -<p>"Jumpin' mullets!" Grandpa whistled. "In all my born days I never see a -marsh hen walkin' on dry ground."</p> - -<p>"Can't say I have either," Grandma agreed. "They're timid folk, ain't -they?"</p> - -<p>"Yup, only feel safe in a marsh, like a rabbit in a briar patch."</p> - -<p>"I saw one, one day," Paul said, "walk right across the causeway."</p> - -<p>"Pshaw!" Grandpa whittled him down to size. "<i>Everyone's</i> seen 'em -do that. They're just makin' a quick trip acrost, from one marsh to -another. But <i>this</i> little hen has made a journey. For her it's like -travelin' to the moon."</p> - -<p>Grandma nodded. "To my notion, she's a body with a purpose. She's -tryin' to find a hidey-hole. Wonder what's frighted her?"</p> - -<p>They all watched as the hen made her way to the high ground near the -smokehouse and settled down on the doorstep as though she'd found a -safe harbor.</p> - -<p>Everybody went back to work except Grandpa. He crossed the room to the -window that faced the channel. "Great guns!" he exclaimed. "Look at how -our lone pine tree is bent! Why, the wind's switched clean around from -sou'west to nor'east! And look at the sky—it's black as the inside of -a cow." Suddenly he sucked in his breath. "The tide," he gasped, "it's -almost up to our field!"</p> - -<p>"Only nacherel," Grandma called from the kitchen. "We're in the time of -the new moon, and a new moon allus means a fuller tide."</p> - -<p>But Grandpa wasn't listening. He began pacing from one room to the -other. "Any storm warnings on the radio today, Idy?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"No," Grandma said thoughtfully, "except the Coast Guard gave out -small-craft warnings this morning. But three outen five days in March, -they hoist that red flag."</p> - -<p>"Even so," Grandpa said, "me and Paul better light out and put the -ponies in the hay house for safety."</p> - -<p>Paul dropped his paintbrush and started for the door.</p> - -<p>"Bring in more wood for the stove," Grandma called after them.</p> - -<p>Darkness was coming on quickly and the wind had sharpened, bringing -with it a fine whipping rain. The old man and the boy whistled the -ponies in from the marsh. They came at a gallop, eager to get out of -the weather. It wasn't often they were given all the hay they could -eat, and warm shelter too.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus13.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Paul grabbed a bundle of hay and ran to Misty's stall. He found her -stomping uneasily and biting at herself, but he blamed the little colt -inside her, not the weather. The wind fluttered the cobwebs over the -window at the back of her stall. He nailed a gunny sack to the frame to -keep the cold out. Then, feeling satisfied, he gave Misty a gentle pat -on the rump. As he went out, he bolted both the top and the bottom of -her door.</p> - -<p>He joined Grandpa, who was gathering up four fluffy black mallards, too -young to fly, and putting them in a high cage in the hay house. The -peacocks and banties were already roosting in the pine trees. Wherever -Paul and Grandpa went, Skipper ran ahead, enjoying the wind and the -feeling of danger and excitement. At the kitchen door he left them, -jumping into his bed in the truck. Habit was stronger than the wind.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus15.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Inside the house, all was warmth and comfort—the fire crackling in the -stove, the oyster pie sending forth rich fragrances, and from the radio -in the sitting room a cowboy's voice was throbbing:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"Oh, give me a home</div> - <div class="verse">Where the buffalo roam,</div> - <div class="verse">And the deer and the antelope ..."</div> -</div></div> - -<p>The word "play" never came. The music stopped as if someone had turned -it off. At the same instant the kitchen went black as a foxhole.</p> - -<p>A strange, cold terror entered the house. For a long moment everyone -stood frozen. Then Grandma spoke in her gayest voice, which somehow -didn't sound gay at all. "We'll just eat our supper by candlelight. -It'll be like a party."</p> - -<p>She found the flashlight on the shelf over the sink, and pointed -its beam inside a catch-all drawer. "I got some candles in here -somewheres," she said, poking in among old party favors and odds and -ends of Christmas wrappings.</p> - -<p>Grandpa struck a match and held it ready. "Yer Grandma looks like -Skipper diggin' up an old bone. Dag-bite-it!" he exclaimed. "I'm -burnin' my fingers." The match sputtered and died of itself.</p> - -<p>"I'm 'shamed to say," Grandma finally admitted, "but I recomember now, -I gave my old candles to the family that moved in on Gravel Basket -Road. They hadn't any electric in the house. What's more, I loaned 'em -our lantern."</p> - -<p>Grandpa's voice was quick and stern. "Paul! You drive my pickup over to -Barrett's Store and get us a gallon of coal oil. Maureen, you crunch up -some newspaper to—"</p> - -<p>"Clarence!" Grandma was shocked. "Paul's not old enough to drive, and -hark to that wind."</p> - -<p>"Idy, this here's an emergency. I'm the onliest one knows jes' where in -the attic to put my hand on the old ship's lantern off'n the <i>Alberta</i>. -Besides, Barrett's is jes' up Rattlesnake Ridge, as fer as a hen can -spit."</p> - -<p>Paul was out the door in a flash and Grandpa was pulling down the -ladder in the hall to the crawl-space in the attic. As he climbed up he -muttered loud enough for Grandma to hear, "Wimmenfolk and worry, cups -and saucers, wimmenfolk and worry!"</p> - -<p>When he came back with the lantern, he handed it to Maureen. "Like I -said, honey, you crunch up some newspaper and give this chimney a good -cleaning, and then pick the black stuff off'n the wick. Here, ye can -use my flashbeam to work by."</p> - -<p>Seconds passed, and the minutes wore slowly on. It was past time for -Paul to be back. Grandpa peered out the window, trying to pull car -lights out of the dark. He wished Grandma would not just sit there, -hands folded in prayer. He wished she'd sputter and scold. He wished -she'd say something. Anything.</p> - -<p>He even wished Maureen would say something. But she was intent on her -work. "That's good enough, honey. Better shut the flashbeam off now. We -may be needing it for trips to the barn," he added seriously.</p> - -<p>When at last Paul burst into the house, he set the can of coal oil on -the table without a word. Grandma quickly opened it and poured some in -the base of the lantern.</p> - -<p>"Wa-al?" Grandpa asked as he struck a match and lighted the wick. He -turned it slowly up and watched the flame steady. "Where ye been? Yer -Grandma's nigh crazy with worry over ye. What took ye so long?"</p> - -<p>"I drove around to see how bad the storm is."</p> - -<p>"And how bad is it?"</p> - -<p>"Bad. <i>Real</i> bad."</p> - -<p>"What you lookin' so ashy about?"</p> - -<p>"I got bogged down in the sand on Main Street. The bay water's coming -right over the road and lots of cars are stuck. Fire Chief had to push -me out."</p> - -<p>"Oh...." Grandpa looked concerned. "Ye'd better run my truck up to that -high place by the fence, Paul. If this wind keeps up, no tellin' how -far she'll shove the tide."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_4" id="Chapter_4"><i>Chapter 4</i></a></h2> - -<h3>LET THE WIND SCREECH</h3> - - -<p>The storm was sharpening as Paul moved the truck. If he hurried, he -could look in on Misty once more. Skipper read his thoughts and leaped -out with him, but he didn't dash ahead. He hugged close to Paul, his -action saying, "Two creatures against the storm are better than one."</p> - -<p>The wind swept down upon them and struck with an iron-cold blast. It -took Paul's breath. He had to fight his way, reaching up, grasping for -the clothesline. He might not be able to get out again. Suppose Misty'd -already had her colt and was too frightened to take care of it? Suppose -it suffocated in its birthing bag because no one was there to tear it -open?</p> - -<p>He stumbled over a tree root, and only the clothesline kept him from -sprawling. But now he had to let go. He had reached the post where the -line turned back to the house. He was almost to the corral. Now he was -there. He squeezed through the bars. He reached the shed, crying out -Misty's name.</p> - -<p>She came to him, her breath warm on his face. He put both arms around -her body. The colt was still safe inside her. A wave of love and relief -washed over him as he leaned against her, enjoying the warmth of her -body. He stood there, wondering what she would say to him if she could, -wondering whether she was thinking at all, or just feeling content, -rubbing up against a fellow-creature for comfort.</p> - -<p>Skipper nosed in between them, nudging first one and then the other, -wanting to be part of the kinship.</p> - -<p>"You can stay in here tonight, feller," Paul said. "You'll keep each -other warm." Reluctantly he left them and headed toward the house. The -wind and rain were at his back now, pushing him along as if he were in -the way.</p> - -<p>The kitchen felt cozy and warm by contrast, and the acrid smell of the -coal oil seemed pleasant. The light, though feeble, didn't hide the -worry on Grandma's and Grandpa's faces. But Maureen was humming and -happy, her head bent over small squares of paper. Wait-a-Minute was -perched on her shoulder, purring noisily.</p> - -<p>Paul picked up the cat, warming his fingers in her fur. "What you -doing, Maureen?" he asked.</p> - -<p>She folded one of the squares and held it up in triumph. "Isn't it -exciting, Paul?"</p> - -<p>"What's it supposed to be?"</p> - -<p>"Why, a birth announcement, of course."</p> - -<p>"Gee willikers! Horsemen don't send out announcements!"</p> - -<p>"I know that. But Misty's different. Everybody's heard how she came -from the wild ones on Assateague and chose to live with us 'stead of -her own kin."</p> - -<p>Paul held the folder close to the light. He studied it curiously and -in surprise. On the top sheet were three sketches of horses' heads. -The one on the left was unmistakably Misty, and the one on the right -could have been any horse-creature except that it was carefully labeled -"<i>Wings</i>." Between the two, in a small oval, there was a whiskery -colt's face and underneath it a dash where the name could be printed in -later.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus16.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Right purty, eh, Paul?" Grandpa asked.</p> - -<p>"Look at the inside," Grandma urged.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus17.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Paul opened it and read aloud: "<i>Little No-Name out of Misty by Wings. -Misty out of The Phantom by The Pied Piper. Wings out of a wild mare by -a wild stallion.</i>" He pulled at his forelock, thinking and studying the -pedigree.</p> - -<p>"One thing wrong," he said with authority.</p> - -<p>Maureen's lips quivered. "Oh, Paul, I can't help it if I can't draw -good as you."</p> - -<p>"It's not that, Maureen. The pictures are nice. Better than I could -do," he admitted honestly. "But in pedigrees the stallion's name and -<i>his</i> family always come first."</p> - -<p>"But, Paul, remember how Misty's mother outsmarted the roundup men -every Pony Penning until she birthed Misty? The Pied Piper was penned -up every year, and if it hadn't been for Misty, likely The Phantom -never, ever would of been captured. Remember?"</p> - -<p>"'Course I remember! I brought her in, didn't I?" He stopped and -thought a moment. "But I reckon you're right, Maureen. This pedigree -<i>is</i> different. Misty and The Phantom should come first."</p> - -<p>"These children got real hoss sense, Idy," Grandpa bragged. "I'm so -dang proud o' them I could go around with my chest stickin' out like a -penguin." He strutted across the room, trying to stamp out his worry.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the lights flashed on and a voice blared over the radio: "... -is in the grip of the worst blizzard of the winter. Twelve inches -of snow have fallen in central Virginia and still more to come. At -Atlantic City battering seas have undercut the famous board walk. Great -sections of it have collap...." The voice was cut off between syllables -as if the announcer had been strangled. Again the house went dark, -except for the flame in the lantern and a rim of yellow around the -stove lids.</p> - -<p>"Supper's ready," Grandma sang out in forced cheerfulness. "Guess we -can all find our mouths in the dark. These oysters," she said as she -ladled the gravy over each plate, "is real plump, and the batter bread -is light as a ... as a...."</p> - -<p>"As a moth?" Paul prompted.</p> - -<p>"Well, mebbe not that light," Grandma replied.</p> - -<p>They all sat down in silence, listening to the sound of the wind -spiralling around the house. Suddenly Grandpa pushed his chair back. "I -can't eat a thing, Idy," he said. "But you all eat. I just now thought -'bout something."</p> - -<p>"'Bout what, Clarence?"</p> - -<p>"'Bout Mr. Terry."</p> - -<p>Grandma put down her fork. "That's the man who moved here to -Chincoteague last fall, ain't it?"</p> - -<p>As Grandpa nodded his head, Paul broke in. "He's the man who has to -live in a kind of electric cradle."</p> - -<p>"That's the one. His bed has to rock, Idy, or he dies. And now with the -electric off, he may be gaspin' for air like a fish out o' water. Me -and Paul could go over and pump that bed by hand."</p> - -<p>He hurried into the sitting room, to the telephone on the little table -by the window. "Lucy," he told the operator, "please to get me Miz' -Terry. She could be needin' help."</p> - -<p>Grandma put Grandpa's plate back on the stove. Everyone stopped eating -to listen.</p> - -<p>"That you, Miz' Terry?" Grandpa's voice boomed above wind and storm.</p> - -<p>Pause.</p> - -<p>"You don't know me, but this here's Clarence Beebe over to Pony Ranch, -and I was jes' a-wonderin' how ye'd like four mighty strong arms to -pump yer husband's bed by hand."</p> - -<p>There was a long pause.</p> - -<p>"Ye don't say! Wal now, ain't that jes' fine. But ye'll call me if ye -need hand-help, eh?"</p> - -<p>Grandpa strode back to the table, sat down and stuffed his napkin under -his chin.</p> - -<p>"What did Miz' Terry say?" asked Grandma, setting his plate in front of -him.</p> - -<p>Grandpa ate with gusto. He slurped one oyster, then another, before he -would talk. "Why, ye'd never believe it, Idy, how quick people think! -First, Charlie Saunders, who's in charge of the hull Public Service—he -calls Miz' Terry and warns her 'bout the wind bein' high and the -electric liable to go out, so she calls Henry Leonard down to the -hardware store, and almost afore she hung up there was a boy knockin' -at her door with a generator and some gasoline to run it."</p> - -<p>Grandpa sighed in satisfaction. "So let the wind screech," he said, -"and let the rain slap down, and let the tide rip. We're all here -together under our snug little roof."</p> - -<p>A good feeling came into the room. The lantern flame seemed suddenly -to shine brighter and the homely kitchen with its red-checkered cloth -became a thing of beauty.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus18.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - - - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_5" id="Chapter_5"><i>Chapter 5</i></a></h2> - -<h3>NINETY HEAD</h3> - - -<p>Before second helpings the storm struck in full fury. It came whipping -down the open sea like some angry, flailing giant. It shook the house, -rattled the shutters, clawed at the shingles.</p> - -<p>The kitchen, so snug and secure a moment ago, suddenly seemed fragile -as an eggshell.</p> - -<p>Grandpa and the children rushed to the sitting-room window. They could -not see beyond the windowpane itself. Only wind-driven rain, streams -of rain, slithering down the glass, bubbling at its edges. Every few -moments one ghostly beam from the lighthouse over on Assateague sliced -through the downpour—then all was blackness again.</p> - -<p>Maureen tugged at Grandpa's sleeve. "Grandpa! What if Misty's baby is -being born? Right now? Will it die?"</p> - -<p>Paul, too, felt panic. "Grandpa!" he yelled. "Let's go out there."</p> - -<p>But Grandpa stood mesmerized. He wasn't seeing this storm. He was in -another storm long ago, and he was thinking: "'Twas the wind and waves -that wrecked the Spanish ship and brought the ponies here. What if -the wind and waves should swaller 'em and take 'em back again!" In -his darkened thoughts he could see the ponies fighting the wreckage, -fighting for air, fighting to live.</p> - -<p>And suddenly he began to pray for all the wild things out on a night -like this. Then he thought to himself, "Sakes alive! I'm taking -over Idy's work." He turned around and saw her at the sink washing -the dishes as if storms were nothing to fret about. A flash of -understanding shuttled between them. They would both hide their fears -from the children.</p> - -<p>Paul's voice was now at the breaking point. And Grandpa knew the -questions without actually hearing the words. But he had no answer. He, -too, was worried about Misty. He put one arm around Paul and another -around Maureen, drawing them away from the window, pulling them down -beside him on the lumpy couch.</p> - -<p>"There, there, children, hold on," he soothed. "Buckle on your blinders -and let's think of Fun Days. I'll think first. I'm a-thinkin'...."</p> - -<p>In the dark room it was almost like being in a theater, waiting for the -play to begin. And now Grandpa was drawing the curtain aside.</p> - -<p>"I'm a-thinkin'," he began again, "back on Armed Forces Day, and I'm -a-ridin' little Misty in the big parade 'cause you two both got the -chickenpox. Recomember?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," they agreed politely. And for Grandpa's sake, Paul added, "Tell -us about it."</p> - -<p>"Why, I can hear the high-school band a-tootlin' and a-blastin' as -plain as if 'twas yesterday. And all of 'em in blue uniforms with -Chincoteague ponies 'broidered in gold on their sleeves. And now comes -the Coast Guard, carryin' flags on long poles, marchin' to the music, -and right behind 'em comes me and the firemen a-ridin'."</p> - -<p>Now the children were caught up in the drama, reliving the familiar -story.</p> - -<p>"Misty, she weren't paradin' like the big hosses the firemen rode. -She come a-skylarkin' along, and ever'where a little rife of applause -as she goes by. But all to once she seen a snake—'twas one of them -hog-nose vipers—and 'twas right plumb in the middle of the street, and -she r'ared up and come down on it and kilt it whilst all the cars in -the rear was a-honkin' 'cause she's holdin' up the parade."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus19.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Grandpa stopped for breath. He gave the children a squeeze of mingled -pride and joy. "Why, she was so riled up over that snake she like to -o' dumped me off in the killin'. But I hung on, tight as a tick, and I -give her a loose rein so's she could finish the job, and...."</p> - -<p>Maureen interrupted. "Grandpa! You forgot all about our pup."</p> - -<p>Grandpa winked at Grandma. His trick had worked. He had lifted the -children out of their worry. "Gosh all fish-hawks," he chuckled, "I -eenamost did. What was that little feller's name?"</p> - -<p>"Why, Whiskers!" Maureen prompted.</p> - -<p>"'Course," Grandpa said, scratching his own whiskers as he remembered. -"Well, that pup was a-ridin' bareback behind me, and when Misty r'ared, -he went skallyhootin' in the air. But you know what? He picked himself -up and jumped right back on, after the snake-killin' was done. And -Misty won a beautiful gold cup for bein' the purtiest and bravest pony -in the hull parade."</p> - -<p>"And that was even afore she became famous in the movie," Paul added.</p> - -<p>Grandpa stopped, groping in desperation for another story. In the short -moment of silence a gust of wind twanged the telephone wires and wailed -eerily under the eaves.</p> - -<p>Maureen's face went white. "Oh, Grandpa!" she whimpered. "Is Misty's -baby going to die?"</p> - -<p>"No, child. How often do I got to tell you I'm the oldest pony raiser -on this-here island, and if I know anything at all about ponies, -Misty'll hold off 'til the storm's over and the sun's shinin' bright as -a Christmas-tree ball."</p> - -<p>Paul leaped from the couch. "Grandma!" he challenged. "Do <i>you</i> believe -that?"</p> - -<p>Grandma was putting away the last of the dishes, and did not reply. The -question was so simple, so probing. She wanted to tell the truth and -she wanted to calm the children. "As ye know," she said at last, "I -had ten head o' children, and it seemed like <i>they</i> did the deciding -when was the time to appear. But from what yer Grandpa says, ponies is -smarter'n people. They kin hold off 'til things is more auspicious."</p> - -<p>Grandpa brushed the talk aside. "I got another worriment asides Misty," -he said. "She's safe enough on high ground and in a snug shed. But what -about all my ponies up to Deep Hole?" He jerked up from the couch. "I -got to call Tom Reed."</p> - -<p>"Clarence," Grandma reproached, "Tom Reed's an early-to-bedder. Time we -bedded down, too. It's past nine."</p> - -<p>"I don't keer if it's past midnight," he cried in a sudden burst. "I -<i>got</i> to call him!" But he didn't go to the phone. He suddenly stood -still, his hands clenched into fists. "Somethin' I been meanin' to tell -ye," he said with a kind of urgency.</p> - -<p>No one helped him with a question. Everyone was too bewildered.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus20.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"All I know in this world is ponies. Ponies is my life," he went on. -"And ever' Pony Penning I buy me some uncommon purty ones." Now the -words poured from him. "Some fellers salt their money in insurance and -such, but I been saltin' mine in ponies. And right now I got ninety -head. And they're up to Deep Hole in Tom Reed's woods. I <i>got</i> to know -how they are!"</p> - -<p>"Ninety head!" Grandma gasped. "I had no idea 'twas so many."</p> - -<p>"Well, 'tis." Grandpa's voice was tight and strained. "If the ocean -swallers 'em, we're licked and done." He looked at the children. "And -there'll be no schoolin' for this second brood o' ours." He rubbed the -bristles in his ears, the worry in his face deepening. "One of the -ponies is Wings."</p> - -<p>"Oh ... oh...." Maureen's lips trembled as if she had lost a friend. -"Not Wings!"</p> - -<p>"Not Wings!" Paul repeated.</p> - -<p>"Who's Wings?" Grandma demanded.</p> - -<p>"Why, Grandma," Paul said, "he's the red stallion who stole Misty away -for two weeks last spring. Don't you remember? He's the father of -Misty's unborned colt."</p> - -<p>Maureen went over to Grandpa and took his gnarled old hand into hers -and pressed it against her cheek. "Tonight I'm going to send up my best -prayer for Wings. And for all ninety head," she added quickly. "But, -Grandpa, we don't mind about school. Honest we don't."</p> - -<p>"'Course not," Paul said. "We'll just raise more ponies from Misty."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_6" id="Chapter_6"><i>Chapter 6</i></a></h2> - -<h3>OCEANUS</h3> - - -<p>"Try oncet more, Lucy! Just oncet more!" Grandpa was imploring the -operator.</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen were on the floor at Grandpa's feet, listening -anxiously. Grandma brought in the lantern and set it on the organ near -him as if somehow it would help them all hear better.</p> - -<p>After an unbearable wait Grandpa bellowed, "Tom! That you, Tom? How are -my ponies?"</p> - -<p>A pause.</p> - -<p>"What's that? You're worried about your son's <i>chickens</i>!" Grandpa -clamped his hand over the mouthpiece and snorted in disgust. He -summoned all of his patience. "All right, tell me 'bout the chickens, -but make it quick." He held the receiver slightly away from his ear so -that everyone could listen in.</p> - -<p>"My son," Tom Reed was shouting as loud as Grandpa, "raises chickens up -to my house, you know."</p> - -<p>"Yup, yup, I know."</p> - -<p>"He's got four chicken houses here, and he comes up about eight o'clock -tonight, and wind's a-screeching and a-blowing, and the stoves burn -more coal when the wind blows hard."</p> - -<p>"I know!" Grandpa burst forth in annoyance. "But what about...."</p> - -<p>"He puts more coal on and he asks me to help, and tide wasn't too far -in then. But when we'd done coaling, he goes on back to his house. And -an hour or so later he calls me up all outa breath. 'Tide's risin' -fast,' he says. 'Storm's worsening. I can't get back up there. Will you -coal the stoves for me?' So I goes out...."</p> - -<p>Grandpa stiffened. "What'd ye find, Tom? Any o' my ponies?"</p> - -<p>"All drowned."</p> - -<p>A cry broke from the old man: "All ninety head?"</p> - -<p>"They was all drowned, two thousand little baby chicks. They was -sitting on their stoves like they was asleep. The water just come right -up under 'em. I guess two-three gasps, and they was all dead."</p> - -<p>"Oh." Grandpa held tight to his patience. He was sorry about the -chickens, but he had to know about his ponies. He cleared his throat -and leaned forward. "Tom!" he shouted. "<i>What about my ponies?</i>"</p> - -<p>There was a long pause. Then the voice at the other end stammered, "I -don't know, Clarence, but no cause to worry—yet. Stallions got weather -sense. They'll just drive their mares up on little humpy places."</p> - -<p>Grandpa wasn't breathing. His face turned dull red.</p> - -<p>"They must of sensed this storm," the voice went on. "Tonight after I -watered 'em, they just wanted to stay close to the house. But I drove -'em out to the low pasture like always. I'll go out later with my -flashbeam. You call me back, Clarence."</p> - -<p>There was a choking sound. The children couldn't tell whether it was -Grandpa or a noise on the line.</p> - -<p>"You hear me, Clarence? I'll go out now. Call me back."</p> - -<p>Blindly Grandpa put the receiver in place. He went to the window and -stood there, his head bowed.</p> - -<p>No one knew what to say. Their world seemed to hang like a rock -teetering on a cliff.</p> - -<p>The quiet felt heavy in the room, with only the wind screaming. -Suddenly Grandpa turned around. His eyes seemed to throw sparks. "Idy! -Play something loud. Bust that organ-box wide open. March music, mebbe. -Anything to drown out that wind. And Paul and Maureen, quit gawpin'. -Get up off'n the floor and sing! Loud and strong. Worryin' won't do us -a lick o' good."</p> - -<p>Grandma was relieved to have something to do. She plumped herself on -the organ bench, spreading out her skirt as if she were on the concert -stage. "Now then," she turned to Grandpa, "I'll play 'Fling Out the -Banner.'"</p> - -<p>"I don't know the words," Paul said.</p> - -<p>"Me either," Maureen chimed in.</p> - -<p>"Ye can read, can't ye?" Grandpa barked. "Here's the song book. Go -ahead now. I'll be yer audience."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus21.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>The organ notes rolled out strong and vibrant, and the children sang -lustily:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"Fling out the banner, let it float</div> - <div class="verse">Skyward and seaward, high and wide...."</div> -</div></div> - -<p>When they were well into the second verse, Grandpa silently tiptoed -into the hall, put on his gumboots and slicker, and let himself out -into the night.</p> - -<p>A flying piece of wood narrowly missed his head as he went down the -steps, and a piece of wet pulpy paper hit him full in the face. He -wiped it off and focused his light to see the path to the corral. But -there was no path; it was covered by water. He drew his head into -his coat and sloshed forward, bent double against the wind. "'Tain't -a hurricane, it's naught but a full tide," he kept telling himself. -"Still, I don't like it, with Misty so close to her time."