The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-02-04
A Steer Ride.

Moving down Washington street the other
day with friend, the sight of the flying slcighs
reminded him of a Juvenile adventure Of his
own, when he was yonker, long time ago,
and Gilmanton, N. H., was blessed with his
presence. Happening to call on a crony of
his, farmers son, one afternoon, the gentle
man who the hymn-book tells us
"Finds some mischiefstill
For idle hands to do
suggested to them the idea Of having ride IN
the "go-to meetin," sleigh, with an unbroken
steer Of the farmers for team, Oar friend
was with some difficulty persuaded by his ac-
quaintance to enter into the scheme, but when
his scruples we're once overcome, " he went it
with vindictive rush" The boys secretly
cot out the sleigh, and "toted" through tho
snow for distance of two miles, where they
left it. The snow was deep-over the fence
rails in some places, and the preliminary
achievement cost them no little labor. This
done, they went back for the animal. The
" creeter" was quietly consuming clover in an
out-house, and not in the happiest hunor at
being disturbed. In fact he was mighty
handy with his horns," as an Irishman would
say, and had most fatal facility" for but
ting. However, his tormenters took him, one
each side, grapsed him by the horns and per-
suaded him along by means of an ox-goad-.
Now and then he would make a stand and
struggle ferccly. But they hung on him
b" like Mortality to deceased African" as my
friend expressed it, determined not TO give
out. 1t took them two hours to get the steer
up to the sleigh.
There another battle royal ensued when it
came to putting him in the fills. Talk about
tanning Bucephalusl Pooh that was nothing
to Harvesting an angry steer into single
sleigh. lie did not take it kindly at all-but
he had to take it. The youthful muscle and
youthful ingenuity of a pair of human tors
mcnts overcame the brute rage and blind
strength of the animal
At last they noosed him, and INDUCED in
an Indian yell of triumph. Off went the lib
locomotive at full speed-pshaw that is a
tortoise to a mad steer! The "crtter" took
a bee line for home. The snow flew like the
spray from Niagara. The boys were peted
with ice balls from his flying hocfs. The ci-
Giles showcred from the limbs of the applel
trees, as they. dashed through an orchard
Two pnnnels Of fence rails went into taInal
smash" as they took the outside of the track
in a narrow cart-path. One side of the sleigh
was left in dung-heap. Nothing but tho
dasher held on as they went through the last
pair of bars, and the steer dashed his head
against the barn-door, rolled over, dead beat,
in a snow heap.
Our friend got off the runners and made
tracks for his home just as the farmer rushed
out of the house, whip in hand, colared his
precocious boy as he was rising from the
wreck, aud gave him, as the sufferer avcrred
the next day, the " onremittencst lickin' that
was larruped onto him since he was human
bein'."
Our friend has often been a seehing since
with splendid teams and pretty girls, and elo4
rious music and moon moonlight nights but no
declares upon his honor, that not all of thes6
can equal half the excitement of slc;ghrdc
across the country with a mad steer in the
fills.