Hammond and Ester made it home from
the city late the next day and went straight to bed after unloading the
whistling chickens.
While the Eggers were gone to the
city with the whistling chickens, Yoakum had been as busy as his friends the
beavers, gathering materials for them to work with. The beavers were working on
the picture that Yoakum had given them and by the end of the first day they had
moved their project to the Egger farm. They asked Yoakum if he could help them
with their cold feet problem. It seems that being in water and mud all day made
their feet awfully cold. Yoakum had learned from Hammond about “pondering” and
he pondered up an idea.
The second day at the farm started
with the beavers hauling mud to the haystack next to the pig wallow. The
beavers began sculpting a long gentle ramp, up one side of the haystack and a
steep drop with a sharp upward ramp on the other end of the stack.
The pigs began moving things about
in their wallow. They put some hay bales around the sides and began selling
spaces to the show. “Come see Yoakum!”
they said “‘See him do his thing with the big thing the beavers made!” “What is it?” said the horse. “Yes indeed” said the pigs. “The what and the why are the questions, but do you remember the last time when
Yoakum did his honey feather project?” “Well, yes” said the horse, you were the
only ones who saw the whole thing and you charged the rest of us food to tell
the story…….. OK, how much for a good view?”
With a happy snort the pigs sold prime
spots around the wallow to all the farm animals.
By mid day Yoakum had helped put the
finishing touches on his “Soppy Camel.” Mr. and Mrs. Beaver said, “We will be
back early in the morning Yoakum and help you bring this to the top of the
haystack. The mud must dry over night, both on the haystack and on your “Soppy
Camel.”
Yoakum could hardly sleep that
night. When he did finally fall asleep he dreamt of flying!
The animals had all gathered around
the pig’s wallow before the rising of the sun, watching as Yoakum and the
beavers pushed the “Soppy Camel” up the long slope of the haystack. Reaching
the top the beavers helped Yoakum put his diving mask on and got him settled in
the cockpit of the carriage. Yoakum closed his eyes and barked “NOW!” The beavers pushed, but the weight of Yoakum
getting into the “Soppy Camel” had pushed the wheels a little farther down into
the mud, and the beavers were having a hard time of it.
The farm animals began bellowing “GO
Yoakum! Fly Yoakum!”
The Beavers yelled “We need somebody
light and fast to help us push!” The Queen Bee, in her dog eared coat came and
had the hive grab hold of the “Soppy Camel” and pull, but still it did not
move. The farmyard was filled with animals yelling encouragement to Yoakum.
The chickens
were whistling “The Army Air Force Song” all about the “wild blue yonder” when
a voice said “Yoakum, hang on tight! The rest of you clear the way!” It was
Goatee the goat. He was forty yards away from the bottom of the ramp and charging
fast! The animals gave a great cheer! That is when Hammond and Ester Egger came
running around the house and saw the sunrise hitting the top of the haystack.
They saw a baby carriage with planks
coming out of both sides and what looked like a garden spinner on the front of
the carriage twirling madly in the breeze. It had a tail of sorts. It kind of
looked like barrel slats with swim fins sticking up at the end all covered in
burlap. The whole contraption was covered in a coat of smooth mud. The occupant
of the carriage was Yoakum! He was barking wildly, had a strip of gunnysack
around his neck, a face mask over his eyes and the snorkel for the facemask was
set on the front part of the carriage just in back of the spinning flower, like
some kind of machine gun!
Just as the Eggers had all this
impressed on their minds, Goatee hit the carriage with a loud smack! For a
moment it really did seem to fly. The carriage came down on the short ramp and
hit the upturned end at great speed as it bounced up directly over the wallow.
(The Eggers would later say it seemed like all the animals said “Ooooooh” and
“Aaaaaah” while Yoakum was in the air.) The Carriage hit the mud of the wallow
with a whooomph! Parts were flying everywhere! The Eggers Yelled “Yoakum! Are
you OK?” As they came running. The farm animals seeing the Eggers, went running
back to the barn and fields. Finding that Yoakum was not hurt and wondering why
beavers were wearing yellow boots, Ester Egger told her husband “Mister you
better ponder on what is going on
with that dog before he breaks his fool neck!”
Hammond,
looking at a muddy picture of a Sopwith Camel said “I believe I know the
problem and all I need to do is make a phone call.”
The next day
Hammond came home after an early morning ride into town with Yoakum. Ester said
“Where’s Yoakum! You didn’t get rid of him did you?”
“Now Ester.”
said Hammond “Just you wait about five minutes and help me gather up all the
animals and bring them to the field.” When all the animals arrived at the field
close to the bee hive, the Eggers waited. Out of the south came the sound of a
small plane coming steadily toward them. It was one of the biplanes used by the
Everyly Sisters Crop Dusting Service “We dust what bugs you.” Hammond said to Ester “I called Evangeline
Everyly and she agreed to pick up Yoakum and drop him off at the beginning and
end of her day. She said she would enjoy the company. I stopped off at the War
Surplus and picked up the hat and goggles and Evangeline’s sister Eugenie found
the scarf. She said they will take turns flying Yoakum.” In the front cockpit was Yoakum! He had a
red scarf streaming behind him and a leather cap with aviator goggles over his
eyes. The pilot of the plane swooped low and the animals looked up and bellowed
such a racket at the plane that the Eggers had to hold their hands over their
ears! Yoakum was happily barking at his friends, the wind flapping his lips
into a big smile. Yoakum was flying!
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