</p> - -<p>Inside the shed all was dry and warm. Misty was lying asleep, with -Skipper back-to-back. The light brought the collie to his feet in a -twinkling. He almost knocked Grandpa down with his welcome. Misty -opened wide her jaws and yawned in Grandpa's face.</p> - -<p>He couldn't help laughing. "See!" he told himself. "Nothing to worry -about. Hoss-critters is far smarter'n human-critters." He fumbled in -his pocket and found a few tatters of tobacco and said to himself, -"Watch her come snuzzlin' up to me." And she did. And he liked the feel -of her tongue on his hand and the brightness of her eye in the beam of -his flashlight.</p> - -<p>Affectionately he wiped his sticky palm on her neck and said, "I got to -go in, Misty, now I know ye're all right. See you in the morning, and -by then all the water'll slump back into the ocean where it b'longs."</p> - -<p>When he came into the kitchen, Grandma was standing with a broom across -the door. "Praises be, ye're safe!" she exclaimed. "I been holdin' -these young'uns at bay. They wanted to follow ye."</p> - -<p>"Grandpa! Has the colt come?" Maureen and Paul asked in one breath.</p> - -<p>"Nope. And if I'm any judge, 'tain't soon. Now everybody to bed. Things -is all right. We got to think that."</p> - -<p>"Paul and I, we can't go to bed yet," Maureen protested.</p> - -<p>"And why can't ye?"</p> - -<p>"We haven't done our homework."</p> - -<p>"Clarence," Grandma said, "you're all tuckered out, and you can't call -Tom Reed 'cause our telephone's dead as a doorknob. So you go on to -bed. I'll listen to the homework so's no more members of this household -tippytoe out behind my back."</p> - -<p>Grandpa patted everyone good night and went off, loosening his -suspenders as he went.</p> - -<p>"I feel like Abraham Lincoln studying by candlelight," Maureen said, -bringing her pile of books close to the lantern.</p> - -<p>"Wish you looked more like him," Paul teased, "instead of like a wild -horse with a mane that's never been brushed."</p> - -<p>"Humph, <i>your</i> hair looks like a stubblefield."</p> - -<p>"Children, stop it!" Grandma interrupted. "Ye can have yer druthers. -Either ye go to bed or ye get to work."</p> - -<p>Paul weighed the choices, then reluctantly opened his science book. -But at the very first page he let out a whistle. "Listen to this! 'If -the ancients had known what the earth is <i>really</i> like, they would have -named it Oceanus, not Earth. Huge areas of water cover seventy per cent -of its surface. It is indeed a watery planet.'"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus22.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Now that's right interesting," Grandma said, putting a few sticks of -wood into the stove.</p> - -<p>"Yes," Maureen pouted, "a lot more interesting than trying to figure -how many times 97 goes into 10,241."</p> - -<p>Paul waxed to his lesson as a preacher to his sermon. "Listen! 'People -used to say the tides were the breathing of the earth. Now we know they -are caused by the gra-vi—gra-vi-ta—gra-vi-ta-tion-al pull of the moon -and sun.'"</p> - -<p>"I do declare!" Grandma said. "It makes my skin run prickly jes' -thinkin' about it."</p> - -<p>"Go on!" Maureen urged. "What's next?"</p> - -<p>Paul read half to himself, half aloud. "'When the moon, sun, and earth -are directly in line—as at new moon and full moon—the moon's and the -sun's pulls are added together and we have unusually high tides called -spring tides.'"</p> - -<p>Grandma sat rocking and repeating, "I declare! I do declare!" until -her head nodded. Suddenly she jerked up and looked at the clock. "Paul -Beebe! Stop! It's way past ten and, lessons or no, we all got to get to -bed. <i>This instant!</i>"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus23.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_7" id="Chapter_7"><i>Chapter 7</i></a></h2> - -<h3>THE SEA TAKES OVER</h3> - - -<p>All night long Paul heard the driving rain and the wind lashing the -dead vine across his window. Even in his dreams he heard it. As gray -daylight came, his sleepy voice kept mumbling, "They should've named it -Oceanus ... Oceanus ... Oceanus."</p> - -<p>His own words brought him awake. Scarcely touching his toes to the cold -floor, he leaped to the window and pulled the curtain aside. He stared -awestruck.</p> - -<p>The sea was everywhere, all around. The tide had not ebbed. It had -risen, its waves dirtied and yellowed by sand and jetsam. They were -licking now against the underpinning of the house. Suddenly Paul knew -it was more than rain he had heard in his dreams. It was the sea on its -march to the house.</p> - -<p>All at once fear was sharp in him, like a pain. Misty had drowned! She -had drowned because she was trapped in a stall. He himself had bolted -and locked and trapped her. If only, long ago, he had sent her back to -Assateague with the wild things where she belonged! Then she could have -climbed the White Hills and been saved. If only.... If...!</p> - -<p>Angry at himself, almost blaming himself for the storm, he pulled on -his blue jeans over his pajamas. And he yelled for Grandpa as he tore -through the silent house to the back hall.</p> - -<p>The old man was already there, struggling into his hip boots. "Shush! -Shush!" he whispered. "You'll wake yer Grandma and Maureen. Ain't -nothing they can do to help. Mebbe," his voice was tight and bitter, -"ain't nothing anybody can do."</p> - -<p>Paul hoped Grandpa wouldn't notice the tremble of his hands as he -buttoned his jacket. But Grandpa was busy gathering up a pile of -supplies—some old, worn bath towels, a thermos jug of hot water, a box -of oatmeal, and a small brown paper sack. He stuffed the towels inside -his slicker, picked up the jug, and gave the oatmeal and the sack to -Paul.</p> - -<p>"Mind you keep them dry," he cautioned. "The sack's got sugar -inside ... in case o' emergency."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus24.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>He opened the door, and the old man and the boy stepped out into -a terrifying seventy-five-mile-an-hour gale. The sudden pressure -half-knocked Paul's breath out. The rain blew into his eyes faster than -he could blink it away. He felt Grandpa thrust a strong arm through -his, and linked tight together they flung themselves against the wind, -floundering ankle-deep in the choppy water. Paul's heart hammered in -his chest and he cried inside, "Please, God, take the sea back where it -belongs. Please take it back."</p> - -<p>As they stumbled along, Grandma's new-hatched chicks swept by them and -out to sea on the tide. And they saw two squawking hens, their feet -shackled by seaweed, struggling to reach their chicks. But they were -already out of sight. Paul and Grandpa, too, were helpless to save them.</p> - -<p>Numb and weary, they reached the shed, and to their relief it was a -windbreak. They caught their breath in its shelter. At least, Paul -thought, the wind won't rush in when we open the door.</p> - -<p>Grandpa set down his jug. Paul opened the door just a crack. Fearfully, -uncertainly, they peered in. They stared unbelieving. Maureen, looking -like a wet fish or a half-drowned mermaid, sat dozing on Misty's back. -Skipper was sleeping at her feet, curled up in a furry ball.</p> - -<p>As the door creaked on its hinges, Misty shied and Maureen fell off in -a surprised heap. She bounced up like a jack-in-the-box.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus25.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Wal, I never!" Grandpa clucked as he and Paul went inside. "Seems like -we're intrudin'. Eh, Paul?"</p> - -<p>Paul's surprise turned to resentment. "Least you could've done, -Maureen, was to wake me up."</p> - -<p>"And who usually goes off alone?"</p> - -<p>"Who?"</p> - -<p>"You! Remember when you sneaked Grandpa's boat and went to Assateague -all alone?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, that! That was no place for a girl."</p> - -<p>"Stop it!" Grandpa shouted. He gave Maureen a gentle spank, then -turned to Paul. "We've got all the makings here. You and Maureen fix a -hot mash for Misty. I'll wade over to the hay house and see to Watch -Eyes and Billy Blaze and the mares. You two wait for me here."</p> - -<p>Later, at breakfast, Paul started to tell Grandma about her chicks, but -he couldn't bring himself to do it. She was spooning up the porridge, -trying to hide her fears with nervous chatter. "As you said, children, -there's a time to go to school and a time to stay home. Well, this-here -is the time to stay home. I won't have you going out again and catchin' -the bad pneumonia."</p> - -<p>"Guess ye're right, Idy," Grandpa agreed.</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen merely nodded. For once, a holiday from school did not -seem attractive. They ate in silence.</p> - -<p>"I've a good mind to feed you sawdust after this," Grandma went on. -"Not a one of ye would know the difference."</p> - -<p>Halfway through, Grandpa pushed his bowl of porridge aside. "It's -stickin' in my gullet," he said. He got up from the table and stood -over the stove, flexing his fingers. "Any way ye look at it," he sighed -heavily, "we're bad off. Our old scow tore loose in the night—it's -gone. And likely our ninety head up to Deep Hole are gone, too." His -body shivered. "But even so," he added quietly, "we're lucky."</p> - -<p>Maureen sat up very straight. "You have me and Paul," she said solemnly.</p> - -<p>"That's 'zactly what I mean! We got us two stout-built grandchildren, -and they're not afeard to buckle down and pull alongside us."</p> - -<p>Paul stood up. He felt strong and proud, as if he could tackle -anything. "I'm going with you, Grandpa."</p> - -<p>"How'd ye know I'm going anywheres? But I am! I got to get over to -town. Human folk may need rescuin'."</p> - -<p>Grandma's lips pressed into a thin line. "Ye can't go! There's no road! -Water'd come clean up over your boots."</p> - -<p>"There, there, Idy. The wind's let up some, and Billy Blaze and Watch -Eyes is used to plowin' through water. If they can't walk, they kin -swim. Boy, ye ready?"</p> - -<p>Paul shot a look of triumph at Maureen and immediately felt ashamed.</p> - -<p>"Clarence!" Grandma pleaded, trying to keep her menfolk at home. "I -won't have you going off and over-straining yourself. You, and me too," -she added quickly, "is getting agey. Besides, soon the telephone will -come on, and the electric, and we can all set cozy-like and listen to -the news on the radio."</p> - -<p>"If everyone was to stay home, Idy, a lot of folk might go floatin' out -to sea like yer baby chicks." He clapped his hand over his mouth. He -hadn't meant to tell her. But now it was too late.</p> - -<p>Grandma's eyes filled. She covered her face with her hands. "Pore -little chickabiddies," she whispered, "with their soft yellow fuzz -and their beady birdy eyes." She wiped her tears with her apron. "All -right, go 'long," she said. "I just hope your herd up to Tom's pasture -ain't met the same fate."</p> - -<p>Grandpa put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "That's another reason I got -to go," he said. "When I'm fightin' the elements, I can't be grievin' -about my herd. If they've weathered the night, they'll last the day. -And if they ain't...."</p> - -<p>"I'll keep watch on Misty," Maureen offered. "And if there's any -trouble, Grandma knows all about birthing."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_8" id="Chapter_8"><i>Chapter 8</i></a></h2> - -<h3>PAUL TO THE RESCUE</h3> - - -<p>By the time Paul and Grandpa set out on Watch Eyes and Billy Blaze, the -wind had dropped to fifty miles an hour. Yet the water from the ocean -was stealthily creeping up and up as if to reclaim this mote of land -and take it back to the sea. Spilling and foaming, the tide continued -to rise—flooding chicken farms, schoolyards, stores and houses—in its -surge to join ocean and bay.</p> - -<p>Watch Eyes and Billy Blaze were used to surf and boggy marsh, for they -had been on many a wild pony roundup. Feeling ahead for footholds they -pushed forward, step by step, not seeming to mind the water splashing -up on their bellies.</p> - -<p>Grandpa, on Blaze, cupped one hand about his mouth and yelled above the -wind. "Turn off at Rattlesnake Ridge, Paul. We'll stop at Barrett's -Grocery first and get the news."</p> - -<p>Paul nodded as though he had heard. He was staring, horror-struck, at -the neighbors' houses. Some had collapsed. And some had their front -porches knocked off so they looked like faces with a row of teeth -missing. And some were tilted at a crazy slant.</p> - -<p>Anger boiled up in Paul—anger at the senseless brutality of the storm. -He rode, shivering and talking to himself: "The big bully! Striking -little frame houses that can't stand up to it, drubbing them, whopping -them, knocking their props out."</p> - -<p>A street sign veered by, narrowly missing the horses' knees. <i>98th -Street</i>, it said. Grandpa turned around to make sure he had read it -aright. "My soul and body!" he boomed. "It scun clean down from Ocean -City! That's thirty mile away!"</p> - -<p>Without warning, Watch Eyes suddenly slipped and went floundering. -Paul's quick hand tightened on the reins, lifting his head. He felt -Watch Eyes jolt, then stretch out swimming. "Go it! Go it!" he shouted, -and he stood up in his stirrups, feeling a kind of wild excitement. -This was like swimming the channel on Pony Penning Day. Only now the -water was icier and it was spilling into his boots, soaking his blue -jeans and the pajamas he still had on. Yet his body was sweating and he -was panting when they reached the store.</p> - -<p>In front of Barrett's Grocery two red gas pumps were being used as -mooring posts for skiffs and smacks and trawlers. A Coast Guard DUKW, -called a "duck," and looking like a cross between a jeep and a boat, -came churning up alongside Grandpa and Paul. The driver called out: -"Mr. Beebe! We need you both." His voice was a command. "Tie up your -horses in Barrett's barn and come aboard."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus26.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>From under the tarpaulin a child's voice cried excitedly, "Paul, how's -Misty?"</p> - -<p>And another spoke up. "Has she had her baby yet?"</p> - -<p>Paul shook his head.</p> - -<p>Mr. Barrett's barn had a stout ramp, and Watch Eyes and Billy Blaze -trotted up and inside like homing pigeons. After Paul and Grandpa had -loosened the ponies' girths and slipped the bits under their chins, -they waded out to the DUKW. The passengers squeezed together to make -room. Then the DUKW turned and chugged toward the village.</p> - -<p>"Sir!" Paul asked the driver. "Could you take us up to Deep Hole to see -about Grandpa's ponies?"</p> - -<p>Grim-faced, the man replied, "Got to save people first."</p> - -<p>As they turned onto Main Street, which runs along the very shore of -the bay, Paul was stunned. Yesterday the wide street with its white -houses and stores and oyster-shucking sheds had been neat and prim, -like a Grandma Moses picture. Today boats were on the loose, bashing -into houses. A forty-footer had rammed right through one house, its bow -sticking out the back door, its stern out the front.</p> - -<p>Nothing was sacred to the sea. It swept into the cemetery, lifted up -coffins, cast them into people's front yards.</p> - -<p>Up ahead, a helicopter was letting down a basket to three people on a -rooftop. Grandpa gaped at the noisy machine in admiration. "I itch to -be up there," he shouted, "lifting off the old and the sick."</p> - -<p>Paul too wanted to do big rescue work.</p> - -<p>As if reading his mind, the driver turned to him. "Son," he said, "do -you feel strong enough to save a life?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir!"</p> - -<p>"Good. You know Mr. Terry—the man who has to live in a rocking bed?"</p> - -<p>Paul nodded. "It rocks by electric, but he's got a gasoline generator -now. Mrs. Terry was telling Grandpa last night."</p> - -<p>"Yes, but along about midnight the gas ran low. It took the firemen an -hour to get through this surf to deliver more gas to keep the generator -running. He's still alive...."</p> - -<p>"Then what can I do?" Paul asked.</p> - -<p>"Plenty, son. The whole island's running out of gas, and until -helicopters can bring some in, that respirator's got to be worked by -hand."</p> - -<p>"Oh. 'Course I'll help."</p> - -<p>The driver now turned to Grandpa. "These folks," he said, indicating -his passengers, "are flooded out. We'll take them to the second story -of the Fire House for shelter. Then we got to chug up to Bear Scratch -section and rescue a family with six children. Whoa! Here we are at the -Terrys'."</p> - -<p>The DUKW skewered to a stop in front of a two-story white house.</p> - -<p>"Good luck, Paul. When the gas arrives, grab any DUKW going by, and -we'll meet you back at Barrett's Store along about noon."</p> - -<p>Paul got out and plowed up to the house. The door opened as he stumbled -up the flooded steps, and Mrs. Terry greeted him. Her face was pale, -and there were deep circles under her eyes, but she smiled. "You've -come to man the generator?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir—I mean, yes, ma'am," Paul stammered. "I'm Paul Beebe."</p> - -<p>"Oh," she smiled again. "So you're the Beebe boy. You're the one who -rescued Misty when she was a baby and nearly drowned."</p> - -<p>"Yes, ma'am."</p> - -<p>"And to think that now she's going to have a baby of her own."</p> - -<p>"Yes, ma'am. Any minute."</p> - -<p>All the while she watched Paul pulling off his boots and jacket Mrs. -Terry talked to him, but her head was cocked, ears alert, listening to -the steady hum of the generator in the next room.</p> - -<p>"We've so little gas left," she said. "The doctor says I'm to save it -in case relief-men get worn out." She led the way down the hall to Mr. -Terry's bedroom.</p> - -<p>Paul blanched. Hospitals and sick rooms gave him a cold clutch of fear. -But the moment he saw Mr. Terry smiling there in his rocking bed he -was all eagerness to help. Maybe he could do a better job than an old -machine. Maybe he could pump stronger and faster, so Mr. Terry'd get a -lot more air in his lungs and his face wouldn't look so white.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Terry showed Paul how to work the controls. "He's used to just -twenty-eight rocks a minute," she explained. "No faster."</p> - -<p>"Hi, son." The voice from the bed was weak but cheerful. "It's good of -you to help."</p> - -<p>Paul bent to his work, pushing up and down in steady rhythm, -twenty-eight strokes to the minute. Maybe, he thought as the minutes -went by, now I can qualify for a volunteer fireman. He was glad he -was used to pumping water for the ponies. And that set him thinking -of Misty, and the bittersweet worry rushed over him again so that he -barely heard Mrs. Terry.</p> - -<p>"How wonderful people are, Paul," she was saying. "With their property -wrecked and their own lives endangered, they are so concerned about us. -And we aren't even Chincoteaguers. We just came here to retire."</p> - -<p>Paul heard the words far off. He was thinking: Sometimes newborn colts -don't breathe right away and horse doctors have to pump air into their -lungs with their hands—like this, like this, like this. Down, up, -down, up, down, up. Would it be twenty-eight times a minute for a -little foal? Or more? Or less? How would he know? Why hadn't he asked -Dr. Finney, the veterinarian from Pocomoke?</p> - -<p>Runnels and rivulets of sweat were trickling down his back; his face -and hair were dripping as if he were still out in the rain.</p> - -<p>"Paul!" Mrs. Terry was saying, "Look! A whole beautiful tank of gas has -come. And the DUKW man is waiting to give you a ride back. High time, -too. You're all tuckered out, poor lamb!"</p> - -<p>Mr. Terry smiled and shook hands with Paul. "In my book, you are a -hero," he said.</p> - -<p>In Barrett's store the smell of fresh-ground coffee and cheese and -chewing tobacco was mixed with the stench of wet boots and dead fish. -Paul stepped inside and closed the door.</p> - -<p>Groups of men were standing, knee deep in water, gabbling to each -other like long-legged shore birds. Paul waited by the door until Tom -Reed beckoned him over.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus27.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Yes, sir-r-r!" a man with a cranelike neck was saying, "I figure two, -three pressure areas come together and made a kind of funnel."</p> - -<p>Mr. Barrett was waiting on customers and listening at the same time. He -leaned over the counter. "To my notion," he said, "this storm made a -figure eight and come back again afore the tide ever ebbed."</p> - -<p>Paul tugged at Tom's sleeve. "Mr. Reed," he whispered, "what about -Grandpa's ponies up to your place?"</p> - -<p>"Don't know, Paul. And we won't 'til we can get back into the woods. -Water's too deep to walk in, and the DUKWs are too busy rescuin' -people."</p> - -<p>The storekeeper leaned across the counter, nosing in between Paul and -Tom Reed. "Who's next, gentlemen?"</p> - -<p>Paul felt in his pocket, counting his money. "I have thirty-nine -cents," he said. "I can buy two cans of beans."</p> - -<p>"If only we'd of got some notice of this storm," Mr. Barrett was saying -as he spilled the coins into the drawer. "With a hurricane you know -ahead, and when it's over, it's over."</p> - -<p>"Yup," the men agreed. "A hurricane blows crazy, then it's gone. But a -tidal storm sneaks up on you and stays."</p> - -<p>Wyle Maddox, the leader of the roundup men, had been listening as he -crunched on an apple. He came over now to Tom Reed. "Tom," he said, -"you're blest with mother-wit. You're the one knows most about sea and -sky. How do <i>you</i> figure it?"</p> - -<p>The small, spare man blushed. "Pshaw, Wyle, I'm no authority, but as -I see it, the storm looped and come back, and kept a-pressin' and -a-pressin' the water into the bay instead of letting it go out at ebb -time."</p> - -<p>"But why is the water so high on the bay side nearer the mainland?"</p> - -<p>"'Cause usually it's a nor'west wind that helps the tide flow back -out of the bay, but this time, wind blew nor'east and the water jes' -swelled up into a bulge at the narrows, and it had to go somewheres."</p> - -<p>The door suddenly opened, letting in the sound and cold of the wind, -and with it came Grandpa Beebe, looking hale and ruddy alongside the -lean fisherfolk.</p> - -<p>"What's the news?" Mr. Barrett called out.</p> - -<p>Grandpa looked from face to face. "Bad," he said. "Government's -declared Chincoteague a disaster area."</p> - -<p>A cry of scorn went up. "Disaster area? That's no news."</p> - -<p>"But <i>this</i> is! A hull fleet of heelyacopters is comin' in from the -military this afternoon and we're all supposed to e-vac-u-ate over to -the main."</p> - -<p>"E<i>vac</i>uate?" The word dropped like a time bomb. Then the explosion.</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"What fer?"</p> - -<p>"Mebbe okay for sick folk."</p> - -<p>"Yeh. Or the homeless."</p> - -<p>"Me, I got a second story."</p> - -<p>"Me, too."</p> - -<p>Everyone was talking at once. Everyone but Paul. He felt a hard lump in -his stomach. He would refuse to go ... unless they took Misty, too. The -storekeeper rapped on the counter for silence. "Fellers, let's hear Mr. -Beebe out."</p> - -<p>Grandpa took a moment before he went on. "Tide's supposed to come up -higher," he announced. "Four feet higher."</p> - -<p>"<i>Four feet!</i> Why, that'll flood the whole island. Every house, every -store. Even the Fire House and the churches!"</p> - -<p>"But that's only half the reason. Government says there could be an -epidemic of the typhoid, 'cause of all the dead chickens and fish -a-rottin' and mebbe"—Grandpa avoided Paul's eyes—"mebbe dead ponies."</p> - -<p>The talk ceased. There was a sudden exodus. Men sloshing heavy-footed -out of the store, getting into their boats, going home to their -families, figuring out how to break the news.</p> - -<p>"Come, Paul," Grandpa beckoned.</p> - -<p>Paul followed along. "I bought us two cans of beans," he offered, not -knowing what to say.</p> - -<p>"Ain't goin' to need 'em," Grandpa said gruffly; then he turned to look -at Paul. "They might taste real good, though, come to think of it."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus28.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_9" id="Chapter_9"><i>Chapter 9</i></a></h2> - -<h3>WAITING FOR THE WHIRLYBIRD</h3> - - -<p>Getting home was rough going and agonizingly slow. The horses plodded -through the water when they could, and swam when they had to. Paul and -Grandpa stopped once to let them blow. Then they pressed on, man and -creature eager for Home.</p> - -<p>Almost there, Paul saw the higher ground of Pony Ranch with the -buildings still standing brave and whole—the cottage, its green roof -darkened by the rain, the made-over chicken coop and the hay house -and the smokehouse—but they looked littler than before, and somehow -frightened, with the sea creeping up on them.</p> - -<p>At the gate Grandpa made his decision. "Ride down to the smokehouse, -Paul," he said. "Pick us out a big ham. If we got to go, we ain't -showin' up over on the main empty handed. I'll dry off Billy Blaze and -see about Misty."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus29.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Skipper swam out to meet Paul, then paddled alongside all the way to -the smokehouse. Round as a silo and perched on the highest spot of the -ranch, the smokehouse was a landmark for ships in the channel. Inside, -it was a friendly place, with its exciting smells, sweet and smoky. In -the little while it took Paul to select the biggest ham and to cut a -piece of rind for Skipper, the rain turned to icy sleet.</p> - -<p>Grandpa was throwing an old red blanket over Misty when Paul looked -in. "Grandpa!" he cried. "Misty's standing in water!"</p> - -<p>"So'm I!"</p> - -<p>"But you're not going to have a colt!"</p> - -<p>"Wisht I was. Then maybe I'd get a bit o' coddlin'."</p> - -<p>"But, Grandpa! What are we going to do with her?"</p> - -<p>"The only thing left to do."</p> - -<p>"What's that?"</p> - -<p>"Take her smack into the kitchen."</p> - -<p>"Into <i>Grandma's kitchen</i>?"</p> - -<p>"The very one. And that's where she's goin' to stay 'til tide ebbs."</p> - -<p>"Whew! How're you going to ask her?"</p> - -<p>"I ain't askin'. I'll jes' put her halter on and lead her up the steps -and onto the porch and in through the door."</p> - -<p>"No, I mean how you going to ask Grandma."</p> - -<p>"O-h. I ain't askin' her, neither. I'll jes' tell her, quiet-like."</p> - -<p>But Grandpa didn't tell her quietly. He led up to it like a growing -storm. "Idy! Maureen!" he thundered as he and Paul stomped in. "Yer -menfolk are home."</p> - -<p>"Praised be the Lord!" Grandma exclaimed. "I been so worried I couldn't -do a lick o' work. Just sat by the window praying double-quick time."</p> - -<p>"Tell it now," Paul whispered to Grandpa.</p> - -<p>"Now ain't the time."</p> - -<p>"But Misty's feet are wet."</p> - -<p>"Won't hurt her none. Salt water's good for feet, man or beast." He -turned now to Grandma. "Idy, dear, don't set the table. We'll jes' -stand up and eat beans and sop up the 'lasses with some of yer good -bread. Then we got some packin' to do, Idy dear."</p> - -<p>Grandma mimicked. "Don't you 'Idy-dear' me, Clarence Beebe! What you up -to? Yer face is red as a gobbler's wattle."</p> - -<p>Paul giggled nervously. Often he had thought their tom turkeys and -Grandpa looked alike, but he had never dared say it. He couldn't stop -giggling. And soon Maureen was laughing along with him.</p> - -<p>Grandma began to chuckle without knowing why. "I declare to goodness! -Hearing people laugh is like sunshine flooding the house."