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Show Her light-hearted laughter came to me in peal after peal. The humor didn't come through to me. I told her off in four-letter words picked up among the less cultured hands working with stubborn horses and cattle. Looking back, I see what seemed funny to her. Also I fear I was a rather conceited young man for nine years of age. I was four years younger than she, and was no doubt getting a little "too big for my britches." She didn't mind seeing me taken down a peg. After what seemed like an unduly long time her affection and loyalty reasserted themselves. We discussed the problem. One of us-I imagine it was she who thought of it because fear had driven solutions out of my mind-thought of unbuckling the lines from Frank's harness and trying to pull me out with them. Considerable time passed. Then she returned with the lines, good stout leather straps. Buckled together, they must have totalled 22 feet. She was emotional, imaginative and cooly practical by turns. This moment she was practical. She coiled up the lines, then, holding one end, she rolled the coil down the burrow to me. The strap reached me. Those lines, with their good horsy odor, smelled wonderful. If necessary, Frank could pull me out. I had another moment of panic when, in the mouth of the burrow, I was doubled up kneeling and the burrow was too small for me in that crouch. El Vera couldn't quite manage to pull me out. We struggled until we both were breathless. I had another moment of panic and El Vera had another spell of uncontrollable laughter. Then Father and Mother appeared. He always gave me confidence. He told me not to struggle or double up, just to hang on. He hauled me up with ease. That was grand relief, coming up out of that badger hole onto good flat land with Father grinning at me. |