Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-11-06
THE GREY-BAY MARE.


trot the legs off your horse, any day She can
go inside"
"Of the track P' interrupted bystander.
"lou may bet high she'll try for it," was the
answer. The speaker familiarly known as Big
Bill, here rose from his seat near the stove, in
the Horse and Halter bar-room, and advancing
towards the man he first addressed, added, "And
now Sitter. if you want to trot your horse,
Ragbag, agin my grey mare, Lady Shinbone,
say the word, and wen trot P"
"Done.' said Sitter. an trot my horse
against your grey mare, a mile heat tomorrow
afternoon, weather permitting. Fifty dollars a
side"
This little affair settled all parties at once re-
newed their Legitimate busincss-whisky drink
ing and talking horse.
81 never saw flies worse than thev are now,
said Big Bill they worry Lady Shinbone's life
out Of her. She's blood all over, and a mighty
thin skinned beast, to that consequence is, the
flies neg it into her IKE sixty. I'd give some
thing to know how 20 drive them off,
keep your stable dark" said a man with a
white hat
keep fly net on her." added the man who
struck Bill Patterson.
"Rub her with pen'r'yal," suggested an apoth-
ecary.
"Try pizzerinctum intment," said the apothe-
cary's enemy
'Use fly brush" slyly insinuatcd old uncle
Ned, and as he spoke bright light shot into his
black eyes there was an idea behind them. and
as he jcrked the corners of his mouth down and
looked serious, locker on in the Horse and
Halter took little note Of it. A few minutes
afterwards he motioncdto Big Bill, and drawing
him away from the rest of the crowd into a
corner, said with mysterious air;
81 know nm infallihfn racn;,c mn H.. -.
use in telling the crowd of it, but as you are
friend, | will tell you coN-fdentially, remember
-fdentially."
Certain, honor bright" confirmed Big Bill.
"Well' then, you go git lotof walnut leaves
ana make decoction just as strong as you can
make It, Wash your grey mare with it, and to-
morrow you'll see if she don't LOOK LIKE A
DIFFERENT BEAST"
did you ever try it yerself?" asked Bill
"ies! !" answered Ned. "my old bay horse
owes. half his good looks to the decoction."
Wherenpon, Big Bill, again joined the social cir
Gle, and after few hirtations with the whisky
bottle rose upand departed. The decoction was
on his mind, liquor in his head, and the grey
mare IN the stable. As he got near home he
remembered thata walnut tree stood back of the
road, near his house, so hauling down fence
rail he made vigorous attack on the lower limbs
- N'iN 't'Ni uiiu nuull enough on the
ground to keep the flies out of the whole state"
as he jldiciously remarked to himself. while
employed III trying to gather up the leaves
"Neyer see such leaves" he soliloquized. "they
stick to the ground like as if they were glued
there" lie said this after making several futile
attempts at gathering up one especially large one
that kept eluding his grasp. He made desper-
ate lunge at it, and over he went. Take care"
old boy, said he, don't 20 to cutting up such
capers. Steady now, steady =" and like the
memorable Toodle, he balanced himself on one
thumb, preparatory TO assuming the perpendicu-
lar-he assumed it. Guess I've got enough.
nous" taking more than you want, you know"
sad ne, as he cast longing look atthe big leaf
which had already caused him one tumble "Old
fellow, I'll leav you Just where you are, don't
mind you," and closely grasping to his breast all
he had gathered, he corkscrewed home When
he had got there he had just two ideas left, one
was big copper kettle to boil the leaves in, and
the other was the grey mare whether he had to
put the copper kettle into the grey mare, or the
mare into the kettle, was more than he could
cypher out. Luckily he stumbled over the
pump, and finding bucket there filled with
water, he instantly plunged his head in, "up to
the handle" several times then taking breath
he went in several times more, finally feeling
''as if body had taken lot of blankets off
his brains :" Cooled off, he boiled up the wal
nut leaves, made the decoction, and going out
to the stable. by the light of the young new
moon which kindly lent itself for the occasion,
he 'soused the beast" to use his own expression,
It'll she hadn't dry hair on her hide" "Now,
my lady," continued lie, you won't he at home
to receive no more fly calls, and that tail of yours
will know little rest. Tomorrow you've got
to spread yourself agn Ragbag, mile heat
h.tEf o. ILL
point me-" And after this exhortation Big Bill
cleared out of the stable.
Next morning Big Bill went out to the stable,
threw open the door, looked in, the grey mare
was gone and there stood a bay mare in her
place. Bill opened his eyes till they reached
the roots of his hair, which stood up straight.
"What are you doing here, my LADY," asked he
of the bay mare. peculiar switch OF the tail,
shake of her name, and a side look from her
large liquid eyes, induced Bill to look closer at
her. by all the trots ~ he burst out, that
cleans down everything I've heard of lately, a
grey mare turned into bay; somebody hold
me! the end of the world the Bill sud-
denly checked himself, "the walnut leaves boiled.
They did it" Yes, they did it; and Lady
Shinbonc, the grey mare, was now sight to be-
hold she was of an ugly bay color with stripes,
something of the appearance of piece of ma
noBahl NeneerlnS, Ill tne rouSn. NOW, con-
tinued Bill you're beauty, you are ~ Moth
ing can take the devil out of that eye of yours,
though there's grit there, proof agin all walnut
leaves, Past Present, and Future"
In the afternoon Bill was on hand with his
"variaSated' mare, and having duly driven over
to the Horse and Halter tavern, he gave the
mare in charge of the hostler, first seeing her
well blanketed, and then went into the bar room.
Here he found Sitter, the owner of the bay horse,
Ragbag, who at once accosted Bill
"Here | am, you see, ready for the trot put
up your money. Colonel Stubbs shall hold the
stakes. You are to trot your grey mare against
my bay horse, that's the agreement. Fetch out
your animal"
Bill had Lady Shinbone brought to the door /;
the crowd gathered round. Don't touch rag
till l have the reins !" said he and jumping
into his light trotting wagon, the hostler at the
moment pulled off the covers and the Lady
came up to the starting point in fine STYLE Just
at the same time Sitter came up with his lady,
"Well, Bill why don't yer bring out your
grey mare"
''What do you call this ?" answered Bill, as he
held the lady in with a taut rein.
at may be zebra, faint grey mare, this
side of Jordan !" replied Sitter.
81 tell YOU" says Bill, "this is my grey
mare !"
n $500