</p> - -<p>"It's floodin' I want to talk to ye about, Idy."</p> - -<p>The laughter stopped.</p> - -<p>Grandpa's voice was stern. "All morning heelyacopters been carryin' off -the sick. Now they're comin' for folks as is well."</p> - -<p>"Not me, they ain't!" Grandma flared up. "They can jes' count me out! -I'm too old to start riding acrost the sky in an eggbeater."</p> - -<p>"All righty! Mebbe ye prefers stayin' here and havin' sharks and crabs -slinkin' into yer house and grabbin' ye." He winked at the children. -"Recomember the day when that crab pinched yer Grandma when she was -bendin' over, gatherin' oysters? Why, she went off like one o' them big -rockets from Wallops Beach."</p> - -<p>Grandma turned her back and began slicing bread with a vengeance.</p> - -<p>"But what'll happen to Misty?" Maureen asked in alarm.</p> - -<p>"<i>I'll</i> stay with Misty," Grandma announced without turning around. -"Much as I dislikes treating ponies like folks, I admit to a kinship -when she's having a baby."</p> - -<p>Grandpa cut open the can of beans with his knife. "Paul," he growled, -"mebbe <i>ye</i> can explain things to yer Grandma."</p> - -<p>"It's true, Grandma," Paul said, helping himself to the heel of bread. -"Tide's coming back four foot higher, and the island's going to be -contamin—going to be spoilt rotten with dead chickens and stinky fish -and snakes and mushrats and maybe even dead horses." He looked at -Grandpa, wishing he hadn't said that. Then he went on quickly. "Health -officials want everybody to clear out. They say there could be a fierce -epidemic."</p> - -<p>No one spoke. Grandma sat down at the table and stared vacantly. She -brushed imaginary crumbs into her hand.</p> - -<p>"Wa-al, Idy," Grandpa said, "ye can have yer druthers. Do ye want to -stay and take a chance on losin' Paul and Maureen to the typhoid? Or do -ye want to light out now, afore the tide pushes us out?"</p> - -<p>For the first time Grandma began to waver. "Why, I had no idea 'twas -that bad, Clarence."</p> - -<p>"Wal, 'tis! Way to look at it is: people <i>got</i> to go. Why, up to the -north end of the island there was one big fat lady, weighed nigh two -hundred pound, and this lady and her teenage girl and her girl's beau -was a-sittin' in their house just talkin' away, and all to once a big -whoosh o' the sea come spang into their sittin' room, and they was -scramblin' atop tables and chairs, and they would've clumb into the -attic if they'd a had one. But they didn't. An' that young boy, he had -to saw a hole in their ceilin', mind ye, and he clumb up into the -teensy air space there under the roof, and with him a-pullin' and the -girl a-pushin' they squeezed the mother up through the hole." Grandpa -stopped for breath.</p> - -<p>"What happened to them?" Maureen asked. "Were they there all night?"</p> - -<p>"Yup, and 'long 'bout daybreak the boy sawed a hole in the roof and -they all clumb out, and later one o' them whirlybirds come down and -rescues the three o' them from the rooftop, all shivery and wet and -hungry.</p> - -<p>"Now, Idy, how'd ye like it if we had to cut a hole in our purty green -roof, and I'd have to haul ye up like a sack o' potatoes?"</p> - -<p>Paul nudged Grandpa. "Tell her now."</p> - -<p>"So ye see, Idy, we could be next. Already flood waters is seepin' into -Misty's stable. She's comin' into yer kitchen," he announced, "and -that's where she's going to stay 'til the tide's out."</p> - -<p>"Good heavings!" Grandma looked beaten.</p> - -<p>"Now then," Grandpa went on heartily, "ye better start packing. We'll -want a blanket apiece and we're takin' a beautiful ham to surprise the -mainlanders. And speakin' o' eatin', these beans is Paul's treat."</p> - -<p>At last Grandma accepted the truth. She began to scurry about, talking -to herself. "We got to take some soap for sure, and we'll have to have -a comb and...."</p> - -<p>Grandpa and the children left her to her bustling. There was much to -be done before the helicopter came. Misty had to be brought into the -kitchen and, before that, the marsh ponies in the hay house had to be -made comfortable.</p> - -<p>"Let's lift down the top bales," Grandpa directed when they reached -the long shed. "We'll pile 'em two deep over the hull floor. That way -even their feet'll be dry."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus30.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"And if we don't break open the bales," Paul said, "it'll take them -just that much longer to eat the hay."</p> - -<p>"They could live for a week in here," Maureen said.</p> - -<p>"'Zackly!" Grandpa nodded. "No need to worry 'bout them."</p> - -<p>Then it was Misty's turn. Paul had expected to lead her out of her -stall quietly and that she would foot her way along carefully, as -any broodmare should. But the moment he put on her halter, she began -quivering as if the wind and waves called up the wildness in her. Her -head went up, her tail went up, her ears pricked sharply. And even in -the bitter cold she broke out in sweat.</p> - -<p>"Whoa there, girl, whoa," Paul soothed. He slid his hand through her -halter as he opened her door. But with one leap she was in the water, -lifting him off his feet. She didn't want to be led. She wanted to -splash and play like any Chincoteague pony.</p> - -<p>Grandpa grabbed her from the other side. "Maureen!" he yelled, "you hop -on and ride her to the steps. Me and Paul'll guide her from behind."</p> - -<p>Maureen climbed aboard. Through her legs she could feel Misty's heart -pounding. The water was up to Misty's knees. Then a swirl of it hit her -belly. She tried to jump over it.</p> - -<p>Maureen grabbed a handful of mane. "Yahoo!" she cried in startled -surprise.</p> - -<p>Misty tried one more leap, then settled down and went steadily forward. -She reached the steps well ahead of Paul and Grandpa, who came wading -up, out of breath.</p> - -<p>"Now here's the touchy part," Grandpa panted. "Steps're mighty slippy -and we don't want her fallin' and hurtin' herself."</p> - -<p>But Misty had been up these steps before. She clomped up happily, -lifting each foot high. On the top step she paused, mesmerized. A -little brown rabbit sat stock-still on the porch rail, not a whisker -twitching. It seemed more statue than real. The two creatures stared -at each other, the big soft brown eyes and the small beady ones. Misty -snorted as if to say, "What you doing here? Go on back to your briar -patch!" But the rabbit never budged, not even when Misty stretched out -her neck and breathed right in its face.</p> - -<p>Grandpa guffawed. Even then the cheeky little thing stood its ground, -more afraid of the rising water than of people or ponies.</p> - -<p>"He's sassing Misty," Paul laughed. "'Don't eye me, ma'am,' he's -saying, 'I been flooded out. Same as you.'"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus31.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>At last Misty grew bored and ambled across the porch, through the back -hall, and right into the kitchen. When they were all crowded inside, -Grandpa took off his hat in a sweeping bow. "Meet Idy, my wife," he -said.</p> - -<p>Grandma winced. "We met before," she said drily. Then her heart melted. -"Take off yer purty red shawl, Misty," she said, entering into the -game, "and make yerself to home." She went to the refrigerator while -Misty followed after, snatching a streamer of her apron.</p> - -<p>Grandma jumped in fright, almost stumbling over her apron on the floor. -"Why, that ungrateful rascal! I've a good notion to put these carrots -back in the box." But she didn't. She held them out and let Misty lip -them. "Feels tickly, her lips and whiskers, don't they?"</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen exchanged glances.</p> - -<p>Grandma stiffened. "You're all dripping pools of water on my clean -floor." She sighed. "But no matter now, I guess. How soon will the -heelyacopter come for us?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"Right soon," Grandpa replied. "Come on, son, we better hurry and haul -in plenty of straw for Misty."</p> - -<p>After they had made a deep rustly bed for her in the kitchen, there was -nothing left to do. Four blankets and the ham were ready and waiting, -and Misty was already at home, contentedly munching wisps of hay while -Maureen combed her mane.</p> - -<p>As the minutes dragged on, Grandma grew pale and fidgety. She busied -herself pouring an extra bowl of milk for Wait-a-Minute. Then she began -watering her sweet potato vine and her fern.</p> - -<p>"That's my girl," Grandpa came over and patted her shoulder. "That's -my girl." Then he broke into a sudden howl as he caught her wetting -down a plant of artificial violets.</p> - -<p>Even Grandma laughed at herself and her color came back. "Believe now -I'll just sit down and play us a hymn," she said. "I hate waiting for -anything, 'specially heelyacopters."</p> - -<p>She opened up the organ and began playing and singing. Her voice -quavered at first, then grew stronger as if she wanted to reach God in -his heaven, direct.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"<i>Je</i>-sus, <i>Sav</i>-iour, <i>pi</i>-lot <i>me</i>,</div> - <div class="verse"><i>O</i>-ver <i>life's</i> tem-pest-uous <i>sea</i>;</div> - <div class="verse"><i>Un</i>-known <i>waves</i> be-fore me <i>roll</i>,</div> - <div class="verse"><i>Hi</i>-ding <i>rock</i> and treach-erous <i>shoal</i>;</div> - <div class="verse"><i>Chart</i> and <i>com</i>-pass <i>come</i> from <i>Thee</i>;</div> - <div class="verse"><i>Je</i>-sus, <i>Sav</i>-iour, pi-lot <i>me</i>."</div> -</div></div> - -<p>"That's great, Idy. Misty's ears is keeping time, turning ever' which -way."</p> - -<p>Then Grandpa saw the helicopter breaking through the dun-colored sky. -"Play it once more," he urged. "Just once more!" No use worrying her -too soon, he thought.</p> - -<p>Again Grandma's trembly voice filled the little house.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"<i>Je</i>-sus, <i>Sav</i>-iour, <i>pi</i>-lot <i>me</i>,</div> - <div class="verse"><i>O</i>-ver <i>life's</i> tem-pest-uous <i>sea</i>."</div> -</div></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_10" id="Chapter_10"><i>Chapter 10</i></a></h2> - -<h3>BACKYARD LANDING</h3> - - -<p>The helicopter was chewing into the wind, coming closer and closer to -Pony Ranch. Almost over the house it stopped in midair, engine roaring. -It silenced even Grandma's music.</p> - -<p>Everyone flew to the window, including Misty. They watched as the noisy -machine hung over their heads.</p> - -<p>"He's trying to decide!" Paul yelled.</p> - -<p>"Who is? What?" Maureen wanted to know.</p> - -<p>"The pilot, silly. He's figuring out where to land."</p> - -<p>Grandpa was spellbound. "Ain't that beautiful? It's hangin' in the air -jes' like a hummer-bird."</p> - -<p>"Oh, mercy me!" Grandma cried as the helicopter tilted drunkenly, and -began a steep vertical descent. "Oh ... oh! It's going to set right in -my daffydil bed!"</p> - -<p>Like a bird aiming for its nest, the helicopter hovered over the -mounded-up flower bed, then squatted down on the tiny patch.</p> - -<p>Grandma watched in dismay as its rotors spit sand and water in every -direction. She hid her face in her hands. "Oh, Clarence! Oh, Clarence!" -she sobbed. "I can't go. I can't!"</p> - -<p>"And why can't ye?" Grandpa demanded.</p> - -<p>"Because, because...." She groped for a reason. "Misty'll ruin my -linoleum and...." Here the sobbing became a wail, "... she'll chew on -my nice new table with the let-down leaves."</p> - -<p>"No, she won't!" Paul was on the defensive. "I'll stay and watch her."</p> - -<p>"You listen to me, Paul Beebe," Grandpa exploded. "Anybody stayin' -behind'll be me, head o' the household. Quick now! Everybody grab a -blanket. I'll go out and explain things to that pilot." He started for -the door.</p> - -<p>Grandma reached it first and made a barricade of herself. Her crying -was done. "If'n you stay behind, Clarence, we all do. Either we go as a -fambly or we stay as a fambly."</p> - -<p>Grandpa sighed, half amused, half annoyed. "Then everything's settled. -Throw yer mind outa gear, Idy, and get yer duds on."</p> - -<p>While Grandma was struggling into her overboots, Grandpa and the -children were doing last-minute chores: opening a window from the top, -just a crack, taking vegetables from the refrigerator and scattering -them in amongst Misty's hay. Last of all, Grandpa put the stopper in -the sink and turned on the cold water. "Makes a neat water trough, eh?" -he chuckled, avoiding Grandma's eyes.</p> - -<p>"You think she can manage without us?" Maureen asked.</p> - -<p>"We got to think that, honey. And even if the tide seeps in, I made -this straw bed so thick the little colt won't even get his hinder wet."</p> - -<p>"Sure," Paul added. "And see how Wait-a-Minute is cozying up to Misty. -They'll keep each other company. And see how calm she is, watching -that 'copter. She's saying, 'I've seen big birds flapping their wings -before.'"</p> - -<p>"Oh, Paul, I wish I could read critters' minds the way you do."</p> - -<p>"That's easy, Maureen. You just got to be smart as them."</p> - -<p>Mr. Birch, the Coast Guard man, welcomed the Beebes at the foot of the -stairs. Standing there in the water he looked like a preacher, ready -to baptise his flock. "Wisht everybody was prompt, like you folks," he -said as he herded them toward the helicopter, "and willing to cooperate -without arguin'."</p> - -<p>"We did all that afore you came," Maureen said.</p> - -<p>Mr. Birch laughed. "Leave it to the young'uns to come out with the -truth!" He helped Grandma up the steps and into the shuddering plane. -"See, Mrs. Beebe, it's easier than boarding a train."</p> - -<p>Maureen started to follow but suddenly turned to Paul, and almost in -unison they let out one cry. "Skipper! Skipper!" They both called -frantically. "<i>S-k-i-p-p-e-r!</i>"</p> - -<p>Mr. Birch was shaking his head. "Sorry, children. We just have room for -folks on this trip. All dogs stay behind."</p> - -<p>"Put him in the kitchen, too," Grandma offered.</p> - -<p>"Skipper! Here, Skipper!" The children whistled and screamed. But there -was no sign of him. Only the water swirling, and the trees bending with -the wind.</p> - -<p>"All aboard!" the pilot called out. "We got another pickup to make -before dark. All aboard!"</p> - -<p>Likely Skipper's drowned, Paul thought but didn't say aloud. He got -into the helicopter and took a seat where he could look out at the -house. But he refused to look.</p> - -<p>"Fasten your seat belts!" the pilot ordered.</p> - -<p>"Now, ain't this excitin'?" Grandpa yelled, as the blades overhead -began whirring madly and the helicopter rose slowly off the earth and -climbed straight up and up. "It's just like bein' in a elevator."</p> - -<p>Grandma shook her head. She leaned toward the earth, taking a long last -look at Pony Ranch, saying good-bye to it. Grandpa squeezed her hand -comfortingly, and he looked down, too, down at the little house growing -smaller and smaller.</p> - -<p>"Such a racket!" Maureen cried. "Sounds faster than we're going."</p> - -<p>Grandma held her hands over her ears. "Feels as if a thousand dentists -are drilling inside my head."</p> - -<p>"On your store teeth?" Paul grinned.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Paul, stop teasing. I wish ... I wish you and Maureen was littler. -If only I had a baby to hold, I'd feel braver."</p> - -<p>Grandma soon got her wish. At the next stop they picked up the Hoopers -and the Twilleys and young Mrs. Whealton with her squalling baby. Just -as the father of the baby was about to board, the pilot poked his head -out the window. "Sorry, sir. We're full. You'll have to wait for the -next one."</p> - -<p>Quickly the young man tried to hand in a pile of diapers, but a gust of -wind tore most of them away and they went flying off like kites.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Whealton, clutching her baby, started to get out.</p> - -<p>"Stay put, lady. Everybody! Stay put!"</p> - -<p>"I'll be along soon," Mr. Whealton called. And before the door closed, -he thrust in the remaining diapers and the baby's bottle.</p> - -<p>As the helicopter took off, Mrs. Whealton began sobbing louder than her -baby. The passengers looked at one another, helpless and embarrassed. -All except Grandma. She opened wide her arms.</p> - -<p>"You just hand that little tyke acrost to me," she smiled, "and wipe -yer eyes. You kin busy yerself foldin' the few diapers you got left."</p> - -<p>Willingly Mrs. Whealton passed the baby across the aisle and into -experienced hands. The crying stopped at once.</p> - -<p>The northeast wind shook the helicopter, but it obeyed the pilot's -stick. "We take no back talk from the elements," Mr. Birch said to -reassure his passengers.</p> - -<p>The plane was heading into the wind, flying low over the channel and -over the long rib of sand that was Assateague. Everyone scanned the -hills and woods for wild ponies.</p> - -<p>"I see a bunch!" Paul cried.</p> - -<p>"I knowed it! I knowed it!" Grandpa exulted. "They're atop the White -Hills."</p> - -<p>The pilot tried to hold the plane steady, but the gale buffeted it -mercilessly. Twice he circled the herd, then climbed and headed due -west. The island of Assateague seemed to be sailing backward, and now -they were over Chincoteague again.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Birch!" Maureen shouted. "Look at the people on that raft. They're -waving a white flag."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus32.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"I see it," Mr. Birch answered, "but it's a housetop, not a raft, and -they're waving a bedsheet. They don't know we got a full load."</p> - -<p>From the cockpit the pilot called back, "We'll get 'em on the next -trip. No, we won't!" he contradicted. "I see another chopper heading -this way. They'll beat us to it."</p> - -<p>Mr. Hooper, a quiet little man, said his first words of the trip. -"Sky's so full o' whirlybirds we're goin' to need a traffic cop up -here."</p> - -<p>In spite of all the tragedy, the passengers couldn't help smiling at -Mr. Hooper's joke.</p> - -<p>"Yup," Grandpa agreed. "I can eenamost see a policeman mounted on a -cloud like a parson in a pulpit."</p> - -<p>But the make-believe fun didn't last. Now they were over the big bay of -water, and now they could see the wavy shore of the mainland. Slowly -the helicopter came down from the sky onto a landing field at Wallops -Station. A thin fog was closing in and the night lights were already on -as the Beebes and Hoopers and Twilleys and Mrs. Whealton tumbled out -of the plane like seeds from a pod. A gust of wind swept them into a -little huddle.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the adventure and excitement were over. Standing there in the -rain, Paul felt what he was, a refugee, homeless and cold and hungry. -And half his mind was far away in a hay-strewn kitchen.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_11" id="Chapter_11"><i>Chapter 11</i></a></h2> - -<h3>REFUGEES</h3> - - -<p>Wallops Station is on the mainland of Virginia, just across the bay -from Chincoteague Island. Once it had been a Naval Air Station, teeming -with activity—planes roaring off and gliding in; signal crews waving -orders; officers and men, pilots and engineers, radio technicians -and clerks all criss-crossing from building to building. Then the -government closed the base, and for three years the buildings stood -empty, like a forest of dead trees.</p> - -<p>But when the helicopter landed that stormy March evening, lights were -blazing in every window. The whole place had come to life. Fire trucks -were racing to meet helicopters, rushing sick refugees to the emergency -hospital and others to the barracks and even the administration -building.</p> - -<p>The storm was now twenty-four hours old. Wind still blowing strong. -Rain gusty. Clouds low. No moon, no stars.</p> - -<p>At the edge of the landing strip the little clump of passengers stood -huddled, clutching their blankets, staring at the yellow headlights -coming toward them.</p> - -<p>"Which building?" a fireman called out as he drove the truck within -earshot.</p> - -<p>Grandpa Beebe shouted back, "Don't know. Be there a fire?"</p> - -<p>The driver replied with a boom of laughter, "There's no fire, Old -Timer. I simply got to ask each family if they want to go where their -friends are. Climb in, folks."</p> - -<p>"Hey, Chief," Grandpa addressed the driver, "we don't any of us know -one building from t'other. But if it's all the same to you, it'd be -best to see to little Mis' Whealton first. In that shawl she's got the -teensiest baby you 'most ever see."</p> - -<p>The driver nodded. "Good idea," he said, backing and turning and -roaring away. He dropped Mrs. Whealton and her baby at the hospital, -left the Hoopers and the Twilleys at one of the barracks, and took -the Beebe family to the mess hall. "There's more children here," he -explained.</p> - -<p>Wet and weary, Grandpa and Grandma, Paul and Maureen climbed the flight -of stairs to the second floor, clutching their blankets. Paul still had -the ham, now slung over his shoulder. An arrow on the wall pointed to -an open door down the hall. Light streamed out and voices buzzed.</p> - -<p>The room, half filled with refugees, was large and bright, and it -smelled of wet wool and rubber boots, and fear and despair.</p> - -<p>"Make yourself to home," an earlier arrival greeted them. "Just find -a little spot to call your own. Lucky thing you have blankets. These -floors are mighty hard for sleeping."</p> - -<p>For a moment the Beebes stood looking around, trying to accustom -their eyes to the light. Benches were lined up against the walls and -scattered throughout the room. Most of the people were strangers to -them, refugees from Nag's Head probably, or other islands nearby. They -sat paralyzed, like animals caught in a trap, not struggling any more, -just numbed. Only their eyes moved toward the entrance as each new -family trudged in.</p> - -<p>"They all look sad and full of aches," Grandma said, searching for a -place to sit down.</p> - -<p>"I see an empty bench," Maureen called, and led the way in and out -among suitcases and camp chairs and children.</p> - -<p>An old grizzled seaman in a ragged jacket came over and confronted -Grandpa. He swore loud oaths to sea and sky. "Can't believe it could -happen here," he said, pounding his fist on his hand. "Why, ye read -'bout it elsewheres...."</p> - -<p>"Yeah. Tidal waves slam up in faraway places, but you never dream about -it happening here."</p> - -<p>At the far end of the room women from the Ladies' Aid were bringing in -platters of sandwiches and a huge coffee pot.</p> - -<p>"Take our ham over to them, Paul," Grandma said. "Mebbe they'd like to -cut it in chunks and bake it with potatoes for tomorrow. I'd feel a -heap happier if I could help," she confided to Maureen.</p> - -<p>When the table was readied, people began forming in line. And all at -once they were no longer trapped animals. They were human beings again, -smiling at one another, sharing stories of rescue. Drawn by the smell -of food, a long-eared pup shot out of a blanket and ran toward the -table, his mistress after him.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus33.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Paul and Maureen joined the chase. "How'd you do it? How could you -bring your dog?" Paul asked.</p> - -<p>"Why, he's all the family I got, and I just rolled him up in his -blanket. This afghan is really his," the woman explained, "and he -burrowed into it like a turtle in his shell. The pilot didn't even see -him. Tonight," she added with a smile, "he's got to share his blanket -with me, for a change."</p> - -<p>Maureen admired the dog, thinking of Skipper. "We couldn't find our -Skipper," she said as she stroked and petted the little pup.</p> - -<p>The lady was all sympathy. "Tell me about your dog."</p> - -<p>"We had a big collie right up until time to leave," Paul answered.</p> - -<p>"And we got a pony in our kitchen back in Chincoteague," Maureen spoke -up.</p> - -<p>The woman seemed suddenly to recognize Paul. "Why, you're the boy who -caught a wild mare over to Assateague and set her free again."</p> - -<p>The children nodded.</p> - -<p>"And the pony in your kitchen—is it Misty?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, ma'am, it's Misty, all right."</p> - -<p>The woman was excited. "Why, they been talking about her on the radio. -Children who saw her movie are swamping the stations with calls, -wanting to know if she drowned."</p> - -<p>"She's safe," Paul said. "That is, she...." He stopped. He could feel -his heart throbbing in his ears. In a split-second dream he was back on -Chincoteague with the ocean rolling and pounding in under the house, -and with a horrible hissing sound it was breaking the house apart, and -in the same instant Misty was swept out to sea until her mane became -one with the spume. Paul shook off the dream as the woman called three -young children to her.</p> - -<p>"You youngsters," she said, "will be glad to know that Misty's safe in -the Beebes' kitchen. And this is Paul and Maureen Beebe."</p> - -<p>Wide-eyed, the children pelted them with questions. In the pain of -uncertainty Paul answered what he could. Then he turned away, pulling -Maureen along back to their bench. Grandma put an arm around each of -them. "More folks are coming in," she said, trying to put their world -back together. "Now mebbe we'll get some heart'ning news."</p> - -<p>In a daze Paul and Maureen listened to the bits and pieces of talk.</p> - -<p>"Old Dick Evans died trying to save his fish nets. Got plumb exhausted. -His heart give out."</p> - -<p>"When <i>we</i> flew over, I saw how the waves had chawed big chunks out of -the causeway, and six autos were left, half-buried in sand. Even one of -the DUKWs was stuck."</p> - -<p>"When we flew over, the sea had swallowed up the causeway. Why, -Chincoteague is cut off from the main like a boat without an anchor."</p> - -<p>"I heerd that a lady over to Chincoteague had a husband and two -children that couldn't swim. She swum two blocks in that icy water for -help. Nearly died afore one of them DUKWs fished her up and drug her, -sobbin' and drippin', to the Fire House. Then they goes back for her -husband and kids." The speaker paused. "But guess what?"</p> - -<p>"What?" someone asked.</p> - -<p>"Why, between whiles a whirlybird airlifted 'em off'n the roof and -they thought <i>she'd</i> drownt and she thought <i>they'd</i> drownt. And later -they all got together at the Fire House."</p> - -<p>"See, children," Grandma whispered, "some of the news is right good."</p> - -<p>A young reporter carrying his typewriter joined the gathering. "I -heard," he said, "that a hundred and fifty wild ponies were washed -right off Assateague."</p> - -<p>"O-h!" The news was met by a shocked chorus.</p> - -<p>"Before I write that for my paper, I'd like you folks to give me your -comments." He took out a notebook and pencil.</p> - -<p>A strained silence followed. The reporter looked around at the tight -faces and put his notebook away.</p> - -<p>Then the talk began again.</p> - -<p>"I s'pose we oughtn't be thinking about wild ponies when people are bad -off," a white-haired woman said.</p> - -<p>"But what would it mean to Chincoteague," the reporter asked, "if Pony -Penning Day had to be stopped for lack of ponies?"</p> - -<p>Grandpa Beebe roused up. "Why, Chincoteague has took her place with -the leading towns of the Eastern Shore. And mostly it's the wild pony -roundup did it."</p> - -<p>"That's what I say," a chorus of voices agreed.</p> - -<p>"And if we had to stop it," Grandpa went on, "Chincoteague and -Assateague both would be nothin' but specks on a map."</p> - -<p>The reporter scribbled a few notes. Then he looked up. "Any of you hear -about the man swept out to sea on a dining-room table while his wife -accompanied him on the piano?"