AbdulHannanMujawar/ch_development · Datasets at Hugging Face

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CHAPTER 1.

THE EARTHQUAKE


The train from 'Frisco was very late. It should have arrived at Hugson's
siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the gray dawn
was breaking in the east when the little train slowly rumbled up to the
open shed that served for the station-house. As it came to a stop the
conductor called out in a loud voice:

"Hugson's Siding!"

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the
car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage
covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked
under her arm. The conductor helped her off the car and then the
engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and
moved slowly away up the track. The reason he was so late was because
all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and
trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the
rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers. So he
moved the cars slowly and with caution.

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared
around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

The shed at Hugson's Siding was bare save for an old wooden bench, and
did not look very inviting. As she peered through the soft gray light
not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any person
in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and buggy
standing near a group of trees a short distance away. She walked toward
it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless, with its
head hanging down almost to the ground. It was a big horse, tall and
bony, with long legs and large knees and feet. She could count his ribs
easily where they showed through the skin of his body, and his head was
long and seemed altogether too big for him, as if it did not fit. His
tail was short and scraggly, and his harness had been broken in many
places and fastened together again with cords and bits of wire. The
buggy seemed almost new, for it had a shiny top and side curtains.
Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the girl saw a
boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

She set down the bird-cage and poked the boy with her parasol. Presently
he woke up, rose to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes briskly.

"Hello!" he said, seeing her, "are you Dorothy Gale?"

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking
gray eyes. "Have you come to take me to Hugson's Ranch?"

"Of course," he answered. "Train in?"

"I couldn't be here if it wasn't," she said.

He laughed at that, and his laugh was merry and frank. Jumping out of
the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case under the seat and her bird-cage on
the floor in front.

"Canary-birds?" he asked.

"Oh, no; it's just Eureka, my kitten. I thought that was the best way to
carry her."

The boy nodded.

"Eureka's a funny name for a cat," he remarked.

"I named my kitten that because I found it," she explained. "Uncle Henry
says 'Eureka' means 'I have found it.'"

"All right; hop in."

She climbed into the buggy and he followed her. Then the boy picked up
the reins, shook them, and said "Gid-dap!"

The horse did not stir. Dorothy thought he just wiggled one of his
drooping ears, but that was all.

"Gid-dap!" called the boy, again.

The horse stood still.

"Perhaps," said Dorothy, "if you untied him, he would go."

The boy laughed cheerfully and jumped out.

"Guess I'm half asleep yet," he said, untying the horse. "But Jim knows
his business all right--don't you, Jim?" patting the long nose of the
animal.

Then he got into the buggy again and took the reins, and the horse at
once backed away from the tree, turned slowly around, and began to trot
down the sandy road which was just visible in the dim light.

"Thought that train would never come," observed the boy. "I've waited at
that station for five hours."

CHAPTER 1.

THE EARTHQUAKE

The train from 'Frisco was very late. It should have arrived at Hugson's

siding at midnight, but it was already five o'clock and the gray dawn

was breaking in the east when the little train slowly rumbled up to the

open shed that served for the station-house. As it came to a stop the

conductor called out in a loud voice:

"Hugson's Siding!"

At once a little girl rose from her seat and walked to the door of the

car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand and a round bird-cage

covered up with newspapers in the other, while a parasol was tucked

under her arm. The conductor helped her off the car and then the

engineer started his train again, so that it puffed and groaned and

moved slowly away up the track. The reason he was so late was because

all through the night there were times when the solid earth shook and

trembled under him, and the engineer was afraid that at any moment the

rails might spread apart and an accident happen to his passengers. So he

moved the cars slowly and with caution.

The little girl stood still to watch until the train had disappeared

around a curve; then she turned to see where she was.

The shed at Hugson's Siding was bare save for an old wooden bench, and

did not look very inviting. As she peered through the soft gray light

not a house of any sort was visible near the station, nor was any person

in sight; but after a while the child discovered a horse and buggy

standing near a group of trees a short distance away. She walked toward

it and found the horse tied to a tree and standing motionless, with its

head hanging down almost to the ground. It was a big horse, tall and

bony, with long legs and large knees and feet. She could count his ribs

easily where they showed through the skin of his body, and his head was

long and seemed altogether too big for him, as if it did not fit. His

tail was short and scraggly, and his harness had been broken in many

places and fastened together again with cords and bits of wire. The

buggy seemed almost new, for it had a shiny top and side curtains.

Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the girl saw a

boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.

She set down the bird-cage and poked the boy with her parasol. Presently

he woke up, rose to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes briskly.

"Hello!" he said, seeing her, "are you Dorothy Gale?"

"Yes," she answered, looking gravely at his tousled hair and blinking

gray eyes. "Have you come to take me to Hugson's Ranch?"

"Of course," he answered. "Train in?"

"I couldn't be here if it wasn't," she said.

He laughed at that, and his laugh was merry and frank. Jumping out of

the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case under the seat and her bird-cage on

the floor in front.

"Canary-birds?" he asked.

"Oh, no; it's just Eureka, my kitten. I thought that was the best way to

carry her."

The boy nodded.

"Eureka's a funny name for a cat," he remarked.

"I named my kitten that because I found it," she explained. "Uncle Henry

says 'Eureka' means 'I have found it.'"

"All right; hop in."

She climbed into the buggy and he followed her. Then the boy picked up

the reins, shook them, and said "Gid-dap!"

The horse did not stir. Dorothy thought he just wiggled one of his

drooping ears, but that was all.

"Gid-dap!" called the boy, again.

The horse stood still.

"Perhaps," said Dorothy, "if you untied him, he would go."

The boy laughed cheerfully and jumped out.

"Guess I'm half asleep yet," he said, untying the horse. "But Jim knows

his business all right--don't you, Jim?" patting the long nose of the

animal.

Then he got into the buggy again and took the reins, and the horse at

once backed away from the tree, turned slowly around, and began to trot

down the sandy road which was just visible in the dim light.

"Thought that train would never come," observed the boy. "I've waited at

that station for five hours."