for the feeling was in his heart , and he ran up to the stately animal without a fear . Duke put back his ears and swished his tail as if displeased for a moment ; but Ben looked straight in his eyes , gave a scientific stroke to the iron-gray nose , and uttered a chirrup which made the ears prick up as if recognizing a familiar sound . `` He 'll nip ye , if ye go botherin ' that way . Leave him alone , and attend to the cattle as his honor told ye , '' commanded Pat , who made a great show of respect toward Duke in public , and kicked him brutally in private . `` I ai n't afraid ! You wo n't hurt me , will you , old feller ? See there now ! -- he knows I 'm a friend , and takes to me right off , '' said Ben , with an arm around Duke 's neck , and his own cheek confidingly laid against the animal 's ; for the intelligent eyes spoke to him as plainly as the little whinny which he understood and accepted as a welcome . The Squire saw it all from the open window , and suspecting from Pat 's face that trouble was brewing , called out , -- `` Let the lad harness Duke , if he can . I 'm going out directly , and he may as well try that as any thing . '' Ben was delighted , and proved himself so brisk and handy that the roomy chaise stood at the door in a surprisingly short time , with a smiling little ostler at Duke 's head when the Squire came out . His affection for the horse pleased the old gentleman , and his neat way of harnessing suited as well ; but Ben got no praise , except a nod and a brief `` All right , boy , '' as the equipage went creaking and jogging away . Four sleek cows filed out of the barnyard when Pat opened the gate , and Ben drove them down the road to a distant pasture where the early grass awaited their eager cropping . By the school they went , and the boy looked pityingly at the black , brown , and yellow heads bobbing past the windows as a class went up to recite ; for it seemed a hard thing to the liberty-loving lad to be shut up there so many hours on a morning like that . But a little breeze that was playing truant round the steps did Ben a service without knowing it , for a sudden puff blew a torn leaf to his feet , and seeing a picture he took it up . It evidently had fallen from some ill-used history , for the picture showed some queer ships at anchor , some oddly dressed men just landing , and a crowd of Indians dancing about on the shore . Ben spelt out all he could about these interesting personages , but could not discover what it meant , because ink evidently had deluged the page , to the new reader 's great disappointment . `` I 'll ask the girls ; may be they will know , '' said Ben to himself as , after looking vainly for more stray leaves , he trudged on , enjoying the bobolink 's song , the warm sunshine , and a comfortable sense of friendliness and safety , which soon set him to whistling as gayly as any blackbird in the meadow . CHAPTER VI A CIRCULATING LIBRARY After supper that night , Bab and Betty sat in the old porch playing with Josephus and Belinda , and discussing the events of the day ; for the appearance of the strange boy and his dog had been a most exciting occurrence in their quiet lives . They had seen nothing of him since morning , as he took his meals at the Squire 's , and was at work with Pat in a distant field when the children passed .
Sancho had stuck closely to his master , evidently rather bewildered by the new order of things , and bound to see that no harm happened to XXXXX .
Ben Josephus Pat Squire blackbird botherin chirrup equipage hours morning