</p> - -<p>His joke met with grim silence. It was too nearly true to be funny.</p> - -<p>Grandma tugged at Grandpa's sleeve. "Clarence," she said, "we been -hearing enough trouble. You tell the folks 'bout me and my violet -plant."</p> - -<p>Grandpa forced himself to smile. For the moment he put the worry aside. -"Folks," he said, "my Idy here commenced waterin' her plants afore we -took off. She give 'em a right smart nip. And then, split my windpipe -if she didn't wet down the artyficial violet the kids give her for -Christmas. She even saucered the pot to catch the come-through water, -and dumped that in too!"</p> - -<p>A young woman laughed nervously. "I can match that story," she offered. -"The sea kept coming in under our door and kept pushing up my little -rug, and I took my broom and tried to whisk it away, and then I got my -dustpan and tried to sweep the water into it! A broom and a pan against -the sea!"</p> - -<p>A man, looking sheepish, said, "I tried the same stunt in my barn, only -I used a shovel and a wheelbarrow!"</p> - -<p>The talk petered out. Then a minister got up and prayed for a good -night's sleep and for the tide to ebb and the wind to die. Gradually -the people went back to their benches. One by one the lights were -switched off, except for the night lights over the doors.</p> - -<p>As the Beebes settled down in their corner, Grandpa whispered, "Close -your eye-winkers, chirren, turn off your worries, and snore away the -night." Then he got down on the floor, wrapped himself up like an -Indian, and began breathing in deep, rhythmic snores.</p> - -<p>"What better lullaby?" Grandma sighed.</p> - -<p>And Paul and Maureen caught his calm, and they too slept.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_12" id="Chapter_12"><i>Chapter 12</i></a></h2> - -<h3>WAIT-A-MINUTE COULDN'T</h3> - - -<p>By six o'clock the next morning the men had been outside summing up the -weather, and had come in to report: "Wind's slacked up a bit. Still -blowin' nor'nor'east. Sky's cloudy, but no rain."</p> - -<p>By seven o'clock a new parade of church ladies marched in with big pans -of sweet rolls and pots of steaming hot coffee.</p> - -<p>At eight o'clock a Coast Guard officer, square-jawed and handsome, -strode into the room. He was a big man, and when he pounded for order, -the few left-over rolls jumped on their plates. "Folks," he boomed -out, "I've good news for you." He waited a moment until his scattered -audience finished folding their blankets and quieted down. "You'll -be pleased to know," he announced, "that the Red Cross is coming in, -bringing canned goods and a steam table so you can have nice hot meals."</p> - -<p>One of the church ladies walked out in a huff.</p> - -<p>"And they are bringing cots and pillows, so there'll be no more -sleeping on the floor."</p> - -<p>A shocked silence followed. Who wanted to stay another night? Even on a -cot? Everyone wanted to get home.</p> - -<p>"Bear in mind, friends," the brisk voice went on, "this is not a -one-day evacuation. More refugees will be coming in."</p> - -<p>"Where'll we put 'em?" several voices demanded.</p> - -<p>The officer ignored the interruption. "By order of the State Department -of Health, no women or children can return to Chincoteague until all -the dead chickens are removed and the other carcasses, too—goats, -dogs, pigs, and of course dead ponies. There could be a plague—typhoid -or worse."</p> - -<p>Grandpa's arms seemed big enough to take in his whole family. "Don't -listen at the man. Ponies got sense. They'll hie theirselves to little -hummocky places and wait it out. And Misty, of course, is dry and -comfortable."</p> - -<p>The officer let the mumblings and grumblings die down. He rapped again -for silence. "The Mayor of Chincoteague has asked for volunteers—only -able-bodied men—to fly back each day to clean up the island and repair -the causeway. Only able-bodied men," he repeated, scrutinizing the -group. "Will all who wish to volunteer come to the front of the room."</p> - -<p>Grandpa leaped forward as if he'd been shot from a cannon. Paul was a -quick shadow behind him.</p> - -<p>"Paul Beebe!" Grandma called out. "You come back!"</p> - -<p>But Paul seemed not to hear. He locked step with Grandpa and they were -almost the first to reach the officer.</p> - -<p>Grandma sighed. "Who can stop a Beebe? We can be proud of our menfolk, -can't we, Maureen?"</p> - -<p>Maureen burst into tears. "Oh, Grandma, being a girl is horrible. Paul -always gets to have the most excitement. And he'll be first to see -Misty's baby. Oh, oh...." And she buried her head in Grandma's bosom -and sobbed.</p> - -<p>"There, there, honey. We'll find something real interesting for you to -do. You'll see."</p> - -<p>A handful of lean, weathered fishermen were now lining up as -volunteers. The officer began counting from the tail of the line. As -he came to Paul, he stopped, trying to make up his mind if he were man -or boy. For the moment he left Paul out and went on with his counting, -"... eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen." At fourteen he paused.</p> - -<p>"But, sir!" Paul heard his own voice sounding tight and urgent. "The -'copter holds fifteen, and Grandpa needs me. Don't you, Grandpa?"</p> - -<p>The officer turned inquiringly to the old man.</p> - -<p>"Fact is," Grandpa said proudly, "when it comes to handlin' livestock -he's worth ten men."</p> - -<p>"That settles it," the officer smiled. "We've completed our first load."</p> - -<p>When the helicopter set down on Chincoteague right beside the Fire -House, the Mayor was waiting for them, standing in the cold and the -wet, slapping his hands together for warmth. He poked his head inside -the cabin, quickly studied the occupants, then clipped out his orders: -"Split into three bunches, men. Beebe, you and Paul go up to Deep Hole -to check on the dead ponies and mark their location for removal by -airlift. Charlie and Jack, you arrange for crews to pile up the dead -chickens at convenient loading points. We'll need the rest of you to -work on the causeway so's we can truck the chickens across. Thank you, -men, for volunteering."</p> - -<p>Three DUKWs were parked alongside the helicopter waiting to take each -group to its base of operation. The driver of the first one beckoned -Grandpa and Paul aboard with a welcoming smile. "You men are lucky," he -said, "your house is okay; at least it was last time I was down there."</p> - -<p>"Is ... uh...." Paul stopped, embarrassed. The Coast Guardsman had just -called him a man, and now he was frightened to ask a question, and more -frightened not to ask.</p> - -<p>"What you lookin' so scairt about?" Grandpa wanted to know.</p> - -<p>"I want to ask him a question," Paul said miserably.</p> - -<p>"Go ahead!" the driver encouraged as he steered through the -debris-clogged street. "Go ahead."</p> - -<p>Holding his breath, Paul blurted, "Is Misty all right? Has she had her -colt?"</p> - -<p>"Sorry, Paul, we been too busy to look in on her. But Mayor says I can -take you there before we go up to Deep Hole."</p> - -<p>It was strange, chugging down Main Street. Paul knew he ought to have -remembered how it was from yesterday. But yesterday Chincoteaguers were -sloshing along in hip boots, or riding horses or DUKWs, and they were -trying their best to joke and laugh. Today there were no home-folk -faces. Grim soldiers were patrolling the watery streets, rifles held -ready.</p> - -<p>"What they here for?" Paul asked.</p> - -<p>"To prevent looting," the Coast Guardsman replied.</p> - -<p>But what's there to loot, Paul wondered, looking at the houses smashed -like match boxes, with maybe only a refrigerator showing, or a bathtub -filled with drift.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus34.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>They passed other DUKWs plying up and down, delivering food to the Fire -House, to the Baptist Church, to the few houses on higher ground where -owners had refused to leave. And they passed heaps of rubble which once -were old landmarks—the oyster-shucking house, and the neat white -restaurant whose owner boasted he bought his toothpicks by the carload. -Now there was not even a toothpick in sight.</p> - -<p>As the DUKW headed eastward to the spit of land that was Beebe's Ranch, -Paul winced. The pretty sign, "Misty's Meadow," was still standing, -but it didn't fit the spot. There was no meadow at all. Only a skim of -murky yellow water.</p> - -<p>Paul felt a strangling fear. He had waited all night and half the -morning to see Misty. Now in sight of the house, he couldn't wait -another moment. He started to jump out.</p> - -<p>Grandpa put a restraining arm across his chest. "Ye're jerky as a fish -on a hot griddle, son. Simmer down. Ponies can't abide fidgety folk."</p> - -<p>After what seemed an eternity but was only a minute, the DUKW jolted to -a stop and Paul and Grandpa were out and up the steps.</p> - -<p>Breathless, Paul opened the door a crack, and all in a split second -his worry fell away. Misty was whinkering as if she too had waited -overlong for this moment, and she started toward him, but stepping very -carefully, lifting her feet high, avoiding something dark and moving in -the straw.</p> - -<p>"My soul and body!" Grandpa clucked, looking over Paul's shoulder. -"Ee-magine that!"</p> - -<p>Then he and Paul were on their knees, and Paul was laughing weakly as -he stroked Wait-a-Minute and admired her litter of four squirming, -coal-black kittens.</p> - -<p>"Ee-magine that!" Grandpa repeated. "Misty's postponed hers, but -Wait-a-Minute couldn't!"</p> - -<p>"A whole mess of kittens in Grandma's kitchen!" Paul said. Disappointed -as he was, he couldn't help laughing.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_13" id="Chapter_13"><i>Chapter 13</i></a></h2> - -<h3>UP AT DEEP HOLE</h3> - - -<p>After he had poked and felt of Misty, Grandpa threw up his hands in -despair. "Could be a week yet."</p> - -<p>Paul groaned, wondering if maybe the foal was dead inside her and that -was why it wouldn't come out, wondering if she was really going to have -a colt at all.</p> - -<p>"Yup," Grandpa said, "mebbe she's goin' to wait till her stall dries -out. She's still got plenty hay, so you feed the cat, whilst I take a -quick gander about the house."</p> - -<p>As Grandpa hurried down the hall, Paul searched the refrigerator. He -took out the pitcher of milk and smelled it. "Phew-eee!" he said to -himself. "She'll just have to be satisfied with the left-over beans."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus35.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Grandpa soon came back, rubbing his hands. "Water seeped into only -one bedroom," he announced. "But the rooms is colder'n a tomb, and -they stink like old fish. Beats all how nice it is here. Somethin' -companionable in the smell of a hoss."</p> - -<p>Misty, as if in appreciation, offered to shake hands.</p> - -<p>"Sorry, gal. No time for tricks 'n treats today. Now then, Paul, come -along. We can't keep the DUKW man waiting forever, and I got to see -'bout my herd up to Deep Hole."</p> - -<p>Tom Reed was getting into his boat when the DUKW reached his place on -the north end of the island. "Figured ye'd come along about now," he -called. "Get out of that new-fangled contraption, Beebe, and climb -aboard my old scow."</p> - -<p>"How come she didn't get blowed away, same as mine?" Grandpa asked -as he and Paul waded over. "And how come you and the missus didn't -evacuate?"</p> - -<p>"I tied her up to the rafters of my barn, that's why."</p> - -<p>Paul grinned. "Is she still hanging there?"</p> - -<p>Tom chuckled at the idea. "No, son, 'twas the boat. Truth is, Marjie -just flat refused to go."</p> - -<p>The driver of the DUKW was turning around, ready to leave. "Hey, Mr. -Beebe," he shouted, "how soon should I come back?"</p> - -<p>Tom answered for him. "No telling, captain. Could be all day. Ye'll -just have to keep checking."</p> - -<p>As Paul climbed into the boat, he noticed a bundle of sticks and a -cellophane bag stuffed with pieces of cloth. "What they for, Tom?" he -asked.</p> - -<p>"They're rags from my wife's scrap bag. They're to make flags to mark -where the dead animals are. Can't expect the 'copters to find 'em if -they don't know where they be."</p> - -<p>Although the air was bitter cold, the wind had lessened and holes -of blue sky showed through the clouds. But the water about them was -muddy-brown and full of drift. Grandpa reached for an oar.</p> - -<p>"Wait a minute!" Tom said. "I got strict instructions from Marjie to -give you coffee afore we set out. Wait a minute."</p> - -<p>Grandpa guffawed. "We got a cat by that name 'cause she never does."</p> - -<p>Paul broke in excitedly. "And she just had four kittens—Matthew, Mark, -Luke, and John."</p> - -<p>"Well, I'll be a chipmunk's tail," Grandpa chortled in surprise. "No -worse'n namin' people for saints who they don't resemble a-tall."</p> - -<p>"Easy to remember, too," Tom said, "and no hurt feelings if you call -one by t'other." He was pouring thick black coffee into the lid of his -thermos. "Its extry stout," he said, offering it first to Paul, "to -fortify us for what's ahead."</p> - -<p>Paul tasted it, trying not to make a face. Then he gulped it down, -feeling it burn all the way.</p> - -<p>Grandpa sipped his, meditating. "Over to Assateague," he thought aloud, -"over in those dunes there's plenty hollows to ketch nice clean rain. -Whatever ponies is left, there's places for 'em to drink. But here...." -All at once he dumped the rest of his coffee overboard. "We got to -rescue the live ones <i>right now</i>, or they'll bloat on this brackish -water. Let's go!" he bellowed.</p> - -<p>With Tom directing, they each took an oar and poled off into the -morass. It was heavy going. The sludgy water was choked with boards -from smashed chicken houses, and with briar and bramble and weedy vines -so thickly interlaced it was like trying to break through a stout -wire fence. Silently the three in the boat threaded their way along, -stopping time and again to push rubbish aside and to scrape the seaweed -from their oars.</p> - -<p>Suddenly there came a thud and a jolt. The three oars lifted as one. -All movement ceased. The men stared down in horror.</p> - -<p>"Oh God!" Grandpa whispered. "It's my Black Warrior!"</p> - -<p>No one spoke. Tom Reed reached down and took one colored square out of -the bag and tied it to a stick. He drove the marker into the mud next -to the stallion's body. "'Twas a piece of Marjie's petticoat," he said -nervously, just to say something. "I allus liked it with all the bright -pink flowers."</p> - -<p>Grandpa's eyes looked far off. "I was proud of the Warrior," he said -quietly. "He used to help on Pony Penning Days to drive the really -wild 'uns to the carnival grounds, and his tail was so long it sweeped -the street, and his coat a-glistenin' like black sunshine. Recomember, -Paul?" He wiped his arm across his eyes. Then his voice changed. "Move -on!" he commanded. "We got to find the livin'."</p> - -<p>The grim search went on. A quiet hung over the bog, except for the -sloshing of oars and twigs snapping as the scow moved heavily along. -Then a raucous, rasping sound sliced into the quiet of the morning.</p> - -<p>"Look!" Paul cried. "Crows!"</p> - -<p>The men poled faster until they came to a cloud of bold black birds -flapping over a huddle of dead ponies.</p> - -<p>Grandpa's face twisted in pain. "The Warrior's mares and colts," he -said in utter desolation.</p> - -<p>It was almost as if they were alive. Some were half-standing in the -water, propped up by debris. They looked as if they were old and asleep.</p> - -<p>"Guess they just died from exposure and cold." Tom's voice quavered, -but his words were matter of fact. "One flag can do for all."</p> - -<p>Grandpa got out of the boat and he grabbed the flag from Tom's hands. -He stabbed it hard and fierce into the mud. Then he took a good look, -and he began to name them all, saying a little piece of praise over -each: "This one's a true Palomino. She had extry big ears, but gentle -as the day, even though she'd never been rode. And this great big -old tall mare was blind of one eye, but she had a colt ever' spring, -reg'lar as dandylions. And this mare, she's got some pretty good age to -her. She's somewhere in her twenty."</p> - -<p>The crows came circling back, cawing at Grandpa. Angrily he whipped -them away with his hat. "Likely she's had twelve, fifteen head in her -day, and expectin' again." He sighed heavily. "That Black Warrior was -a good stallion. He died tryin' to move his family to safety, but ..." -his voice broke "... they just couldn't move."</p> - -<p>The heart-breaking work went on. They came upon snakes floating, and -rabbits and rats. And they found more stallions dead, with their mares -and colts nearby. And they found lone stragglers caught and tethered -fast by twining vines. As the morning dragged into noon, and noon into -cold afternoon, the pile of flags in the boat dwindled.</p> - -<p>Sometimes an hour went by before they came on anything, alive or dead. -Then Tom would chatter cheerfully, trying to lighten the burden. "Not -ever'thing drowns," he said. "Early this morning I found me a snapper -turtle under a patch of ice. He'd gone to sleep. Y'know, Paul, they -snooze all winter, like bear."</p> - -<p>Tom waited for an answer, but none came. "Funny thing about that little -snapper," he went on, "he was a baby, no bigger'n a fifty-cent piece, -and he was froze sure-enough. 'Tom,' I said to myself, 'he's dead.' But -something tells me to put him in my inside pocket. And walking along I -guess the heat of my body warmed him up, and guess what!"</p> - -<p>"Grandpa!" Paul screamed. "I see something <i>alive</i>! In the woods!"</p> - -<p>They turned the boat quickly and went poling through the soggy mass of -kinksbush and myrtle. And there, caught among broken branches was a -forlorn bunch of ponies, heads hanging low, their sides scarcely moving.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus36.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Grandpa slid overboard, trying not to make a splash, trying not to -panic them. Softly he called each one by name. "Nancy. Lucy. Polly. -Gray Belle. Princess. Susy ..."</p> - -<p>The low, husky voice was like a lifeline thrown to drowning creatures. -They lifted their heavy heads and one tried a whinny, but it was no -more than a breath blowing. They were held fast, rooted in the boggy -earth.</p> - -<p>Tom and Paul were beside Grandpa in an instant. Without any signals -between them, they knew what had to be done. They must drive the -ponies to higher land near Tom's house, or they would die. Grim and -determined, they maneuvered their way behind the ponies. Then grabbing -pine boughs for clubs, they brandished them, whacking at the water, -yelling like madmen, stirring the almost-dead things to life.</p> - -<p>A pinto mare struggled free and led off in one desperate leap. The -others stumbled after, trying to keep ahead of the wild thunder behind -them. Scrabbling, crashing through up-rooted trees, squeezing through -bramble and thicket, they slogged forward inch by inch. And suddenly a -mud-crusted stallion leaped out of the woods to join them.</p> - -<p>"It's Wings!" Paul shrieked.</p> - -<p>Men and ponies both were nearing exhaustion. But still they drove on. -They <i>had</i> to. Shoving the boat, the men nosed it into the laggards, -frightening them ever forward.</p> - -<p>And at last they were in Tom's yard. Safe! As one, the ponies headed -for the water barrel. Single-handed Grandpa overturned it, spilling -out the dirty water tainted by the sea. He tried the spigot above it. -"Pressure's good!" he exulted. "They got to blow first, then they can -drink."</p> - -<p>He and Tom and Paul were blowing too. But it was a healthy blow. -<i>Something</i> at last had gone right.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_14" id="Chapter_14"><i>Chapter 14</i></a></h2> - -<h3>MISTY GOES TO POCOMOKE</h3> - - -<p>In the helicopter on the way back to Wallops Station, Grandpa and Paul -talked things over. They would try to seal off today's grief. No need -to speak of it tonight, with folks listening in. It would be like -unbandaging a wound for everyone to see. They would talk of the kittens -instead. And so, when the plane landed, their faces were set in a mask.</p> - -<p>Maureen and Grandma, bundled in coats and scarves, were there to meet -them. Maureen rushed up, bursting with curiosity. Before she could ask -her question, Paul said, "You'd never, <i>ever</i> guess."</p> - -<p>"All right, Mr. Smarty. Then I just won't try."</p> - -<p>"There's more than one!"</p> - -<p>"Twins?" she gasped. "Oh, Paul, isn't that wonderful! One for you and -one for me!"</p> - -<p>"Nope. It's quadruplets—it's four of them."</p> - -<p>"Can't be!" Grandma broke in as they walked toward the mess hall. "I -may be a sea-captain's daughter, but I know 'nough about ponies to know -they don't have four to once. Speak up, Clarence."</p> - -<p>Grandpa took off his hat and let the wind pick up the wisps of his -hair. "Yup, Idy," he nodded, "yer kitchen's a nursery now with four -little ones...."</p> - -<p>Grandma wailed. "Oh, my beautiful new table all bit up, and my linoleum -ruint."</p> - -<p>"Pshaw! The little ones ain't bigger'n nothing," Grandpa said, flashing -a wink at Paul.</p> - -<p>At the door of the mess hall Maureen stopped in her tracks and began -jumping up and down as if she had the answer to a riddle. "It's -Wait-a-Minute!" she shouted. "She's had kittens again!"</p> - -<p>Paul smiled. "Yep, Grandma's kitchen is a mew-seum now."</p> - -<p>The children and even Grandma and Grandpa laughed in relief, not -because they thought the joke so funny, but because it was good to be -together again.</p> - -<p>The refugee room had been transformed—cots lined up against the wall, -neat as teeth in a comb, and new tables and chairs, and a television -set with a half-circle of giggling children.</p> - -<p>The Beebes went directly to their corner. Maureen and Grandma were -still full of questions. But the answers were short.</p> - -<p>"Yup, Misty's okay."</p> - -<p>"No, no sign of Skipper anywheres."</p> - -<p>"Rabbit's gone, too."</p> - -<p>"Yup, our house is dry, 'cept for a tiny bit of wetting in one o' the -bedrooms." Here Grandpa pinched his nose, remembering. "But it's got a -odor to it that'll hold you."</p> - -<p>In her dismay over her house, Grandma had forgotten all about Grandpa's -ponies. Now as she helped him pull off his sweater, she asked, "What -about your ninety head, Clarence? Are they...."</p> - -<p>Paul kept very still, and Grandpa's old leathery face did not change -expression. He looked dead ahead. "There was losses," was all he said. -He turned to Maureen, and his voice was tight and toneless. "Me and -Paul have done a lot of yelling today, and we're both wore out. We just -don't feel talky, do we, Paul?"</p> - -<p>"No, Grandpa."</p> - -<p>"Suppose you and Grandma be like Red Cross angels and tote our suppers -over here. We'd ruther not eat up to the big table with ever'body."</p> - -<p>As Maureen and Grandma heaped the trays and carried them back, -Maureen's lip quivered. "Oh, Grandma, Paul didn't even ask what I did -today. He doesn't even know I was at Doctor Finney's, riding a famous -trotter. Oh, Grandma, why was I born a girl?"</p> - -<p>"It's God's plan, Maureen. Oops! Take care. Ye're spilling the soup."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Friday. The fourth day of the storm. Gray skies over Chincoteague. Rain -off and on. Temperature rising. Wind and tide slowly subsiding. The -causeway in use again—red ambulances carrying off the sick, yellow -school buses the well, dump trucks removing the dead chickens.</p> - -<p>Misty in the kitchen at Pony Ranch is growing restless. Her hay is -gone. The water in the sink is gone. She is bored with the squeaky, -squirmy kittens, and tired of looking out the window. Nothing seems to -happen. No ponies frisking. No dog teasing her to come out and play. No -birds flying. No friendly human creatures.</p> - -<p>The room is getting too warm. Her winter coat itches. Even the bony -part of her tail itches. She looks for something to scratch against. -The handle of the refrigerator! She backs up to it. To her surprise the -door kicks right back at her! She wheels around, barely missing the -mewing kittens. She pokes her head in the box, sniffing and nosing. -She tries to fit her tongue into a pitcher of molasses. Crash! A dark -dribble spills down on the kittens, on Wait-a-Minute too.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus37.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>At last Misty has something to do. Good sweet molasses to clean up. -She licks Wait-a-Minute, and Wait-a-Minute licks her kittens. The -steady strokes bring on rumbly purring sounds. Misty grows drowsy. She -turns to lie down, but the kittens are in her way. At last she sleeps, -standing over them.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Afternoon came, and with it strange happenings. Paul and Grandpa -arrived at Pony Ranch. This time their concern over Misty was desperate.</p> - -<p>"A day or two at most," Grandpa said gravely.</p> - -<p>"<i>You been saying that!</i>" Paul replied accusingly.</p> - -<p>"I know." Grandpa looked crestfallen as if he'd failed in his duty. He -made up his mind on the spot. "We're carryin' her over to Doc Finney's -today, <i>to once</i>!"</p> - -<p>They led Misty out of the house and into the old truck. They stowed a -bundle of hay in its accustomed place, just as if she were going off to -a school or a library story hour.</p> - -<p>"You wait, Misty, we'll be right back," Grandpa said. "Paul and me got -to give the kitchen a quick lick."</p> - -<p>"Oh, do we <i>have</i> to?" Paul was all impatience.</p> - -<p>"Yes, son. Some way I got a hunch yer Grandma's coming home right soon."</p> - -<p>Back in the kitchen Paul and Grandpa mucked out the old straw, and gave -the floor a hasty cleaning.</p> - -<p>"Gives you a new regard for wimmenfolk, don't it, Paul?" Grandpa asked, -dipping the broom into a pail of suds.</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Well, how'd <i>you</i> like to get down on yer knees and scrub suds and -dirt together and try to get a slick surface?"</p> - -<p>"I'd ruther muck out stalls."</p> - -<p>"That's what I mean. Misty is what I'd call a tidy pony. She uses one -corner and keeps ever'thing mounded up real neat. But even so—!"</p> - -<p>When they had done the best they could, they turned to inspect their -handiwork. The room looked better, they admitted, with the kittens in -the laundry basket and the straw swept out and the molasses fairly well -cleaned up, but somehow the pattern of the linoleum was gone.</p> - -<p>"Oh, well," Grandpa sighed, "yer Grandma'll say, 'Clarence Beebe, this -floor looks like a hurrah's nest.' And then she'll get right down -with her brush and pail, and she'll begin purrin' and hummin' like -Wait-a-Minute with her kittens. So let's leave it to her and get on -with Misty."</p> - -<p>Driving the truck through town to the causeway took an hour instead -of minutes. The streets were filled with men and machines. Huge -bulldozers were pushing sand back into the bay and rubble into piles -for burning.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus38.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Every time the truck had to stop, Misty was recognized and men shouted -questions.</p> - -<p>"Where ye taking Misty?"</p> - -<p>"To Doctor Finney's!"</p> - -<p>"Clear to Pocomoke City?"</p> - -<p>"But why now, when the weather's fairin' off?"</p> - -<p>"'Cause she needs a doctor, that's why," Grandpa answered. "She's way -past her time."</p> - -<p>"Shucks, you never done this with your other ponies."</p> - -<p>"But they're used to wild ways," Paul broke in. "Misty's more like -folks."</p> - -<p>"My grandchildren set a mighty store by her," Grandpa said. "We just -can't chance it."