At the sound of his voice the horse stopped, turned its head, and looked
at him. The cow stopped also.

Intensely relieved, Wallie dropped to a walk, congratulating himself
that the livery horse chanced to be so well trained and obedient. As he
approached, the cow stepped forward that she might look under the
horse's neck and watch her pursuer. Both animals stood like statues,
regarding him intently. When within fifty feet Wallie said in a
conciliatory tone to show them that he stood ready to forgive them in
spite of the inconvenience to which they had put him:

"Nice horsey! Good bossy!"

Quite as if it were a signal, "Nice horsey and good bossy" started at a
trot which quickly left Wallie far behind them.

Wallie ran until he felt that his overtaxed lungs were bursting. His
boots were killing him, his shin bones ached, and his feet at every
step sank to the ankles in the loose sand. It was like running through a
bog. He pursued until he was bent double with the effort and his legs
grew numb. The perspiration streamed from under his stylish derby, his
stock wilted, and his clothing was as wet as if it had been raining.

When his legs would carry him not one step farther he stopped and looked
after the cow and horse--who were still doing perfect team-work,
trotting side by side as evenly as if they had been harnessed together.
They stopped instantly when he stopped, and, as before, the horse turned
its head to look back at him while the cow peered under its neck at
Wallie.

Hope revived again when they showed no disposition to move, and after he
had panted awhile, Wallie thought that by feigning indifference and
concealing his real purpose he might approach them. To this end, he
whistled with so much breath as his chase had left him, tossed pebbles
inconsequently, and sauntered toward the pair as if he had all the day
before him.

The subterfuge seemed to be succeeding, and he was once more within
fifty feet of them when they whirled about simultaneously and started at
the same lively trot, leaving Wallie far behind them.

A humane consideration for animals had been inculcated in Wallie from
childhood by Aunt Mary, but now he felt such a yearning to inflict pain
upon the cow and the livery horse that it would have shocked that lady
if she could have read his thoughts as he chased them. He visualized
the two of them tied to a tree while he laid on the rope-end, and the
picture afforded him intense satisfaction.