</p> - -<p>In front of his house the Mayor came out and flagged them down. -"Beebe," he said, looking heavy-eyed and discouraged, "we're having a -time getting those carcasses airlifted."</p> - -<p>"How come?"</p> - -<p>"The government has approved sending 'copters to take fresh water to -the ponies still alive on Assateague, but they have no orders yet to -take out the dead ones."</p> - -<p>Grandpa exploded. "Mayor! The live ones has <i>got</i> water. There's allus -water in the high-up pools in the White Hills. Them ponies know it."</p> - -<p>"You and I know it too, Clarence. But sometimes outside people get -sentimental in the wrong places. They mean well enough," he added with -a tired smile. "It's the same old story about the evacuation. Even -though the drinking water is piped to Chincoteague from the mainland, -the Health Department still says no women or children can return yet."</p> - -<p>Grandpa's face went red. "Mayor, I guess you don't need me to tell you -the wimmenfolk is madder'n fire and sputterin' like wrens. Less'n they -get home soon and tote their soggy mattresses and chairs out in the -air, ever'thing'll be spoilt."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I know. I know. I'm doing the best I can to get things cleared -up. Right now I have a call in for our Senator in Washington. Perhaps -he can get some action for us."</p> - -<p>"But how about all the folk who didn't evacuate?"</p> - -<p>"We can't force them to leave their homes, Clarence. But those that -are at Wallops Station just can't come back until all the dead animals -are removed. And Clarence," he called as Grandpa shifted into gear, -"when the order does come through, we'll want you to help with the -airlifting."</p> - -<p>On the long trip to Pocomoke, Grandpa kept grumbling and muttering to -himself.</p> - -<p>Paul couldn't keep his eyes open. With Misty close by him, where he -could reach back and touch her, he suddenly felt easy and relaxed, -easier than he had since the storm began. He tried to stay awake. He -tried to listen to Grandpa. He tried to watch the scenery. But his -eyelids drooped. Finally he crawled in with Misty and slept on the -floor beside her.</p> - -<p>When at last they turned into Dr. Finney's place, Grandpa had to shake -him awake.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_15" id="Chapter_15"><i>Chapter 15</i></a></h2> - -<h3>GRANDPA MAKES A DEAL</h3> - - -<p>Dr. Finney was a big man, outwardly calm, but his face looked as if it -knew patience and pain.</p> - -<p>"What do you think, sir?" Paul asked as they stood with Misty in the -paddock.</p> - -<p>"Well, to be frank, she's a little too heavy, Paul. That is, for one so -fine-boned. And that's never good at a time like this. But we'll pull -her through."</p> - -<p>Misty shouldered her way into the center of the group, ears listening -and questing, as if she were part of the conference instead of the -cause.</p> - -<p>The doctor put a gentle hand on Paul's shoulder. "Misty won't be -lonesome here," he said. "In the next stall she can neighbor with -Trineda, a well-bred trotter. And my boy David can comfort her and -take your place—for the time being," he added quickly.</p> - -<p>Just then Dr. Finney's son came racing out of the house. Paul almost -hated the boy on sight, for Misty trotted right up to him, sniffing -curiously.</p> - -<p>"Doctor Finney," Paul said urgently, "couldn't I stay here? Please?"</p> - -<p>Grandpa answered before the doctor had finished clearing his throat. -"If ye could be of help, me and Doc'd both say yes. But ye're needed -over to Chincoteague. Lots o' moppin' up to be done, and ye volunteered -as an able-bodied <i>man</i>. Recomember?"</p> - -<p>Still Paul could not bring himself to go. He slid his hand under -Misty's mane, scruffing his fingers along. "Doctor Finney," he asked, -"would it be a good idea for us to get a nanny goat just in case...?"</p> - -<p>The doctor was about to say it wouldn't be necessary. Then he saw the -troubled look on the boy's face. Better, he thought, to keep him busy -instead of worrying. "It wouldn't hurt at all, Paul. Many breeding -stables keep a goat for that very purpose. By the way," he turned now -to Grandpa, "you must know Buck Jackson from Chincoteague."</p> - -<p>Grandpa flinched. "Yup, I know him. Sells goat's milk."</p> - -<p>"Well, he's delivering a flock of goats to Girdletree today, and I'm -to give them a health certificate. If you'd like to buy a nanny, I'll -ask Buck if he can spare one. But you'd have to keep her at Pony Ranch, -because I'm short of space."</p> - -<p>Grandpa shrugged helplessly. "Allus it's me against the world," he -said, half joking, half in earnest. Then he stared down the highway in -amazement.</p> - -<p>A shining white truck was barreling along toward them. Now it was -slowing, and in big black letters on its side Grandpa made out the -words:</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Buck Jackson Delivery—Goat's Milk.</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus39.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>With a screeching of tires the truck turned into the driveway and came -to a stop. A big-shouldered man jumped down from the cab and opened the -tailgate. "Hi, Paul and David," he called. "Hi, Doc. Hi, Mr. Beebe. Hi, -Misty. Heavens-to-Betsy, I didn't expect a welcoming committee!"</p> - -<p>Misty and Paul and David were first to peer inside. The two boys were -suddenly friends, buyers, judging an odd assortment of goats.</p> - -<p>Grandpa stuck his nose into the truck and sniffed noisily. "I jes' -don't like 'em," he insisted. "They smell from here to Kingdom Come. To -me, a polecat smells purtier."</p> - -<p>But Paul was ecstatic. "They can't help it, Grandpa. And besides, -Misty needs someone to play with, now that Skipper's gone."</p> - -<p>"She'll have her colt," Grandpa reminded.</p> - -<p>Paul was not listening. "I like that brown nanny with the little white -kid."</p> - -<p>"So do I," David agreed. "And if I was your Grandpa, I'd let you have -the whole truckload," he offered generously.</p> - -<p>"Who says I want to sell any?" Buck Jackson asked.</p> - -<p>That did it. Grandpa was a born trader. "Buck," he said, "there's lots -o' goats over to Chincoteague. Some nicer'n yours. Cy Eustace has a -hull flock, and Ben Sykes has...."</p> - -<p>"Not any more they don't. They're drowned."</p> - -<p>Grandpa ignored the interruption. "But since my grandson has took a -fancy to that brown one and her kid, what'll ye take for the pair?"</p> - -<p>Buck winked at Dr. Finney. "I'll take Misty and her unborn."</p> - -<p>Now Grandpa's blood was up. "Quit yer jokin'!"</p> - -<p>"Who says I'm jokin'?"</p> - -<p>In the waiting silence Misty poked her head inside the truck and the -brown goat gave her a friendly butt. Misty came right back, asking for -more.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus40.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"I give up!" Grandpa sighed. He pulled out his ancient leather purse -and began fumbling inside, transferring bits of string and wire to -a pocket. At last he held out a much-folded five-dollar bill. "This -may seem mighty little to ye, but hoss-keepin' ain't what ye'd call -profitable. Here, take it."</p> - -<p>Buck Jackson chewed on a toothpick, thinking. "If I didn't say yes," he -said at last, "even Misty here'd hate me. It's a deal, Clarence, and -I'll throw in a bale of hay besides."</p> - -<p>The transaction was quickly completed. But even with the nanny and her -kid in the pickup, Paul didn't find it easier to say good-bye to Misty. -"Don't ride her," he cautioned David. "She's going to have a colt."</p> - -<p>"I know she is," David replied in disgust. "<i>Everybody</i> knows that."</p> - -<p>Dr. Finney held onto Misty's halter. "Don't you worry, Paul. I'll sleep -in the stall next to her, and I'll stay within sight and sound during -her foaling period."</p> - -<p>"You promise?"</p> - -<p>"I promise."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was almost dark when Grandpa and Paul crossed the state line back -into Virginia.</p> - -<p>"Tradin' whets my appetite," Grandpa confided to Paul. "What d'ye say -we stop by Wallops Station and have some nice hot Red Cross food with -Grandma and Maureen?"</p> - -<p>"What about our goats? Shouldn't we hurry home and put them in the hay -house with Billy Blaze and Watch Eyes? They got to get used to being -with horses."</p> - -<p>Grandpa wasn't listening. A flicker of a smile crossed his face. "Don't -interrupt me, son. My mind's turnin' over important thoughts."</p> - -<p>The refugee room looked much the same, except for more cots and more -people. And it still smelled of old rubber and leather and steamy -woolen socks.</p> - -<p>As the family sat down at the long table, Paul whispered to Maureen, "I -like the smell of goats better'n people, and we got two—a nanny and a -kid."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Paul, how beautiful!"</p> - -<p>"They're not beautiful; they're really kind of funny-looking with their -eyes so different from horses'."</p> - -<p>"I know. They're bluey-yellow, and they look glassy, like marbles."</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen could hardly eat for all they had to say to each other.</p> - -<p>"Misty's at Doctor Finney's, Maureen. She can't keep on postponing -forever and she can't go on living in Grandma's kitchen. Ain't healthy -and airy for her. And besides...."</p> - -<p>"Besides what?"</p> - -<p>"I overheard the doctor say there could be complications."</p> - -<p>Grandma and Grandpa were deep in conversation, too. Grandpa seemed to -have forgotten he was hungry. "Idy," he said, "Pony Ranch is now the -owners of a nanny goat and her kid. A billy-kid, at that! It's got -whiskers as long as yer sea-captain pa."</p> - -<p>"Clarence Beebe! Don't you talk like that. I'll not have ye comparin' -my father to a billy goat!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, come now, Idy. I'm jes' bein' jokey. Besides, yer father smelled -real good—of tobaccy and things. By the way," he asked, trying to -appear casual, "you and Maureen had yer arms scratched against the -typhoid?"</p> - -<p>Grandma nodded.</p> - -<p>"Good! I'm turribly glad."</p> - -<p>"Why? Is the typhoid raging?"</p> - -<p>"No, but I need ye at home, Idy, to perten me up for what I got to do."</p> - -<p>"What's that?" Grandma asked in alarm.</p> - -<p>"I got to see that all my dead ponies is taken off'n Chincoteague, and -the dead ones on Assateague, too."</p> - -<p>"Oh ... oh, how dreadful! But they say wimmenfolk can't go home now. -Regardless."</p> - -<p>"I know they <i>say</i> so." Grandpa's eyes crinkled with his secret. "But -<i>I</i> say the Lord helps them as helps theirselves."</p> - -<p>Grandma looked at him questioningly.</p> - -<p>"Idy, how'd ye like to...?"</p> - -<p>"Like to what?"</p> - -<p>Grandpa sopped up some tomato gravy with a chunk of bread and ate it -slowly, enjoying Grandma's impatience. Then he leaned close to her ear. -"How'd ye and Maureen like to be smuggled back home? Right now!"</p> - -<p>Grandma beamed. "Be ye serious?"</p> - -<p>"Serious as a cow at milkin' time."</p> - -<p>"Why, mercy me, I'd feel young and chipper doin' a thing like that."</p> - -<p>"Ye would?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I would."</p> - -<p>"Even if ye had to hide in the back o' a truck under a bundle o' hay -with goats eatin' through to ye?"</p> - -<p>"Even if!" Grandma hurriedly left the table, motioning Maureen and Paul -to follow. "Don't ask any questions," she said. "Just slip into your -jackets and come along, and leave our blankets on the cots."</p> - -<p>The people nearby looked up in surprise as the Beebe family put on -their wraps.</p> - -<p>"My husband has got some goats down in the truck he wants us to see," -Grandma explained.</p> - -<p>"But it's raining, Mrs. Beebe."</p> - -<p>"I know. That's why we're bundling up." Grandma blushed. "Y'see, my -husband's like a little boy whenever he's got a new pet to show me."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_16" id="Chapter_16"><i>Chapter 16</i></a></h2> - -<h3>WELCOME HOME, PROGGER</h3> - - -<p>The night was dark and broody with no moon or stars. Not a glimmer of -light anywhere. A curtain of fine rain closed in the deserted parking -lot.</p> - -<p>With a great heave Grandpa hoisted Grandma up into the back of the -truck. "It's easier loading Misty," he panted.</p> - -<p>Grandma was too excited to answer. Feeling her way in the dark, she -pushed the goats aside, took off her head scarf, and sat down on it. -Then she opened a clean handkerchief for Maureen. But Maureen ignored -it, lost in delight over the little white kid.</p> - -<p>The motor made a roar in the night as the truck pulled out of the lot -and headed for the highway. Almost there, Grandpa turned down a gravel -lane, dimmed the lights, and parked. He and Paul jumped out and ran to -the back of the truck. Hastily they broke open the bale of hay, and -began shaking it over the stowaways.</p> - -<p>Maureen sneezed.</p> - -<p>"Hay's dusty," Paul said.</p> - -<p>"Might of knowed it," Grandpa snorted. "No wonder Buck Jackson give it -away. Now whichever of ye sneezed, we can't have no more o' that. If -yer nose feels tickly, jes' clamp yer finger hard underneath it, and -'twon't happen."</p> - -<p>Before Paul and Grandpa got back into the cab, they looked around -cautiously. No one was in sight.</p> - -<p>"I feel like the smugglers we read about in Berlin," Paul said, -"sneakin' refugees to West Germany."</p> - -<p>It was only a half-hour's ride to Chincoteague, but with no one singing -or laughing, it seemed more like half a day. In silence they rode past -Rabbit Gnaw Road and through Horntown and past Swan's Gut Road and -across the salt flats that led to the causeway.</p> - -<p>Almost at the end of the causeway their headlights showed up a -temporary guardhouse. A soldier with a rifle came out and flagged them -down. He shone his flashlight into the cab of the truck. "Hi there, Mr. -Beebe," he grinned in recognition. "Hi, Paul. How's Misty?"</p> - -<p>"She's still all right," Paul replied.</p> - -<p>The guard flicked off his flashlight and leaned one arm on the lowered -window. He seemed hungry for talk. "Funny thing," he said, "about the -telephone calls comin' in from all over the countryside. Mostly they're -from children. It's not folks they're worried about. It's the ponies. -'Specially Misty. Yeah," he laughed, "<i>she's</i> their prime concern."</p> - -<p>"Mine, too!" Paul said.</p> - -<p>Unmindful of the drizzle, the guard went on. "By the way, how's -everybody over at Wallops?"</p> - -<p>Grandpa coughed. "They're all hankerin' fer home."</p> - -<p>"Wal, maybe it won't be long now. The Mayor got through to Washington, -and they're sending four big 'copters tomorrow to work with you and Tom -on liftin' the dead ponies." In a routine manner he went around to the -back of the truck and flashed his light inside. "Any stowaways?" he -asked jokingly.</p> - -<p>Grandpa matched the joking tone. "Yup, we got two."</p> - -<p>After an interminable silence the soldier's laughter filled the night. -"Wal, I'll be a billy goat's whiskers if ye 'ain't got a nanny and her -kid! How's the missus going to like that?"</p> - -<p>"I figger she's going to feel mighty close to 'em," Grandpa chuckled.</p> - -<p>"Why? How's that?"</p> - -<p>Suddenly Grandpa panicked. The sweat came cold on his forehead. He cut -off the dashlight so his face would be in the dark. He couldn't speak.</p> - -<p>Paul came to the rescue. "We bought them for Misty's colt," he -explained. "Sup-pli-ament-ary feeding, you know."</p> - -<p>The guard snapped off his light and tweaked Paul's ear. "Ye got a -bright boy here, Mr. Beebe. G'night, folks. Ye can move on now."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Home was clammy cold, and it had a stench of fish, and the bedroom rug -with the roses was wet as a sponge. But it was Home! And Wait-a-Minute -was there with a wild welcome, turning somersaults, then flying round -and round like a whirling dervish.</p> - -<p>"This floor is like walkin' on mucilage," Grandma said, "but no matter -how messy, there's jes' no place like Pony Ranch."</p> - -<p>Maureen sighed in agreement. Then she added soberly, "Even without the -ponies."</p> - -<p>"You forget," Paul corrected, "we still have Watch Eyes and Billy -Blaze, and the mares in the hay house."</p> - -<p>"And," Grandpa added with a crooked smile, "Wings' herd up to Tom's -Place ... and with Misty expectin' ... and two goats and five cats, we -got the beginnin's again."</p> - -<p>"Grandma!" Maureen cried. "What's happened to the back of your dress?"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus41.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Grandma swished her skirt around. Her eyes widened. The whole back from -the waist down was gone. "Why, whatever in the world!" she gasped.</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen began to shriek in laughter. "The nanny goat!"</p> - -<p>"Like I said," Grandpa roared, "Missus Beebe'll allus feel mighty close -to that nanny."</p> - -<p>Grandma flounced to the drawer where she kept her aprons. In pretended -anger she took out two. "I'll just wear 'em both," she said. "One fore -and one aft."</p> - -<p>There was much to be done before bedtime—the ponies in the hay house -to be grained and watered, the nanny and her kid to be tended to, -kindling to be brought in. And late as it was, Grandma got down on her -hands and knees and scrubbed the floor with vigor and strong naphtha -soap.</p> - -<p>When she had almost finished, Maureen, muddy but radiant, sloshed into -the back hall. "Guess what, Grandma!"</p> - -<p>"What <i>now</i>?" Grandma asked without looking up. Her lips were set in a -thin line as she carefully pushed the basket of kittens back under the -stove. "Now what you so tickled about?"</p> - -<p>"Feel in my pocket!"</p> - -<p>"Mice?"</p> - -<p>"No, Grandma. Guess again."</p> - -<p>"Probably some toady-frog or lizard."</p> - -<p>"No! No! Feel!"</p> - -<p>Grandma wiped her hands on her apron and poked a cautious fingertip -into Maureen's pocket. She touched something smooth and curved. -Smiling, she reached in and brought out two tiny brown-flecked eggs.</p> - -<p>"And there's two in my other pocket! I found 'em high and dry in -Misty's manger."</p> - -<p>Grandpa and Paul came stomping into the back hall with armfuls of wood. -"What's to eat?" Grandpa shouted. "I could swaller a whale."</p> - -<p>Grandma shook her head. "Bread's mouldy. Milk's sour. Only thing we got -is four little bitty banty eggs."</p> - -<p>"Why, they're good," Maureen said in a hurt tone.</p> - -<p>"Course they are, honey." Grandma placed them on the table. "Paul, you -still got your boots on. Run out to the smokehouse for some bacon. -We'll have a tiny fried egg apiece and plenty o' crispy bacon. I'll put -the skillet on and have it spittin' hot."</p> - -<p>When Paul had gone out, Grandma turned to Maureen and Grandpa. "Now you -two wash up so's I can tell who's who. And for pity's sake, use that -naphtha soap. If'n I had any sense at all, I'd go around this house -with a clothespin twigged onto my nose."</p> - -<p>Grandpa's face broadened into a grin. "Humpf! A sea-captain's daughter -complainin' 'bout a little bilge water."</p> - -<p>Suddenly Maureen shushed Grandpa and held up a warning finger. "Listen!"</p> - -<p>Faint and far off, like something in a dream, came a sound like a dog's -barking. Then it faded away and stopped. They all stood still—waiting, -listening. For long seconds they heard nothing. Only the clock -hammering and the fire crackling in the stove.</p> - -<p>But there! It came again. Louder this time. Nearer! A gruff, rusty -bark, then three short yaps, familiar, beloved.</p> - -<p>In one stride Grandpa was at the door. He flung it wide and a flash of -golden fur bulleted into the room, skidding across the wet floor until -it reached Maureen.</p> - -<p>"Skipper! Skipper!" she cried, hugging him passionately, wildly.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus42.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Grandpa and Grandma seemed to forget they were grown. They let Skipper -come leaping at them, let him put his front feet on their shoulders. -Who minded muddy paws? Who minded the icy-cold nose? Who minded the -wet tongue-swipes? And the tracked floor? Not even Grandma! Only -Wait-a-Minute hissed and spat at him.</p> - -<p>Everyone was laughing and crying and talking all at once.</p> - -<p>"Where you been, feller?"</p> - -<p>"<i>I</i> thought you'd been caught in a mushrat trap."</p> - -<p>"<i>I</i> thought you'd drowned, for sure."</p> - -<p>"Why, ye're strong as a tiger."</p> - -<p>"And yer coat's got a nice shine."</p> - -<p>Paul came in then, a wide smile spread across his face. "He <i>should</i> be -fat and shiny. He's been in the smokehouse eatin' his way through hams -and salt pork."</p> - -<p>Grandma wiped her laughter-tears away. "He allus was crazy on smoked -meats," she said.</p> - -<p>Maureen buried her nose in his ruff. "He's even got a smokehouse smell -to him," she said. "Remember, Paul? Last thing you did was to go get a -ham before we left on the helicopter."</p> - -<p>Grandpa went to the sink and plunged his face into the wash basin, -making a sound like a seal. He came up bellowing: "Skipper's a progger!"</p> - -<p>"What's that?" Maureen and Paul wanted to know.</p> - -<p>Grandpa scruffed his beard, thinking. "It's a old, old Chincoteague -word, and it means ... wa-al, it jes' means someone as is smart enough -to grab a livin' when things is dire bad." And he cupped his hands -around his mouth and boomed, "Welcome home, ye old Progger!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_17" id="Chapter_17"><i>Chapter 17</i></a></h2> - -<h3>SAWDUST AND SADNESS</h3> - - -<p>Saturday. News briefs from around the world were coming over the radio -like flak:</p> - -<p>"India agrees to a conference with Pakistan.... African leaders at -the United Nations are exploring the Common Market.... Russia accuses -the United States of war-mongering.... Jordan and Israel again at -loggerheads over the River Jordan.... England's Queen Elizabeth and -Prince Philip return in triumph from Australia and New Zealand."</p> - -<p>The newscaster paused and took a breath as if all this were far away -and only a prelude to the real news. His tone became neighborly now and -concerned.</p> - -<p>"And here on the home front, the tiny flooded island of Chincoteague -has aroused the sympathy of the whole nation. The islanders, whose -livelihood depends on chickens and sea-food and ponies, have suffered a -savage blow to all three industries. Their oyster beds are gone; their -chickens are gone. And today's report indicates that only a remnant of -the wild pony herds on Assateague Island have survived. These are the -ponies that made Chincoteague famous for the annual roundup and Pony -Penning celebration, and that have brought visitors by the thousands. -How seriously this loss will affect the tourist industry can only be -estimated.</p> - -<p>"Yet the Chincoteaguers are showing indomitable courage. With -bulldozers and scoop shovels they are pushing tons of sand off streets, -off lawns, out of cellars, and back into the channel. Clean-up crews -are making bonfires of rubble and debris.</p> - -<p>"Oh ... flash news! Two notes were just handed me. One says Misty, -the movie-star pony, has been evacuated from her owner's kitchen to -an animal hospital in Pocomoke, Maryland, where her colt is expected -momentarily.</p> - -<p>"The other says the Second Army at Fort Belvoir is flying in -helicopters within the hour to remove the dead ponies from Chincoteague -and Assateague...."</p> - -<p>At Pony Ranch Grandpa snapped off the radio in mid-sentence. "I got to -go now," he said in a tone of finality. "Them's my orders." He kissed -his family good-bye as solemnly as if he were going away on a long -journey and might never return.</p> - -<p>"No, son." He shook his head in answer to Paul's asking look. "No, -ye're needed here today to work on Misty's stall. Somebody's got to -ready it for her homecoming. Besides, Grandma and Maureen can't lift -that wet rug out on the line by theirselves. They need an able-bodied -man."</p> - -<p>"But who's going to help lift the dead po—"</p> - -<p>Grandpa cut off the word with a sharp glance. His eyes said, "Less -talk, the better." And his voice said, "Each 'copter has a crew of four -stout army men, and there's Tom Reed and Henry Leonard to help me."</p> - -<p>Grandma's eyes were bright with unshed tears. Quickly she went to -the cupboard and took out a small brown sack. "I was saving these -peppermints for Misty's baby. But here, Clarence, you take them. For -extry strength," she whispered, "when things is rough."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Paul and Maureen were soon so busy with preparations for Misty's -return that they forgot Grandpa. The phone might ring any minute, long -distance, with big news from Pocomoke. And if it did, the made-over -chicken coop had to be dry and snug and warm, and waiting.</p> - -<p>The day was spent in a fever of activity. At first they tackled the -heavy, sodden straw with enthusiasm. They were used to cleaning -Misty's stall every morning before breakfast. It took only a few -minutes—fifteen at most. But now clumps of seaweed made the bedding -slithery as soup and heavy as lead. With fork and shovel they pitched -and tossed for an hour. Each wheelbarrowful seemed heavier than the -last, until finally it took both of them, one at each handle, to push -it and dump the muck in the woods.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus43.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Skipper found an old pulpy potato and asked Paul and Maureen to play -ball, but they were too busy and too tired.</p> - -<p>At morning's end the floor of the shed was emptied of wet bedding, -but what remained was a churned-up, slimy mass of mud. Maureen leaned -against the wall, rubbing an arm across her face. "How are we <i>ever</i> -going to get it dry?" she said, bursting into tears.</p> - -<p>Paul felt defeated too, and his head and body ached. "What we need," he -groaned, "is a thousand million blotters. But where?" Suddenly his face -lighted in inspiration. "Sawdust!" he cried. "That's what we need!" -He ran sloshing toward the road, calling back over his shoulder, "You -wait, I'm going to see Mr. Hancock."</p> - -<p>Mr. Hancock was a long-time friend. He was a wood-carver, and had given -work to Paul and Maureen when they were earning money to buy Misty's -mother. Often for fifty cents apiece they had swept his shop clean of -sawdust and shavings.</p> - -<p>By the time Maureen had finished her cry and wiped away her tears, Paul -and Mr. Hancock were driving into the yard in his newly painted truck. -She gaped in astonishment as she watched them unload bushel basket -after bushel basket of sawdust at the door of the stall.</p> - -<p>"Ain't near enough," Mr. Hancock said as he helped dump the yellow -sawdust on the floor and saw it turn dark and wet in seconds. "Tell -ye what," he said, noticing Maureen's tear-streaked face, "it's -eatin'-time now and we all got to eat, regardless. That'll give this -stuff time to absorb all the wet it's a-goin' to. Then ye got to heave -it all out, and I'll bring more sawdust, and some chips too. Lucky -thing I had it stored high and dry in my barn loft."</p> - -<p>Paul piled the empty baskets into Mr. Hancock's truck. Then he and -Maureen headed wearily for the house. Maureen was trying not to cry.</p> - -<p>"See what I see?" Paul pointed to the back stoop. And there was Grandma -milking the nanny goat, who was tied to the stair railing.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus44.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Sh ... sh!" Grandma warned as the children came up. "Don't frighten -her. This ain't easy, but I got eenamost enough to make us a nice pot -of cocoa."</p> - -<p>All during lunch Grandma kept up a stream of conversation to cheer -them. "Children," she said brightly, "a she-goat was 'zackly what we -needed. If not for Misty, then for us. Ain't this cocoa <i>de</i>-licious?"</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen nodded, too tired for words.</p> - -<p>"You can each have two cups. And all the biscuits you can eat, with -gooseberry jam. I figger the starving people of the world would think -this a Thanksgiving feast, don't ye?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, Grandma."</p> - -<p>"And since you still got work on Misty's stall, you don't need to hang -my rug outside today. I got all the windows open and there's a good -breeze blowing in."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Grandma."</p> - -<p>"Now, you two perten up. Everything's going to be better this -afternoon. Life's like a teeter-totter. Heartbreak, happiness. -Happiness, heartbreak. You'll see. Everything'll be better this -afternoon."</p> - -<p>Grandma was right. By the time the wet sawdust was shoveled out, Mr. -Hancock was back again with a small tow wagon hooked onto his car.</p> - -<p>"Got a big surprise fer ye," he chuckled. "The road people was putting -down some ground-up oyster shells, and I got 'em to fill my wagon plumb -full. With them shells first, and the shavings atop that, ye'll have -the driest stable this side o' Doc Finney's."</p> - -<p>The rest of the afternoon flew by in a fury of work. Paul dumped the -oyster shells onto the floor. Maureen raked them even. Then came layer -on layer of chips and shavings. For a final touch they took a bale of -straw and cut it up, a sheaf at a time, into short wisps.</p> - -<p>"Why can't we just shake it airy?" Maureen asked. "My fingers ache. Why -do I have to cut it?"</p> - -<p>"Do you want his pipestem legs getting all tangled up and throwin' him -down?"</p> - -<p>"'Course not. When you tell me why, I don't mind doing it. But, Paul, -how do you know it's going to be a 'he'?"</p> - -<p>"I don't, silly. People always say 'he' when they don't know."</p> - -<p>"Well, <i>I</i> say 'she.'"</p> - -<p>With the work done, Paul flopped down on the straw and lay there quite -still.</p> - -<p>"You sick?" Maureen asked in fright.</p> - -<p>"No!"</p> - -<p>"Then what are you doing?"</p> - -<p>"I'm a newborn colt and I'm testing to see if there are any draughts. -Doctor Finney says they can't stand them."</p> - -<p>"I feel the wind coming in through the siding. I can feel it blowing my -hair."</p> - -<p>"That's easy to fix." Paul got up and plastered the cracks with straw -and mud. Meanwhile Maureen stripped some pine branches and scattered -the needles lightly for fragrance.</p> - -<p>By twilight any horse-master would have tacked a blue ribbon on the -old chicken-coop barn. Maureen called Grandma to come out and inspect. -"You've got to see, Grandma. It's beautiful. Misty's going to be the -happiest mother in the world."</p> - -<p>Grandma, holding her sweater tight around her neck, stepped inside the -snug shelter. She beamed her approval. "I declare to goodness, I'd like -to move in myself. Just wait 'til yer Grandpa sees this. Likely he'll -do a hop-dance for joy."</p> - -<p>But that night Grandpa never even looked at Misty's stall. It was -dark when he came home. Without a word he made his way toward the -kitchen table and sat down heavily. His face seemed made of clay, gray -and pinched and old. Without removing his jacket he sat there, hands -folded, just staring at the floor.</p> - -<p>The noisy clock was no respecter of grief. Each stroke of the hammer -thudded like a heartbeat. The seconds and minutes ticked on. Paul and -Maureen sat very still, saying nothing, doing nothing. Just waiting.</p> - -<p>"Yer Grandpa's had a mill day," Grandma whispered at last. "He's all -cut to pieces. Jes' leave him be."</p> - -<p>It was as if the gentle words had broken a dike. The old man hid his -face in his arms and wept.</p> - -<p>"Don't be ashamed to cry, Clarence. Let the tears out if they want to -come." Grandma put her clean, scrubbed hand on the gnarled, mud-crusted -ones. "King David in the Bible was a strong man and he wept copiously." -Her voice went on softly. "In my Sunday School class just two weeks ago -I gave the story of King David. There was one verse and it said, 'The -King covered his face and wept.' Just like you, Clarence."</p> - -<p>Neither Paul nor Maureen made a sound. They were too stunned. They -watched the heaving shoulders in silence. Grandpa, who had always -seemed so strong and indestructible, now looked little and feeble and -old. When his sobs quieted, he wiped his eyes and slowly looked up. "I -ain't fit to talk to nobody," he said, his voice no more than a breath.</p> - -<p>"Oh ... oh, Grandpa!" Maureen cried. "Your voice! It's gone! You ain't -bellerin'!" And she ran to him and flung her arms about him, sobbing -hysterically.</p> - -<p>"There, there, child. Don't you cry, too. I'm plumb 'shamed to break -down when we're lots luckier than most folks." He smiled weakly. "We -got our house and each other and...."</p> - -<p>"And Misty," Paul said earnestly.</p> - -<p>"And Misty," Grandpa nodded. "It's jes'...." He swallowed hard and his -hands gripped the table until the knuckles showed white through the -dirt. "It's jes'," he repeated, "that all the days of my life I'll hear -that slow creakin' of the crane liftin' up the dead ponies, and I'll -see their legs a-swingin' this way and that like they was still alive -and kickin'." Now the words poured from him in a tide; he couldn't stop -the flow. "And some had stars on their faces, and some had two-toned -manes and tails, and some was marked so bright and purty, and most o' -the mares had a little one inside 'em." His voice broke. "I knowed all -my herd by name."</p> - -<p>"How many were there in all, Clarence? Yours and the others?"</p> - -<p>Grandpa's breath came heavy, as if he were still at work. "We lifted -off more'n we could count," he said, "includin' the wild ones over -to Assateague. And when the trucks was all lined up with their dead -cargo, ever' one of us took off our hats, and the army men and us -Chincoteaguers all looked alike with our sunburnt faces and white -foreheads. And we was all alike in our sadness.</p> - -<p>"Then the preacher, he come by and he said somethin' about these hosses -needin' no headstone to mark their grave, and he put up a prayer to the -memory of the wild free things. He said, 'Neither tide nor wind nor -rain nor flight of time can erase the glory o' their memory.'"</p> - -<p>Everyone in the little kitchen let out a deep sigh as if the preacher's -words were right and good.</p> - -<p>After a moment Grandpa got up from the table and put his arm around -Grandma. "Now ye see, Idy, why I had to smuggle ye home. I needed ye -for comfort."</p> - -<p>Grandma wiped her spectacles with her apron. "Must be steam in the -room," she said.</p> - -<p>Grandpa had one more thing to say. "Fer jes' this oncet in my life I -wisht I was a waterman 'stead of a hossman. When oysters die, ye can -plant another bushel, and when boats drift away, ye can build another. -But when ponies die ... how can ye replace 'em?"</p> - -<p>Paul glanced around in sudden terror. It was as if a cold blade of fear -had struck him. His eyes sought Maureen's. They were very dark and wide -and asking.</p> - -<p>Was Misty all right?</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus45.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_18" id="Chapter_18"><i>Chapter 18</i></a></h2> - -<h3>WITHIN THE FOALING BOX</h3> - - -<p>On the same day that Grandpa was airlifting the ponies and Paul and -Maureen were drying out Misty's stall, Misty herself felt strangely -unhappy.</p> - -<p>She had a freshly made bed in a snug stable, and she couldn't have been -lonely for she was never without company. If she so much as scratched -an ear with a hind hoof, young David Finney tried to do it for her. -If she lipped at her hay, he tore handfuls out of the manger and -presented it joyously to her. If she lay down, he tried to help her get -comfortable.</p> - -<p>And there were newspaper men coming and going, taking pictures of her -in her stall, out of her stall, with David, without David. One caught -Misty pulling the ponytail of a lady reporter. There was plenty of -laughter and a constant flow of visitors.</p> - -<p>But in spite of all the attention she was getting, Misty felt -discontented and homesick. She was accustomed to the cries of sea -birds, and the tang of salt air, and the tidal rhythm of the sea. And -she was accustomed to going in and out of her stall, to the old tin -bathtub that was her watering trough. But here everything was brought -to her.</p> - -<p>She kept shaking her head nervously and stamping in impatience. -Occasionally she let out a low cry of distress which brought David and -Dr. Finney on the run. But they could not comfort her. She yawned right -in their faces as much as to say, "Go away. I miss my own home-place -and my own children and my own marsh grass."</p> - -<p>In all the long day there was only one creature who seemed to sense her -plight. It was Trineda, the trotter in the next stall. The two mares -struck up a friendly attachment, and when they weren't interrupted by -callers, they did a lot of neighborly visiting. If Misty paced back -and forth, Trineda paced alongside in her own stall, making soothing, -snorting sounds. The newsmen spoke of her as Misty's lady-in-waiting, -and some took pictures of the two, nose to nose.</p> - -<p>When night came on, Trineda was put out to pasture, and Misty's sudden -loneness was almost beyond bearing. She shied at eerie shadows hulking -across her stall. And her ear caught spooky rustling sounds. Filled -with uneasiness, she began pacing again, not knowing that the shadows -came from a lantern flame flickering as the wind stirred it, not -knowing that the rustling sounds were made by Dr. Finney tiptoeing -into the next stall, carefully setting down his bag of instruments, and -stealthily opening up his sleeping roll.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus46.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>When at last there was quiet, Misty lay down, trying to get -comfortable. But she was even more uncomfortable. Hastily she got up -and tried to sleep standing, shifting her weight from one foot to -another.</p> - -<p>Suddenly she wanted to get out, to be free, to high-tail it for home. -She neighed in desperation. She pawed and scraped the floor, then -banged her hoof against the door.</p> - -<p>Trineda came flying in at once, whinnying her concern. Trying to help, -she worked on the catch to the door, but it was padlocked. She thrust -her head inside, reaching over Misty's shoulder, as much as to say, -"There, there. There, there. It'll all be over soon."</p> - -<p>Dr. Finney watched, fascinated, as the four-footed nurse quickly calmed -her patient. "It'll probably be a long time yet," he told himself. -"Nine chances out of ten she'll foal in the dark watches of the night. -I'd better get some sleep while I can." He was aware that many of his -friends would pity him tonight, shaking their heads over the hard life -of a veterinarian. But at this moment he would not trade jobs for any -other in the world. Each birth was a different kind of miracle.</p> - -<p>Sighing in satisfaction, he slid down into his sleeping bag and settled -himself for a long wait. The seconds wore on, and the minutes and the -slow hours. He grew drowsy and he dozed, and he woke to check on Misty, -and he dozed again. Toward morning his sleep was fitful and he dreamed -that Misty was a tree with ripening fruit—just one golden pear. And -he dreamed that the stem of the fruit was growing weak, and it was the -moment of ripe perfection.</p> - -<p>A flush of light in the northeast brought him sharply awake. He -peered through the siding and he saw Misty lying down, and he saw wee -forehoofs breaking through the silken birth bag, the head resting upon -them; then quickly came the slender body with the hindlegs tucked under.</p> - -<p>He froze in wonder at the tiny filly lying there, complete and whole in -the straw. It gave one gulping gasp for air, and then its sides began -rising and falling as regularly as the ticking of a clock.</p> - -<p>Alarmed by the gasping sound, Misty scrambled to her feet and turned to -look at the new little creature, and the cord joining them broke apart, -like the pear from the tree. Motionless, she watched the spidery legs -thrashing about in the straw. Her foal was struggling to get up. And -then it was half way up, nearly standing!</p> - -<p>Suddenly Misty was all motherliness. She sniffed at the shivering wet -thing and some warning impulse told her to protect it from chills. -Timidly at first, she began to mop it dry with her tongue. Then as her -confidence grew, she scrubbed in great rhythmic swipes. Lick! Lick! -Lick! More vigorously all the time. The moments stretched out, and -still the cleaning and currying went on.</p> - -<p>Dr. Finney sighed in relief. Now the miracle was complete—Misty had -accepted her foal. He stepped over the unneeded bag of instruments -and picked up a box of salt and a towel. Then, talking softly all the -while, he unlocked Misty's door and went inside. "Good girl, Misty. -Move over. There, now. You had an easy time."</p> - -<p>With a practiced hand he sprinkled salt on the filly's coat and the -licking began all over again. "That's right, Misty. You work on your -baby," he said, unfolding the towel, "and I'll rub <i>you</i> down. Then -I'll make you a nice warm gruel. Why, you're not even sweating, but we -can't take any chances."</p> - -<p>Misty scarcely felt Dr. Finney's hands. She was nudging the foal with -her nose, urging it up again so that she could scrub the other side.</p> - -<p>The little creature <i>wanted</i> to stand. Desperately it thrust its -forelegs forward. They skidded, then splayed into an inverted V, like -a schoolboy's compass. There! It was standing, swaying to and fro as if -caught in a wind.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus47.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Smiling, Dr. Finney stopped his rubbing. He saw that all was well. -Reluctantly he left the stall.</p> - -<p>Minutes later he was on the telephone. Young David stood behind him, -listening in amazement and disgust. How could grown-ups be so calm, -as if they'd just come in from repairing a fence or pulling weeds? He -wanted to do hand-springs, cartwheels, stand on his head! But there was -his father's voice again, sounding plain and everyday.</p> - -<p>"Yes, Paul. She delivered at dawn."</p> - -<p>"A mare-colt, sound as a dollar."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I'm making Misty a warm mash. Just waiting for it to cool a bit."</p> - -<p>"No, Paul, she's just fine. Everything was normal."</p> - -<p>"No, don't bring the nanny goat. Misty's a fine mother."</p> - -<p>"Don't see why not. By mid-afternoon, anyway."</p> - -<p>Dr. Finney put the receiver in place, stretching and yawning.</p> - -<p>"Dad, what don't you 'see why not'?" David asked.</p> - -<p>"Why they can't take Misty and her foal home today."</p> - -<p>"Can I go out and see her now?" David pleaded.</p> - -<p>"No, son," Dr. Finney replied. Then he saw the flushed young face and -the tears brimming. "Of course you can go later. Just give them an hour -or so alone."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_19" id="Chapter_19"><i>Chapter 19</i></a></h2> - -<h3>GLORY HALLELUJAH!</h3> - - -<p>Paul turned from the telephone and let out a war whoop loud enough to -break the sound barrier. He grabbed Maureen and they pulled Grandpa -between them and went dancing around the kitchen table, lifting their -knees high, bugling like wild horses. It was a free-for-all frolic. -Grandpa was suddenly himself again, spry-legged and bellowing.</p> - -<p>Grandma laughed in relief. She dropped her spoon in the pancake batter -and half ran to the organ. Recklessly she threw back the lid and, with -all stops open, made the notes thunder and throb as she sang in her -full-bodied voice:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"Glory, glory, halle-<i>loooo</i>-jah,</div> - <div class="verse">Glory, glory, halle-<i>loooo</i>-jah,</div> - <div class="verse">Glory, glory, halle-<i>loooo</i>-jah,</div> - <div class="verse">His truth is marching on."</div> -</div></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus48.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Around and around the table marched the three Beebes. Skipper burst -into the house, joining the dance, howling to the music. At last -Grandpa had to sit down, and Paul and Maureen fell limp and exhausted -on the floor.</p> - -<p>Grandma turned from the organ, her eyes crinkled with joy. She clapped -her hands for attention, then chanted:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"<i>Come</i> day, <i>go</i> day;</div> - <div class="verse">God send <i>Sun</i>-day.</div> -</div></div> - -<p>And where do we go today?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"To Pocomoke!" Maureen burst out.</p> - -<p>"But before that, where? And who do we thank today?"</p> - -<p>"Misty!" Paul shouted. But he grinned as he said it, knowing what -Grandma had in mind.</p> - -<p>Grandpa twisted uncomfortably. "Me and him," he said, scratching -Skipper behind an ear, "we got to clean out the truck and do a passel -o' things. We'll jes' do our churchin' while we work."</p> - -<p>"Clarence Beebe, you'll do no sech a thing! Today is a shining special -day and we won't argify. To church we go. <i>As a fambly!</i>"</p> - -<p>Promptly at nine forty-five the truck, now clean as water and soap -could make it, rattled out of the yard with Grandpa and Grandma sitting -dressed up and proud in the cab, and Maureen and Paul in back, feet -dangling over the tailgate. The sun was shining for the first time in a -week, and the sky was a luminous blue.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus49.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Seems almost like it's Easter," Maureen said. "Seems different from -other Sundays. Wonder why?"</p> - -<p>"'Cause we're wearing shadow rolls over our noses, just like race -horses."</p> - -<p>Unconsciously Maureen felt of her nose.</p> - -<p>"Can't you see, Maureen? We're not even looking at the houses with -their porches ripped off and mattresses and things drying in the sun. -We're seeing bigger."</p> - -<p>"Like what?"</p> - -<p>Paul looked up. "Like that flag flying over the Fire House, painting -stars and stripes on the sky. And the sea smiling and cheerful as if -it'd never been nasty-mean."</p> - -<p>Maureen nodded. "And even if the houses <i>are</i> all bashed in, Paul, you -hardly notice them for the clumps of daffydils."</p> - -<p>It was true. The world seemed reborn. The blue-green water of the bay -was unruffled and washing softly against the drift. Gulls were gliding -on a seaward breeze with scarcely a wing-flutter. And here and there -in all the mud and muck, hosts of yellow daffodils were nodding like -spatters of sunshine.</p> - -<p>Up in front Grandpa and Grandma were feeling the same joy. "The storm -sure bloomed the place up," Grandpa said.</p> - -<p>Grandma sighed in deep contentment. "Takes a wrathful storm to make us -'preciate bonny weather, don't it?"</p> - -<p>As the Beebe family took their seats in the rapidly filling church, the -men of the Coast Guard filed into the front rows.</p> - -<p>"Paul!" Grandpa whispered loud enough for the whole congregation to -hear. "There's Lieutenant Lipham. He's the one rescued you the day you -snuck over to Assateague and your boat drifted away."</p> - -<p>The lieutenant turned around, smiling broadly. Paul's cheeks reddened.</p> - -<p>Maureen had secretly brought the birth announcements to church so that -she and Paul could fill in the hour and date, everything except the -name. But they never even opened the package. From almost the beginning -of the sermon, they leaned forward, listening with every fiber.</p> - -<p>"The earth is the Lord's," the deep voice of the preacher intoned. "He -hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods."</p> - -<p>And just by listening to the resounding voice, Paul and Maureen could -see God commanding Noah to build the ark, big and flat-bottomed, and -they could see the flood waters rising and the animals marching in, two -by two.</p> - -<p>"God is in the rescue business," the preacher's words rolled out, "and -every believer is a member of His rescue force. Today we pay special -tribute to the United States Coast Guard. In the sight of God, men who -do not know the harbor of His love are like men lost at sea, grasping -for something or someone to save them. The Church is God's rescue -force, just as the Coast Guard is the government's rescue force."</p> - -<p>The preacher half-closed his eyes. "On Thursday night," he said, "when -the last of the refugees staying here in our church had been taken to -their homes or to the mainland, I walked down the streets and saw the -havoc and the emptiness of our once lovely island. Yet no Chincoteaguer -had lost his life, and I paused to thank God.</p> - -<p>"Then I came back to the parsonage. All was dark and quiet. I was -alone. Darkness was all around. Then a flash across the sky! The only -light left shining came from the old lighthouse on Assateague Island. -It was spreading wide its beam of hope and guidance. So it is when the -lights of this old world are snuffed out, and the storms of life would -destroy us, the steady light of God's love still shines. As our great -Coast Guard keeps the light flashing from the lighthouse, so it is our -task to keep our lights burning here at home.</p> - -<p>"Let us sing."</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen were almost sorry when the sermon ended. They rose -with the congregation, and sang as lustily as Grandma. Even Grandpa -made his lips move as if he knew the words:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"Brightly beams our Father's mercy</div> - <div class="verse indent2">From His lighthouse evermore,</div> - <div class="verse">But to us He gives the keeping</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Of the lights along the shore."</div> -</div></div> - -<p>Just as the final "Amen" faded, the preacher was handed a message. -He read it to himself in apparent pleasure. Then he stilled the -congregation.</p> - -<p>"Friends," he said with a smile, "I have an important announcement." He -cleared his throat and glanced at Paul and Maureen before he began. "On -this day, in a stable in the city of Pocomoke, a foal was born—a tiny -mare colt." He paused. Then he added, "And her mother is Misty."</p> - -<p>There was a rustle as everyone turned to look at Paul and Maureen, then -smiles and murmurs of "Misty ... Misty" from every pew.</p> - -<p>Quickly the congregation moved out into the bright sunshine. Preacher -Britton was greeting the members, and Paul and Maureen, blushing in -embarrassment, were standing beside him. Everyone was shaking hands -with everyone else. Hands that all week had lifted and scrubbed and -prayed now clasped each other in joy.</p> - -<p>"It's the happiest news to reach Chincoteague in a week of terror!"</p> - -<p>"The very happiest."</p> - -<p>For once Grandpa didn't bolt for home as if his house were on fire. He -shook hands heartily with the preacher. "Reverend," he said, "ye jes' -put up one o' the greatest sermons I ever heerd!"</p> - -<p>"Come oftener," the preacher replied with a grin.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_20" id="Chapter_20"><i>Chapter 20</i></a></h2> - -<h3>HOME AT LAST</h3> - - -<p>After returning home from church, all of the Beebes hurried into old -clothes and went to work in a kind of happy frenzy. Everything needed -doing at once.</p> - -<p>Paul crushed oats in Grandma's coffee grinder and mixed them with bran -and linseed, all ready for the hot water when Misty came home. He -filled the manger with good-smelling hay. He washed the salt block.</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't surprise me none if ye licked it clean with yer own tongue," -Grandpa laughed as he went by with Nanny's kid tugging at his pants leg.</p> - -<p>In the kitchen Maureen was sewing strips of tape on an old blanket. -Every now and then she ran to try it on Grandma to see if the ties were -in the right place. "If it fits you, Grandma, it'll fit Misty."</p> - -<p>Grandma made a wry face. "Reckon I should be complimented," she -snorted, "'stead of laying my ears back. Beats me!" she added as she -wrapped jelly sandwiches in waxed paper. "There's barely a speck o' -meal in the house for biscuits or bread, and scarce a dry thing to -cover folks with, but there's allus oats and bran a-plenty, and a royal -blanket for Miss Misty."</p> - -<p>"Missus Misty!" Maureen corrected.</p> - -<p>Grandma disappeared into her bedroom for a moment and came back with -a shy smile. "Here's my contribution," she said. "Likely I'll have no -more use for this soft baby blanket. With a couple of safety pins to -fasten it under her belly, it'll be just the right size for Misty's -young'un. That long ride home will be kind o' drafty for a newborn."</p> - -<p>By half-past noon Grandpa and Paul and Maureen were waving good-bye to -Grandma and were on their way to Pocomoke City. To their amazement, -the causeway to the mainland was jammed with a long procession of cars -coming from Maryland, Delaware, and even Washington, D.C.</p> - -<p>"Why in tarnation they coming to Chincoteague today?" Paul asked, -opening up the lunch box.</p> - -<p>"I'll tune ye if I catch ye sayin' 'tarnation' again," Grandpa scolded. -Then he cackled in laughter. "'Tain't fittin' except fer an old feller -like me."</p> - -<p>"But why <i>are</i> they?" Maureen wanted to know.</p> - -<p>"Folks is funny," Grandpa mused. "Some jes' nacherly likes to waller -in woe like pigs in a pen. Sure as shootin' they're comin' to gawp at -the wreckage and to take pitchers o' the boats in the streets, and the -soggy beddin' and things dryin' in the sun. Curiosity folks, I calls -'em."</p> - -<p>A station wagon with a Maryland license flagged them down. Brakes -screeched for a mile as cars behind honked in a mad chorus. A young man -with a shock of red hair called out, "How do we get to the Beebe Ranch? -We want to see Misty's colt."</p> - -<p>Grandpa stopped the truck and guffawed. "News out already?" he asked in -amazement.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir! Network had it on the radio, and my kids gave me no peace—"</p> - -<p>"Wal, what do ye know! Sorry, young feller, but you passed plumb by -her. She's over to Pocomoke City, to Doc Finney's house." Grandpa drove -on, chuckling.</p> - -<p>"See!" Maureen said. "Not everybody comes to look at trouble."</p> - -<p>"Ye're right, honey. Lucky thing yer Grandma stayed to home. She -would've flew into the air, hearin' me talk like that."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>When they reached Dr. Finney's place, the doctor, who had been -watching from the house, came to meet them. With a welcoming smile he -unlocked the gate and motioned Grandpa to drive in and park alongside -the corral. Then without a word he led the way. In absolute silence -the three Beebes walked one after the other Indian file behind him. -They moved across the paddock as if it were hallowed ground. Still in -silence they eased up to the barn. And then, after almost a year of -waiting, the moment had come!</p> - -<p>Unconsciously Grandpa took off his hat and tucked it under his arm. -Paul and Maureen stood on tiptoe, peering in without breathing. They -were utterly still, not wanting the scene to change. There, at the far -end of the stall, stood Misty. She eyed them dispassionately as if -they belonged to another world and another time. Like a bird brooding -a chick she was hovering over a wise little, fuzzy little, scraggly -little foal. For a moment the tiny thing took fright and leaned -quivering against her mother, who made soft whuffing sounds. Then, -comforted, she nosed her way to Misty's teats and began nursing.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus50.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Wa-al, I never!" Grandpa sighed in deep contentment. "Them -sucky-smacky sounds is purtier 'n a hull flock o' meadow larks!"</p> - -<p>Maureen brushed away a tear. How could a creature be so young and -breakable-looking, and yet so spunky? "Why, I feel like I'm its -grandma!" she whispered shyly. "And hasn't it got the longest -eye-winkers and the curliest tail you most ever saw?"</p> - -<p>Paul whispered too. "Look at the strange marking on her forehead—it's -in the shape of a new sickle moon! I know!" he exulted. "That's 'cause -she was born in the time of the new moon."</p> - -<p>Grandpa stared. "She's the onliest colt I ever see with a markin' like -that."</p> - -<p>"Yes," Dr. Finney said. "There's nothing like her on the Eastern Shore."</p> - -<p>"Likely not in all the world," Paul said.</p> - -<p>After the colt had drunk her fill, Misty came to the door and nickered -happily, sniffing Paul and Maureen by turns.</p> - -<p>"She's inviting us in," Paul said.</p> - -<p>Slowly, quietly, not to startle the little one, the Beebes went into -the stall, and the gentlest of hands lifted her forelock that was -only beginning to be a forelock. "Here's a girl's got a head on her," -Grandpa approved. "There's enough Arabian into her to make that purty -head. And ain't she marked up nice? Not a reg'lar map on her shoulders -like her mommy, but she's got her four white stockings."</p> - -<p>"And her color is sorrel, like Wings," Maureen said.</p> - -<p>Dr. Finney looked at his watch, thinking of the calls still to be made.</p> - -<p>Grandpa followed his glance. "If'n ye'll excuse us," he said, "we got -to hyper along now. Any last-minute advice, Doc?"</p> - -<p>"For now," Dr. Finney said, "avoid bulky food for Misty. Nothing rich -or hard to digest."</p> - -<p>"How about ground oats and bran and linseed?" Paul asked hopefully.</p> - -<p>"Couldn't be better! And no need to remind you children that daily -mucking-out is a MUST."</p> - -<p>Grandpa nodded vigorously, an "I-told-you-so" twinkle in his eye.</p> - -<p>"Right now their stall is the cleanest in the whole wide world," -Maureen said proudly.</p> - -<p>With quiet confidence she and Paul tied Misty's blanket in place for -the trip back. Grandpa took the soft baby blanket and laid it on the -little one. Then he crouched down and lifted her up in his arms and -carried her out, with Paul leading Misty alongside.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus51.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>As she approached the truck, Misty planted her feet and balked. Plain -as day she bellered: "I'm <i>not</i> getting into that thing without my -baby!" But when she found out that her foal was safely stowed in the -cab in front, she hurried up the ramp, poked her head through the -window, and nickered in relief.</p> - -<p>Dr. Finney started to wave good-bye, then had a last-minute request. -"Mind driving by David's window?" he asked. "I had to put him to bed -this morning with a case of old-fashioned measles. Poor lad hasn't seen -the colt. He's heartbroken."</p> - -<p>Paul felt a prick of shame. "I'm sorry, Dr. Finney, I didn't even miss -him." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a tiny wooden gull. "I -made it to sell to the tourist folk," he explained, "but I want to -give it to David instead. And some day," he added, warming to his own -generosity, "I might make a carving of Misty and her foal. Just for -him."</p> - -<p>Grandpa drove home very carefully, avoiding ruts and bumps. He didn't -want to jar the little filly, who lay asleep across Paul's and -Maureen's laps, her soft woolen blanket rising and falling with her -breathing.</p> - -<p>Going over the causeway, they slowed to a crawl. One driver spotted -Misty and put on the brakes so suddenly that his two children almost -flew through the windshield. "There she is!" he shouted. "Hey, Mister, -wait!"</p> - -<p>Grandpa came to a stop, grinning. He felt good toward the whole world. -"Want a picture?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Do we!" And now other cars were stopping and out popped dozens of -children and dozens of cameras. Traffic stalled while shutters clicked -on all sides.</p> - -<p>After a few moments Misty began stomping and whinnying. There was a -curious urging in her mind, a tremendous pull for home.</p> - -<p>"Let's go," Paul said. "Misty's getting nervous."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus52.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Grandpa stopped the picture-taking and drove on. And at long last -they were going down Beebe Road into Pony Ranch. Once the tailgate -was lowered Misty slow-footed down the ramp like a queen returning to -her kingdom. Skipper, the official greeter, welcomed her in ten-foot -bounds, jumping, rolling, yelping in pure joy. And out on the marsh, -Wings added his voice in a great cry of triumph.</p> - -<p>Grandma rushed out of the house, calling, "Where's Misty's baby? Where?"</p> - -<p>For answer Paul and Grandpa lifted her out of the truck and carefully -set her down beside her mother. She tried a little caper, lost her -balance and fell in a heap. Bravely she scrabbled up again, then -staggered to her mother and began drinking thirstily. Satisfied, she -blew bubbles, sending little beads of milk running down her whiskers.</p> - -<p>Misty whickered in contentment. "Home at last," she seemed to say. And -she gave the little rump at her side a nip, ever so gentle and motherly.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus53.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_21" id="Chapter_21"><i>Chapter 21</i></a></h2> - -<h3>A GRAVE DECISION</h3> - - -<p>That night, when Pony Ranch had simmered down into a semblance of -peace, Maureen brought out the birth announcements and piled them -on the kitchen table. She and Paul were alone. Grandpa had gone to -an emergency meeting of the Pony Penning Committee, and Grandma was -attending the evening church service.</p> - -<p>"You put the date on," Paul said to Maureen. "You write better than me. -Besides, I got some important thinking to do."</p> - -<p>"Oh?"</p> - -<p>Paul flicked open his pocketknife and began working on a block of wood. -Out of the corner of his eye he saw Maureen dip her pen in the ink -bottle and wait with it poised in the air.</p> - -<p>"I declare, Paul Beebe, you can be downright mean! What <i>are</i> you -thinking?"</p> - -<p>"And you can be such a <i>girl</i>!" Paul said in disdain. "Always poking -and prying."</p> - -<p>"All right, I won't ask. 'Cause I already know. So there!"</p> - -<p>"What do you know?"</p> - -<p>"You're trying to think of the right name for Misty's baby."</p> - -<p>"Okay then. I reckon you got what Grandpa calls 'woman's tuition.' Now -you know what's occupying my mind, whyn't you keep quiet and do your -work?"</p> - -<p><i>Sunday, March 11, 6 a.m.</i> Maureen wrote again and again until her -fingers were tired.</p> - -<p>At last Paul was ready to talk. "There's three ways to do it. One is by -her markings...."</p> - -<p>"Like <i>New Moon</i> or <i>White Stockings</i>, Paul?"</p> - -<p>"Uh-huh. And the second way is by using her family's names—like <i>Misty -Wings</i> or <i>Pied Phantom</i>."</p> - -<p>"And what's the third way, Paul?"</p> - -<p>Just then Grandpa's truck roared into the yard, brakes screeching. -Grandpa himself banged into the house like a Fourth of July -firecracker. He threw his hat on the peg, then with both hands began -rubbing the bristles in his ears.</p> - -<p>"I say there's <i>got</i> to be a Pony Pennin' this year like allus," he -stormed. "Why, it's the oldest roundup in America! We jes' can't let -folks down 'cause of a little flood. Why, come July and roundup time, -folks are goin' to pack their night things and set out for Chincoteague -hopin' to give their kids a real hollerday. And they're goin' to drive -fer miles an' miles, and when they get here—NO hollerday! No Pony -Penning!" He snorted in disgust. "I won't hear to it! I jes'—"</p> - -<p>"Grandpa!" Paul interrupted. "Who says there won't be a Pony Penning?"</p> - -<p>"Why, the Mayor's committee and the firemen, they say ain't enough wild -ponies left over to Assateague to make it excitin', and no money in the -treasury to buy new ones.</p> - -<p>"What's more," he bellowed, "they're right! But I ain't told 'em so! -'Cause without ponies this-here island is dead. Do ye think folks comes -here to see oysters and clams and biddies?"</p> - -<p>"No, Grandpa."</p> - -<p>"Ye're dead right they don't! They come to see wild ponies swimmin' -across the channel, and feudin' and fratchin' in the pens. Pony Penning -Day! That's what they come fer. Can't see it nowhere else in the world."</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen were aghast. July without Pony Penning was -unthinkable. "All year I been answering letters about Misty," Maureen -said. "And in every one I invited people to come to Pony Penning, -people from all over the United States. Even one to Alaska."</p> - -<p>Paul broke in. "And this year folks'll come special on purpose to see -Misty's baby."</p> - -<p>Grandpa began pacing, thinking out loud. "If only we had the ponies! -If only the Town Council could buy back some of the colts that was -auctioned off last year and the year afore that."</p> - -<p>He quickened his pace. "Why, we could load 'em onto a big old barge, -and chug 'em acrost the channel to Assateague, and they'd go wild again -jes' like they'd never left." Now he spoke out with great conviction. -"Why, then we could put up one o' the greatest Pony Pennings in -Chincoteague history."</p> - -<p>Grandpa ran out of breath. He gulped for more. "But all that'd take a -heap o' money," he sighed.</p> - -<p>"Maybe," Maureen said excitedly, "maybe Paul and me could earn a lot of -money like we did to buy Misty's mother. We could rake clams or help -people clean up their houses."</p> - -<p>Paul looked pityingly at his sister. "When you going to grow up, -Maureen? Why, it took us three whole months to earn enough to buy just -one mare and her colt. Besides, folks here lost most everything in the -flood. They can't afford to hire us."</p> - -<p>"Paul's right, honey."</p> - -<p>"But, Grandpa," Paul asked, "even if we had the money, would people -sell back their ponies?"</p> - -<p>"Likely some'd be right anxious to help," Grandpa replied, "and some'd -sell fer other reasons. A lucky thing me and the Fire Company got a -record o' each sale, and if only half them people say yes, that'd give -us the start we need."</p> - -<p>Grandpa suddenly remembered that his feet hurt. He collapsed into the -nearest chair and began unlacing his Sunday shoes. "Can't abide 'em!" -he grumbled. "I jes' stormed outen that meetin' afore it was done—half -'cause my hackles was up, but half 'cause my shoes squinched me."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus54.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>The phone rang insistently. "You answer, Paul. There's another thing I -can't abide. Phone-talkin'. A contraption o' the devil."</p> - -<p>"It's for you, Grandpa. It's the Mayor and he sounds real important."</p> - -<p>Grandpa thudded to the phone. "Hall-oo-oa!" he bellowed.</p> - -<p>"Grandpa doesn't need a phone," Paul snickered. "He could just open a -window."</p> - -<p>"Sh!" Maureen put up a finger, listening.</p> - -<p>"<i>Who</i> called you?" Grandpa questioned.</p> - -<p>There was a pause.</p> - -<p>"What in tunket <i>he</i> want?"</p> - -<p>Another pause.</p> - -<p>"He did!"</p> - -<p>Paul and Maureen looked inquiringly at each other.</p> - -<p>"Wa-al, Great Jumpin' Jehoshephat! Now ain't that nice?... What's that -ye say?"</p> - -<p>A long pause.</p> - -<p>Still holding the receiver, Grandpa turned and looked penetratingly at -Paul and Maureen. His voice sobered. "Sure I like the ideer, Mayor, but -'tain't fer me to say. I'll have to put it to Paul and Maureen and get -their yes or no. The colt, nor Misty neither—they ain't mine, y'know."</p> - -<p>Grandpa hung up the receiver and walked back to the table, collecting -his thoughts. Paul and Maureen stared at him, unable to ask the -question except with their eyes.</p> - -<p>Grandpa hummed and hawed. "Now I ain't a-goin' to influence ye," he -said. "It's <i>yer</i> druthers, an' no one else's."</p> - -<p>"But what is it?"</p> - -<p>"Y'see, uh, it's this way. One o' the big chiefs from the movie company -that made Misty's picture—he jes' telephoned the Mayor long distance. -From his home, mind ye."</p> - -<p>"What did he want?" Maureen asked. "Does he want to make a picture of -Misty's baby?"</p> - -<p>"Stop interruptin'," Paul scolded. "Let Grandpa finish."</p> - -<p>"Wa-al," Grandpa went on, "seems he'd been readin' 'bout the storm and -how so many ponies had drowned. And he wants to do somethin' to help. -Why, he's willin' to let theaters borry the picture of Misty free; that -is, <i>if</i> the money tooken in goes to build up the lost herds."</p> - -<p>Paul did a flying leap over his chair. "That's great, Grandpa. You -don't have to get our okay on that."</p> - -<p>"But I ain't told ye the kernel yet," Grandpa explained. "Y'see, the -Mayor and the Council wants to start a disaster fund, and call it the -Misty Disaster Fund." Grandpa stroked his chin and a far look crept -into his eyes. "They want to cast Misty in the biggest role o' her -life; even bigger'n bein' a star in a movie."</p> - -<p>The children listened, speechless.</p> - -<p>"Even bigger," Grandpa added, "than birthin' a colt."</p> - -<p>"What could be bigger?" Maureen asked.</p> - -<p>"They want Misty and her young'un to make a personal tour wherever her -picture is playing, and go right spang up onto the stage. And part o' -the ticket money'll be used to tidy up the island, but most of it to -buy back the ponies. Mind ye, it'll all have to start right away. Mebbe -in two weeks—that is, if there's to be a roundup this year."</p> - -<p>Paul turned to his sister. "What do you say, Maureen?"</p> - -<p>Maureen's face clouded and she thought carefully before replying. "If -Misty's baby wasn't so new and tiny, I'd say yes."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus55.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Paul picked up the block of wood and his knife, and made a few fierce -jabs. "Exactly the way I feel." He looked at Maureen. "'Course, it'd -be fun to be excused from school and all."</p> - -<p>"Mostly it'd be on Saturdays," Grandpa said drily.</p> - -<p>"But suppose," Paul was serious now, "suppose they caught the shippin' -fever, or bad coughs from travelin' and going in and out of hot -theaters. Or even broke a leg."</p> - -<p>All three of them lapsed into silence. No one knew what to say. Maureen -screwed the cap onto the ink bottle as if she would never have need of -it again. Paul threw his piece of wood into the stove and closed his -knife. The silence was a growing power. Grandpa sat down and crossed -his arms, using his paunch as a ledge. He looked up at the ceiling and -across at the clock. He picked up one of the birth announcements and -studied it. The corners of his mouth twisted into a smile of sympathy -and understanding. "It'd be chancy," he admitted. "Mighty chancy."</p> - -<p>"But suppose," Paul spoke slowly, earnestly, "suppose we let Misty and -the colt go to just one theater, and if they come home feeling frisky, -they could go again. But if they got sick or were off their feed for -just one day, they'd <i>never</i> have to go again."</p> - -<p>Grandpa's eyes shone like twin meteors. "Sometimes I think you two is -the livin' image o' me! I'm so proud of ye I could strut like one o' -our peacocks in full sail. I'll take it up with the Council first thing -in the—"</p> - -<p><i>Bong! Bong!</i> ... The clock struck the hour of ten, and with the last -<i>bong</i> the telephone rang shrilly. Grandpa clapped a hand to his -forehead, then grabbed for his shoes. "Great balls o' fire! I plumb -forgot to pick up yer Grandma from the meetin' house. You answer, -Maureen. I'm gone!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<h2><a name="Chapter_22" id="Chapter_22"><i>Chapter 22</i></a></h2> - -<h3>THE NAMING BEE</h3> - - -<p>Over the weekend the schoolhouse had been dried out, and on Monday it -re-opened with only the high-tide mark showing. Paul and Maureen were -present and on time. But it was a hard thing to remember the provinces -of Canada, or to stand up and recite: "Washington, Adams, Jefferson, -Madison, Monroe ..." when Misty's filly had to be named. The Town -Council was insistent. They had to have a name at once. And the more -Paul and Maureen were pressed to make a decision, the harder it was to -decide.</p> - -<p>For the next few days, in school and out, they thought up names and -just as quickly discarded them. None seemed right. Either they were -too long, or when you called them out across the marsh they sounded -puny. It wasn't like naming just any colt.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus56.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>For three days they struggled. Then on Wednesday almost at dusk Mr. -Conant, the postmaster himself, arrived at Pony Ranch with a whole bag -of mail for the Beebes. When Grandma spied him striding across the -yard, she quickly set an extra place at the table and sent Maureen to -the door.</p> - -<p>"Evenin', Mr. Conant," Maureen said politely, but her eyes were on the -mailbag.</p> - -<p>"How do you do, Maureen and Mrs. Beebe?"</p> - -<p>"How-do, Mr. Conant. I declare," Grandma chuckled, "you look jes' like -Santa Claus with that leather pouch ye're carryin'. Let me hang it on -a peg whilst you set down. Mr. Beebe and Paul will be in right soon. -Now then," she beamed, "do stay to supper. We got us a fine turtle -stew with black-eyed peas, and light bread, and some of my beach-plum -preserves."</p> - -<p>"I'd be very honored to stay!" Mr. Conant replied. "My wife has taken -her mother to Salisbury for over night, and while she has no doubt -prepared some tasty treat for me, what is food without good talk to -digest it?"</p> - -<p>Grandma looked pleased. "That's what I allus tell Clarence, only I -don't say it so elegant."</p> - -<p>Maureen was still eyeing the mailbag, her curiosity at the bursting -point.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I almost forgot," Mr. Conant smiled broadly. He reached into his -inside pocket and drew out an envelope bearing a bright red Special -Delivery sticker. "It's for you and Paul," he said, handing it to -Maureen. "Since it's marked <i>Special</i>, I decided to bring all of your -mail along, instead of letting it wait until tomorrow." Pointing to -the mailbag, he added, "It's the biggest batch of mail ever to come to -Chincoteague for one family in one day."</p> - -<p>There was a clatter and a stamping in the back hall as Grandpa and Paul -came in. "Why, if 'tain't Mr. Conant," Grandpa said, putting out his -hand. "I'm as pleased to see ye as a dog with two tails!"</p> - -<p>"Look, Paul!" Maureen cried. "A letter, Special Delivery! For us!"</p> - -<p>Paul took the news with outward calm, but his eyes strained to see the -postmark and his fingers itched to snatch the letter and run off, like -Skipper with a bone.</p> - -<p>"You children put that letter with the others and wash up now," Grandma -scolded gently as she stirred the stew. "Turtles is hard to come by, -and I ain't minded to let our vittles get ruint. Besides," she said, -"if it's good news, it'll keep, and if it's bad, time enough to read it -after we've et. Everyone, please to sit. You here, Mr. Postmaster."</p> - -<p>In spite of company, supper that night was, as Grandpa put it, "a lick -and a gallop." Everyone was in a fever of excitement to start opening -the letters. But first the table had to be cleared, and the crumbs -swept clean. Then Grandma spread out a fresh checkered cloth to protect -the top. "We allus use the kitchen table for everything," she explained -to Mr. Conant, "fer readin' and writin', fer splintin' broken bird -legs—whatever 'tis needs doin'." She nodded now in the direction of -the mail pouch.</p> - -<p>The postmaster took down the bag and dumped the letters onto the table. -With the hand of an expert he stacked them in neat piles, placing the -Special Delivery on top.</p> - -<p>"It's like Christmas!" Maureen gasped.</p> - -<p>"It's <i>bigger</i> than Christmas," Paul said.</p> - -<p>"Who they for?" Grandpa wanted to know.</p> - -<p>"Some are for you, Mr. Beebe, and some for Paul and Maureen."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus57.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Wait-a-Minute jumped on the table and began upsetting the piles. Paul -swept her off with his arm. "You tend to your kittens," he said not -unkindly. "We got important business!" He took out his pocketknife. -"I'll do the slitting," he announced.</p> - -<p>"I'll do the pullin' out and unfoldin'," Grandpa offered.</p> - -<p>"You read them to us, Grandma," Maureen said. "You make everything -sound like a storybook."</p> - -<p>Grandma blushed. "Mr. Conant's got the edification. I'd be right shy -readin' in front of him."</p> - -<p>"Not at all, not at all, Mrs. Beebe. I agree with Maureen. Many a -Sunday I've gone by your class and heard you reading from the Bible. I -feel complimented you let me stay and be part of the family."</p> - -<p>For a moment the slitting of the envelopes and the crackle of paper -were the only sounds in the room. Then Grandma picked up the Special -Delivery letter, took a deep breath, and in her best Sunday voice began:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>"<i>Dear Paul and Maureen,</i></p> - -<p>"<i>I am sorry the storm came. But I am glad Misty had a baby. Was I -surprised!</i></p> - -<p>"<i>I hope some day I can visit your island or maybe even live there. I -hope to go to Pony Penning Day and maybe buy a pony.</i></p> - -<p>"<i>I hope you don't mind if I send you a name for Misty's baby. I think -'Windy' would be nice.</i>"</p></div> - -<p>"By ginger!" Grandpa exclaimed. "That's uncommon purty. Let's have -another, Idy."</p> - -<p>Mr. Conant took pencil and paper out of his pocket and wrote down -<i>Windy</i> with a checkmark after it.</p> - -<p>"This one is to Misty herself," Grandma went on. "Why, it's a regular -baby card, and it says, <i>Congratulations to you and the new little -bundle of joy</i>."</p> - -<p>"Turn it over, Grandma, there's a note on the back," Maureen said.</p> - -<p>"So there is! Listen:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"<i>Dear little Misty,</i></p> - -<p>"<i>I've heard so much about you I feel like I know you. I love horses -and I was worried about you during the storm. You have a wonderful -master and mistress to bring you into the kitchen.</i></p> - -<p>"<i>You should name your filly 'Misty's Little Storm Cloud.'</i></p></div> - -<p>Isn't that beautiful, folks?"</p> - -<p>Grandpa looked inquiringly at the children. "To my notion," he -hesitated, "it'd be too long a handle fer such a little mite—even if -we was to boil it down some."</p> - -<p>Maureen was impatient. "More, Grandma. More!"</p> - -<p>"Here's one from a fifth-grader up to Glassboro, New Jersey:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>"<i>I am a boy ten and a half years old. This is not a very long letter, -but I like the name 'Windy' for Misty's colt.</i>"</p></div> - -<p>Mr. Conant made a second checkmark after <i>Windy</i>. "Two for <i>Windy</i>," he -announced.</p> - -<p>"Doggone, if this ain't jes' like an election," Grandpa said. "Vote -countin' and all."</p> - -<p>Grandma broke out in smiles. "This one's mostly questions:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"<i>Dear Paul and Maureen,</i></p> - -<p>"<i>How are you? I am fine. I read in the paper that Misty is safe.</i></p> - -<p>"<i>How do you pronounce your island's name?</i></p> - -<p>"<i>If I should come to your island, would you show me how to eat -oysters?</i></p> - -<p>"<i>How are your Grandpa and Grandma? I think you are one of the greatest -families in the U.S.A.</i></p> - -<p>"<i>P.S. Do you think you'll have a Pony Penning this year?</i>"</p></div> - -<p>"See?" Maureen said. "Folks are asking already, but I just won't answer -this one until later. Go on, Grandma."</p> - -<p>"Here's one from a lady teacher:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"<i>We read in the paper that Misty had a filly and also that 145 ponies -died. My heart just sinks.</i></p> - -<p>"<i>One of my pupils said that colts have such twinkly legs he thought -'Sand Piper' would be a good name for Misty's baby.</i>"</p></div> - -<p>"Hmmm," Paul said approvingly. "See what I mean, Maureen? <i>Sand Piper</i> -would honor her granddaddy, the Pied Piper."</p> - -<p>Mr. Conant wrote down the name with one checkmark and a star beside it.</p> - -<p>"If she was a horse-colt instead of a mare-colt," Maureen said, "I'd -like it fine. But we got to think about when she's grown up."</p> - -<p>Mr. Conant erased the star.</p> - -<p>Grandma pursed her lips as she read the next letter to herself.</p> - -<p>"Land sakes, Idy, I'll be a bushy-whiskered old man by the time ye make -that one out."</p> - -<p>"Oh, it's easy to make out," she replied. "The writing's beautiful. -It's to you, Clarence." She held it up for all to see. Then she cleared -her throat:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"<i>Dear Sir:</i></p> - -<p>"<i>I cut a picture from the state paper yesterday of Misty's filly, -born Sunday, March 11th. The caption said she was foaled at an animal -hospital, but I am hoping that someone in your town can give me more -information about her. Is she healthy? And is she for sale?</i>"</p></div> - -<p>There was a stunned silence. Grandpa's face went red and the cords of -his neck bulged.</p> - -<p>Mr. Conant looked at him in alarm. "Mr. Beebe," he said, "I know the -answer to that one. If you'll allow me, I'd like to do the replying."</p> - -<p>Grandpa didn't trust himself to speak. He managed a nod of thanks.</p> - -<p>"Grandma, try another!" Maureen urged.</p> - -<p>"Here's a real short one," Grandma said cheerily, "and it says:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"<i>If I owned Misty, I would name her colt 'Stormy.'</i>"</p></div> - -<p>Paul's eyes met Maureen's and held. Then he leaped up from his chair, -stood on his head, and cried, "Yahoo!" In an instant he was right side -up again. He shouted the name, "STORMY!" Then he whispered it very -softly, "<i>Stormy</i>."</p> - -<p>Maureen clapped her hands. "Why, it sounds good both ways!"</p> - -<p>Promptly Mr. Conant wrote it down. "I'll give this one two stars," he -said.</p> - -<p>And still there were more letters and more names—<i>Gale Winds</i> and <i>Rip -Tide</i> and <i>Sea Wings</i> and <i>Ocean Mist</i> and <i>Misty's Shadow</i> and <i>Mini -Mist</i> and <i>Foggy</i> and <i>Cloudy</i>—until at last they were down to one -letter.</p> - -<p>Grandpa loosened his suspenders, yawning and stretching. "Out with that -last one, Idy. Sandman's workin' on me, both barrels."</p> - -<p>Grandma's face lighted with pleasure. "Why, it's signed by a whole -bunch of school children over to Reistertown, Maryland." She adjusted -her spectacles and began:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"<i>Our class read the book about Misty. Now we are reading about the -awful storm that flooded your island. We are glad Misty was not -drowned. As soon as we heard the news about her colt, we decided to -write you. We think you should name her 'Stormy' because she was born -in a storm. Would you like that? We would. We had a secret ballot, and -'Stormy' won first place with twenty votes.</i>"</p></div> - -<p>Paul drew in his breath. "That does it!" he said. "Remember, Maureen? -Sometimes they name 'em for markings, sometimes for ancestors, and the -third way is for natural phenom ... happenings of Nature."</p> - -<p>"Like the storm?"</p> - -<p>"Exactly." Paul got up from the table and spoke now in great -seriousness. "Mr. Conant, how many votes do we have for <i>Stormy</i>?"</p> - -<p>"Twenty-two, Paul."</p> - -<p>"All those in favor of <i>Stormy</i> please say Aye."</p> - -<p>The Ayes were loud and clear.</p> - -<p>Maureen heaved a great sigh. "Oh, Paul, now we can fill in the -announcements."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_23" id="Chapter_23"><i>Chapter 23</i></a></h2> - -<h3>DRESS REHEARSAL</h3> - - -<p>It was unanimous! The Town Council, the Firemen, the Ladies' Auxiliary, -Preacher Britton, and of course the Postmaster—everyone approved the -name <i>Stormy</i>. Stormy, they said, was the one good thing to come out of -the storm.</p> - -<p>News of the Misty Disaster Fund swept the Eastern Shore. Theater owners -all up and down the coast wanted to present the famous ponies on their -mission of mercy.</p> - -<p>Now that Paul and Maureen had agreed to a tryout, they entered into the -project with enthusiasm. "It's got to be good!" Paul kept repeating. -"If children are going to spend their allowance money, they're entitled -to a real show."</p> - -<p>"Why, Paul, the movie of Misty is a beautiful show," Maureen said in a -hurt tone.</p> - -<p>"Sure it is. But lots of folks have seen it. What they want now is to -see Misty herself and little Stormy. Even the Mayor says so."</p> - -<p>The performance in the big city of Richmond was scheduled for a week -from Saturday. That left only ten days to do a million things, big and -little.</p> - -<p>They scrubbed Misty's stepstool and gave it a fresh coat of paint, -bright blue. And the moment it was dry, and a dozen times each day, -they made her step up on it and shake hands vigorously, just for -practice. Often while she shook hands, Stormy nursed her.</p> - -<p>"Makes Misty seem ambi-dextrous," Paul said.</p> - -<p>Grandpa chortled. "Reckon you could call it that. I swan, the way -that gal shakes hands on the slightest excuse it looks like she's -campaignin'."</p> - -<p>"She is!" Maureen said. "She's campaigning for the Misty Disaster Fund."</p> - -<p>"Maureen, you go get my nippers," Grandpa ordered. "I better trim them -hoofs. She's shakin' hands so high she's liable to plant her hoofograph -on some little younker's head."</p> - -<p>As for Stormy, working on her was pure joy. Every night after school -Paul and Maureen curried and combed her, not to make her less fuzzy, -but to get her used to something besides Misty's tongue. And gradually -they halter-broke her. Of course, there wasn't a halter anywhere on -the island—or even in Horntown or Pocomoke—tiny enough to fit. Paul -had to make one out of wickie rope, just as he had done for Misty when -she was a baby. And after a little urging Grandma gave up her favorite -piece of chest flannel to wrap around the noseband of the halter.</p> - -<p>"Just feel of it now, Grandma," Paul exclaimed. "It's as soft as the -lamb's wool they use for racehorse colts."</p> - -<p>"Don't need to feel it. I know," Grandma said drily.</p> - -<p>Stormy accepted the halter with only a little head tossing. -Occasionally as she was being led about, she turned to gaze at Skipper -and the kid as much as to say: "Hey, you! Why can you two run free?"</p> - -<p>For answer they blatted and barked and dared her to join in the fun. -But Misty wouldn't let her. When they came too close, she leaped at -them, lashing out with her forefeet, head low, teeth bared. They -quickly got the message, scattered in panic, and stayed away for hours.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As Saturday approached, everything was ready except the old truck. How -ugly and drab it seemed for a movie star and her filly! It needed paint -and polish and a new floor and a new top. But there was no money and no -time to do anything about it.</p> - -<p>Then late on Friday, just before darkness closed in, Mr. Hancock -arrived looking pleased as a boy. He took a long bundle from his car -and with a proud flourish unrolled two enormous pieces of canvas. -On each he had painted a life-size picture of Misty and Stormy. "To -cover the sides of your truck," he said proudly. "I want the folks in -Richmond to know that us Chincoteaguers do things up right."</p> - -<p>Now even the truck was resplendent and gay!</p> - -<p>By six o'clock the next morning, chores were done and Grandpa and the -children were loading up the truck. Grandma and Skipper, Nanny and -the kid were clustered about, watching, as Misty walked up the ramp -in eager anticipation. She could smell the sweet hay aboard and the -juicy slices of a Delicious apple tucked here and there. Little Stormy -skittered along after her, with Paul and Maureen on either side, arms -spread-eagled to keep her from falling off.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus58.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"I feel so left-behind," Grandma said, folding and unfolding her hands -in her apron. "Like a ... well, like a colt that's bein' weaned."</p> - -<p>Grandpa was about to break into laughter, but when he saw Grandma's -woebegone face, he came over to her, his voice full of tenderness. -"Tide o' life's flowin' normal again, eh, Idy? The goin' out and the -comin' in."</p> - -<p>"Sure, Grandma," Maureen said, "and we'll be home afore dark."</p> - -<p>"And hungry as bears," added Paul.</p> - -<p>Grandma blinked hard. "I reckon the storm's brought us so close I hate -to lose sight o' ye, even for a day." Big tears began running down her -face.</p> - -<p>"Idy!" Grandpa bellowed. "You come with us. Call up them Auxiliary -ladies and tell 'em you can't sew on the children's band uniforms -today. What if the old ones did float out to sea? Tell the kids to play -in their birthday suits! Tell 'em anything. Tell 'em we can't load and -unload the ponies without your help."</p> - -<p>Suddenly the tension was gone. Grandma wiped her tears with a corner of -her apron and began laughing at the thought of her lifting the ponies. -"Now be off with you. I can't stand out here all day. I got a pile of -work to do."</p> - -<p>But as the truck swung out of the drive, she didn't go into the house. -Her eyes followed it to the road, as she continued wrapping and -unwrapping her arms in her apron. Then suddenly she took off the apron -and waved good-bye.</p> - -<p>Paul turned and waved back. He could see Grandma growing smaller and -farther away, standing in front of the sign that said "Misty's Meadow." -And even while he was feeling sorry for her, having to do up the -dishes and go to the Ladies' Auxiliary and all, his mind raced ahead -to Richmond. In sudden panic he wondered, Would there be anyone at -the theater at all? Maybe the day was too nice, and children would be -shooting marbles and flying kites and playing baseball, and they had -seen the movie anyway.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_24" id="Chapter_24"><i>Chapter 24</i></a></h2> - -<h3>STORMY'S DEBUT</h3> - - -<p>In Richmond, a hundred and twenty miles away, children of all ages -were waking up, springing out of bed, aware that this morning held a -delicious sense of adventure and wonder. They dressed more quickly than -usual and fretted at grown-ups who dilly-dallied over breakfast. They -wanted to be sure of getting to the theater on time.</p> - -<p>A few of the children could boast of having seen real actors making -personal appearances, and some had even seen animal actors like Trigger -and Lassie. But no one ever had seen the live heroes of a story that -had really and truly happened. It was almost too exciting to think -about.</p> - -<p>The employees of the Byrd Theater, too, felt an enthusiasm they -could not define. By nine o'clock the manager arrived, just out of -the barber chair. He was followed closely by the projectionist, who -disappeared into his cubicle under the ceiling. Then came the cashier, -the popcorn-maker, and the ticket-taker, followed by the musicians with -their cellos and piccolos and kettledrums.</p> - -<p>And last of all, the ushers and the doorman in bright blue uniforms -with gold braid and buttons.</p> - -<p>By ten minutes after nine all was in readiness: the lights blazing, the -film threaded properly, the orchestra tuning up, popcorn popping and -filling the lobby with its tantalizing smell; and, most important, a -special ramp was snubbed up tight against the stage. To test it, the -manager stomped up the ramp and stomped back down again as if he were a -whole cavalcade of horses. "Solid as the Brooklyn Bridge!" he said in -satisfaction.</p> - -<p>By nine-fifteen the ushers took their posts, the doorman opened the -plate-glass doors, and down in the pit the orchestra began playing -"Pony Boy, Pony Boy, won't you be my Pony Boy?" At the same time the -pretty cashier climbed to her perch in her glass cage.</p> - -<p>By nine-sixteen she was looking out the porthole saying, "How many, -please?" "Thank you." "How many, please?" "Thank you." Her fingers flew -to make change and tear off the right number of tickets.</p> - -<p>No one, not even the manager, was prepared for the swarms of people -coming all at once—Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and -Brownies, Campfire Girls and Bluebirds, classes from schools, from -churches, from orphanages, families of eight and ten, with neighbor -children in tow. It was a human river, so noisy with shuffling and -shouting that even the drums in the orchestra could scarcely be heard.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus59.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>By nine-forty every seat on the first floor was taken. By nine-fifty -the balcony was filling up, and by one minute to ten there was not -a seat left anywhere, not even in the second balcony. From floor to -ceiling the theater was packed.</p> - -<p>At the stroke of ten the asbestos curtain went up, the ponderous -red velvet curtains parted, and the house lights dimmed, except for -the tiny red bulbs at the exits. With a crash of cymbals the music -stopped. A hush spread over the theater and rose like heat waves from a -midsummer hayfield.</p> - -<p>Then in all that breathless quiet the picture flashed on the screen, -and suddenly Time ceased to exist. A thousand people were no longer -in a darkened theater. They were transported to a wind-rumpled island -with sea birds crying and wild ponies spinning along the beach. By pure -magic they were playing every role. They were roundup men spooking -out the wild ponies from bush and briar, and suddenly coming upon -the Phantom with her newborn foal, Misty. And then they <i>were</i> that -foal, struggling to swim across the channel, struggling to keep from -being sucked down into a whirlpool. And in a flash they were a daring -tow-headed boy, jumping into the sea, grabbing Misty's forelock, -pulling her to safety.</p> - -<p>Even the ushers in the aisle were caught up in the spell—cheering when -the Phantom raced Black Comet and won; laughing when Misty came flying -out of Grandma's kitchen; gulping their tears when Paul bade farewell -to the beautiful wild mare who was Misty's mother.</p> - -<p>An unmistakable sniffling filled the theater as THE END flashed upon -the screen. Grownups and children smiled at each other through their -tears as if they had come through a heartwarming experience together.</p> - -<p>Then a handful of boys in the balcony began shouting: "<i>We want Misty. -We want Stormy!</i>" And the whole audience took up the chant.</p> - -<p>From the wings the manager walked briskly onto the stage. His face was -one wide happy smile. He raised his hand for silence. "Boys and girls!" -he spoke into the microphone. "Thank you for coming to this gala -performance. All of the proceeds today—every penny you paid—will be -used to restore the island of Chincoteague and to rebuild the herds of -wild ponies on Assateague."</p> - -<p>The applause broke before he had finished. He opened his lips to say -more, but the same handful of boys shouted, "<i>We want Misty. We want -Stormy.</i>" And again the whole audience joined in. "<i>We want Misty. We -want Stormy!</i>"</p> - -<p>When the chant showed no signs of diminishing, the manager shrugged -helplessly, then signaled to the stagehand. As if he had waved a -wand, the lights went out, one by one, until the theater was in total -blackness. An utter quiet fell as a slender beam of light played up and -down the left aisle. It steadied at a point underneath the balcony.</p> - -<p>And there, from out of the darkness into the shaft of light stepped two -ponies. They were led by a spry-legged old man and flanked by a boy -and a girl, but no one saw them for they were lost in shadow. Every -eye was riveted on the two creatures tittupping down the aisle—one so -sure-footed and motherly, one so little and wobbly.</p> - -<p>From a thousand throats came the whispered cry, "There they are!" And -the murmuring grew in power like water from a dike giving way. The -children in the balconies almost fell over the railing in their urgency -to see. And down below, those on the aisle reached out with their arms, -and those not on the aisle crowded on top like a football pile-up, and -the fingers of all those hands stretched out to feel the furry bodies.</p> - -<p>The theater manager cried out in alarm: "Don't touch the ponies—you -might be kicked!" But it was like crying to the sun to stop shining or -the wind to stop blowing.</p> - -<p>With his body Paul tried to protect Stormy and Misty. But they didn't -want protection. They were enjoying every minute of their march down -the aisle.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>And now the little procession has reached the ramp to the stage. Misty -walks up calmly, in almost human dignity, and with only a little -pushing from behind, Stormy joins her. The stage is ablaze with light -so that the audience is nothing but a black blur, far away and quiet -now. Misty looks around her at the big bright emptiness. It is bigger -than her stall at home, bigger even than Dr. Finney's stable. Her eyes -give only a passing glance to the artificial palm trees. Then they -pounce on the one thing she recognizes. Her stepstool! In seeming -delight she goes over and steps up with her forefeet, nickering to -Stormy: "Come to me, little one."</p> - -<p>Stormy shows a moment of panic. Her nostrils flutter in a petulant -whinny. Then, light as thistledown, she skitters across the stage. And -with all those faces watching, she nuzzles up to her mother and begins -nursing, her little broomtail flapping in greedy excitement.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus60.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>So deep a silence hangs over the theater that the sounds of her -suckling go out over the loud speakers and carry up to the second -balcony. In quiet ecstasy each child is hugging Stormy to himself in -wonder and love.</p> - -<p>Done with her nursing the filly turns her head, wiping her baby -whiskers on Paul's pants leg. The audience bursts into joyous laughter.</p> - -<p>The spell is broken. Misty jostles her foal and nips along her neck -just in fun; then she licks her vehemently as if to make up for that -long separation during the ride from Chincoteague.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>All this while none of the human creatures on the stage had spoken a -word. But suddenly Grandpa was over his stage fright. "If Misty ain't -careful," he bellowed to the last row in the balcony, "she'll erase -them purty patches off'n Stormy."</p> - -<p>The children shrieked. When at last they had quieted down, Grandpa -thanked them in behalf of all the people of Chincoteague, and the -ponies that were left, and the new ones which their money was going to -buy.</p> - -<p>"And Stormy thanks you, too." Grandpa set her up on the stepstool -alongside her mother, and they posed with their heads close together -even when a flash bulb popped right in their faces.</p> - -<p>Then Grandpa selected one boy from the audience and one girl and -invited them up on the stage so that Misty could shake their hands and -so thank everyone. Eagerly the two children ran up the ramp, but once -on the stage they suddenly froze, their arms rigid at their sides. It -was Misty who without any prompting offered her forefoot first. Then -timid hands reached out, one at a time, to return the gesture. But -again it was Misty who did the pumping and enjoyed the whole procedure.</p> - -<p>Grandpa threw back his head and howled. Still chuckling he explained, -"In my boy-days I was an organ-pumper on Sundays. If only I'd of had a -smart pony like Misty, she could've done it fer me!"</p> - -<p>Then a man went up the aisles with a microphone, and children asked -their questions right into it.</p> - -<p>"Was Misty really in your kitchen during the storm?"</p> - -<p>"Was it funny to see a pony looking out your kitchen window, instead of -Grandma?"</p> - -<p>"Why are colts mostly legs?"</p> - -<p>"How many days old is Stormy?"</p> - -<p>"How many ponies will the firemen buy with our money?"</p> - -<p>"Will they go wild again on Assateague?"</p> - -<p>"Did Grandma get mad at Misty messing in the house?"</p> - -<p>"Did Wings live through the storm?"</p> - -<p>Grandpa patiently answered each question, with a nod and smile of -agreement from Paul and Maureen. With dozens of eager hands still -waving for attention, time ran out. The musicians started playing -"America, the Beautiful," while Misty and Stormy went down the ramp and -up the other aisle this time so that more hands could reach out and -touch.</p> - -<p>The sun seemed brighter than ever when the little procession reached -the door of the theater. Paul and Maureen drew a deep breath. It had -been a rousing, heart-lifting performance, and they knew they had never -been so happy.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/ch.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - -<h2><a name="Chapter_25" id="Chapter_25"><i>Chapter 25</i></a></h2> - -<h3>THE LAST SCENE</h3> - - -<p>It was afternoon before Misty and Stormy were loaded into the truck for -the long drive home. All the way Grandpa and the children sat in quiet -contentment, too full for words. They rode in silence, each one tasting -his own memories of the performance, each one filled to the brim with a -deep, almost spiritual happiness.</p> - -<p>The pine trees were throwing long shadows and the sun was slipping -into Chincoteague Bay when they arrived back at Pony Ranch. Grandma -came hurrying out to meet them, her eyes asking a dozen questions. She -waited expectantly for the news, but all she got was a "Hi, Grandma. It -was great!"</p> - -<p>Grandma buttoned her sweater against the evening breeze and sat down to -watch the unloading. "No use pressin' now; else I'll only get half the -story," she told herself. "Allus the ponies come first. I'll bide my -time." Nanny shouldered up to her, butting very gently. Unconsciously -Grandma tucked her skirt out of Nanny's reach. Then she settled herself -to watch and wait.</p> - -<p>Grandpa and the children were like actors working in pantomime. Each -one knew exactly what to do. Paul lowered the tailgate of the truck -and led Misty down to the fence. Grandpa picked up Stormy, carried her -out and set her beside Misty. Maureen took off Stormy's halter. Then -she and Paul quickly went around to the gate to let the bars down. But -before even the top one was lowered, Misty did something she had done -only as a yearling. From a standing start she leaped nimbly over the -bars and landed inside. Then she turned around as if wondering what to -do about her youngster. Stormy let out a frightened squeal, then with -head and tail low, she scrambled under the bars and found her mother.</p> - -<p>The twilit quiet ended in a crash of noise. A gaggle of geese rose in -a honking cloud, the peacock let out a hair-chilling scream, Skipper -yelped, the goats blatted. Even Grandpa swelled the racket. "By -thunder!" he boomed. "'Twas quieter in that there movie house with a -thousand kids screeching."</p> - -<p>In the midst of all the confusion Misty let Stormy nurse, but only for -a matter of seconds. After the long hours of being a sedate mother, she -suddenly had to be a wild pony again. She took off down the pasture in -a quick streaking run, Stormy hopping along behind.</p> - -<p>"Look at that little tyke go!" Paul exclaimed.</p> - -<p>Maureen cried out in sudden alarm as Misty began crow-hopping, -twisting, swerving, kicking at the sky. "Stormy'll get hurt!" she -screamed.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus61.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>But Stormy was trying out little kicks of her own, kiting away, falling -to her knees, picking herself up, yet always keeping out of reach.</p> - -<p>"She knows just how far to stay away," Paul laughed proudly.</p> - -<p>"Why, they're brimful of spirit after all the doin's!" Grandma -exclaimed. "Wisht I felt like that."</p> - -<p>"<i>I</i> feel spry as a hopper-grass," Grandpa boasted.</p> - -<p>"So do I," Maureen said.</p> - -<p>"I don't," Paul declared. "I feel better ... and bigger ... and wilder."</p> - -<p>"How do you mean, Paul?" Grandma asked.</p> - -<p>He pointed a finger to the darkening sky. "See that gull 'way up yonder -heading into a cloud?"</p> - -<p>"Uh-hmm."</p> - -<p>"Well, I can fly up there right alongside him."</p> - -<p>Grandma took off her spectacles to study the white soaring wings tipped -with the last gold of the sun. "You can?" She smiled at him in pleased -wonder. "Even without wings?"</p> - -<p>Paul nodded, embarrassed, not knowing how to explain.</p> - -<p>There was a strained silence. At last he spoke in a hushed voice, -"Grandma, today in the theater I felt and knew things I never knew -before."</p> - -<p>Grandpa put an arm around Paul and another around Maureen. "I know -jes' what he means, Idy. And I don't think no one—not their teacher, -nor the postmaster, and mebbe not even Preacher Britton—could really -put it to words. Idy, to those city kids in Richmond, today was like a -fairy story come to life. It meant something real to 'em. And you'd of -thought Misty and Stormy was borned actors, the way they played their -parts." He sighed in deep satisfaction. "Fer oncet everything come out -jes' 'zackly perfect. And fer oncet in my lifetime I'm too happy to -eat."</p> - -<p>Misty and Stormy seemed to feel the same way. Their kicking and -cavorting done, they turned tail on their friends and walked down the -meadowland toward their pine grove by the sea.</p> - -<p>It was like the end of a play, their walking off, slow-footed and -contented, side by side. Without benefit of words they were playing -the last scene. It was good to be out under the big sky. And good to -breathe in the fresh, clean air. And how cool the marshy turf felt to -their feet. Home was a good place to be.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus62.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus63.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - - - -<h2><a name="Epilogue" id="Epilogue"><i>Epilogue</i></a></h2> - -<h3>TO MAKE THE STORY COMPLETE</h3> - - -<p>Misty and little Stormy showed no ill effects, even the next day, -because of their trip to the theater. They were, as Grandpa Beebe said, -"borned actors." They seemed to burst into bloom like the daffodils -after the storm. And so they traveled to more and more theaters. Each -time they seemed eager to go, eager to meet their enraptured audiences, -and deliriously happy to come back home.</p> - -<p>At the end of the tour there was money enough to start the Volunteer -Firemen buying back the ponies sold in other years.</p> - -<p>But this is only half the story. While Misty and Stormy were doing -their part, boys and girls all over the United States were helping, -too. They deluged Chincoteague with a fresh tide—of letters! From big -cities and tiny hamlets they came, and tucked inside were pennies, -dimes, and dollars.</p> - -<p>The letters are stories in themselves:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p><i>Here is a check for four dollars and four cents for the Misty -Disaster Fund. It is an odd number because we earned it weeding -dandelions and they grow odd. We hope the money will come in handy. -Please excuse our poor writing. We are doing this in my tree house.</i></p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><i>We had a lemonade stand and Mother didn't charge us for the lemons. -We made three dollars to help restore your herds. We think the new -ponies will be glad to go wild again.</i></p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><i>I was sad to hear of your disastrous flood because I feel like Misty -and Phantom and the Pied Piper are my friends. I know that a quarter -is just a drop in the bucket, but I hope that enough people send in -"drops" to fill it up.</i></p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><i>The radio said your ponies and chickens drowned. I will send you a -surprise with this letter. It is one dollar. I know that isn't much, -but that's how much I can give.</i></p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><i>We all voted to give our class treasury of five dollars to the Misty -Disaster Fund so you can buy a whole pony in the name of us fifth -graders. We want Pony Penning Day to go on forever.</i></p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><i>I been picking blueberries all day and here's my fifty cents. Give my -regards to Misty.</i></p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><i>During our Story Hour we set out a jar marked "For Pony Pennies," and -we marched around the library until 386 pennies were dropped in.</i></p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><i>We are a group of 4-H girls, 10 to 16 years old. Every year we have -a horse show and we do all the planning, fixing rings, making jumps, -and getting prizes and ribbons. From our proceeds this year we want to -give a hundred dollars to help replenish the herds that were drowned.</i></p></div> - -<p>Day by day the Misty Disaster Fund grew and grew. By June the firemen -had bought back enough ponies to restore the herds on Assateague. And -on the last Wednesday of July the annual roundup and Pony Penning took -place just as it has for over a hundred years. Thousands of visitors -came, and they marveled at how quickly the new ponies had gone back to -their wild ways. The celebration was a rousing success.</p> - -<p>Of course Stormy and Misty were on hand where everyone could see and -pet them. <i>They</i> were not wild at all. Yet they were the heroes of the -day.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus64.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1"><i>For their help the author is grateful to</i></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Ralph and Jeanette Beebe</span>, uncle and aunt of Paul and Maureen</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Sam Bendheim, Sr., AND Sam Bendheim, Jr.</span>, President and Vice President -of the Byrd Theaters, Richmond, Va.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">The Reverend Raymond Britton</span>, Chincoteague</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Warren Conant</span>, Postmaster of Chincoteague, and his wife, <span class="smcap">Pauline</span></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Mires Hancock</span>, terrapin trapper and wood-carver, Chincoteague</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Lt. William Lipham</span>, U.S. Coast Guard</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">William E. Nichols, Jr.</span>, Councilman of Chincoteague</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Rosert N. Reed</span>, Mayor of Chincoteague</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Tom Reed</span>, naturalist, Chincoteague</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Joyce Tarr</span>, map maker, Chincoteague</p> - - -<p class="ph1">PRINTED IN U.S.A.</p> - - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORMY, MISTY'S FOAL ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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