The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-03-17
THE HORSE RACE
TIE GREY-BAY MARE.

"Of the track !" interrupted bystander
"lou may bet high she'll Try for it," was
the answer. The speaker, famiiarIv
known as Big Bill, here rose from his seat
near the stove, in the Horse and Halter
5ar-roon, and advancing towards the man
he first addressed, added, And now, Sitter,
f you want TO trot your horse, Ragbae
agin my grey mare, Lady shinbone, say
.hc word, and we'll trot9'
Done" said Sitter; I'll trot nv horse
against your gray mare, a mile heat, to.
morrow afternoon, weather permitting
Fifty dollars side"
This little affair settled, all parties at
once renewed their legitimate business
whisky drinking and talking horse.
never saw flies worse than thew arc
now" said Big Bill; they worry Lady Shin
bones life out Of her. She's blood all
over and mighty thin skinned beast, to
that; consequence is, the flies peg it into
her like sixty, I'd give something to know
how to drive them off"
Keep your stable dark" said man
with white hat.
Keep a fly net on her." added af,e man
who stuck Bill Patterson.
"Rub her with pen'r'yal," suggested an
apothecary.
"Try pizzerinetum iutment," said the
apothccary's enemy.
use fly brush," slyly nsnuated old
Uncle Ned, and as lie spoke bright light
shot into his black eyes; there was an idea
behind them, and he jerkcd the corners of
his mouth down and looked serious, a
locker on in the Horse and Halter took a
little note Of it. a few minutes afterwards
he motoned to Big Bill, and drawing him
away from the rest Of the crowd into a
corner, said with a mysterious air:
know All nfallibIe recipe Bill there
is no use in telling the crowd of it, but as
you are friend, will tell you con-filen.
italy, remember, con-fidcntialy."
Certain, honor BRIGHT" confirmed Big
Bill
"WclI, then, you git a lot of walnut
leaves and make a decocton Just as strong
as you can make it. Wash your grey mare
with it, and tomorrow you'll sec if she
don't look like different beast"
Did you ever try it YOURSELF" asked
Bill.
"1es!" answered Ned "my old bay
horse owes half his good looks to the dc.
coct'on." Whereupon. Big Bill again join
ed the social circle and after few flrtations
with the whisky bottle rose up and de.
parted. The decoc,ion was on his mind,
liquor in his heaJ, and the grey mare in
the stable. AS he got near home he re-
,nembered that a walnut tree stood back
of the road near his house, SO hauling
down n fence rail lie made Il vigorous at
tack on tie lower limbs Of the tree, and
soon had leaves enough OH the ground to
keep the flies out of the Whole State" AS
lie judiciously remarked to himself, while
employed in trying to gather up the leaves
"Never see such leaves" lie soliIoquzcd,
"they stick to the ground like as if they
;Sere glued there" lie said this after ma.
king several futile attempts at gathering up
cne especially large one that kept Gliding
his grasp. lie male desperate lunge n!
it, and over he went. "Take care, old
boy, said he don't 60 to cutting up such
tapers. Steady now, steady" and like the
memorable Toodle, lie balanced himself on
one thumb, preparatory to assuming tie
perpcndicular-h assumed it. "Guess I've
got enough; no use taking more than you
want, you know )" said lie, as lie cast
longing look at the big leaf which had al
ready caused him one tumble. "Old fel-
low, I'll leave you just where you are;
don't mind you," and closely grasping to
his breast all he had gathered, lie went
home When had got there lie had just
two ideas left, one was big copper kettle
to boil the leaves in, and the other was the
gray mare, whether lie had put the copper
kettle into the grey marc, or the mare into
the kettle, was more than lie could cypler
out. Luckily lie stumbled over the pump,
and finding bucket there filled with
water, lie instantly plunged his Lead in "up
to the handle" several times then taking
breath he went in several times more finally
feeling "as if somebody had taken a lot
Of blanket off his brains 2" Cooled off,
dc boiled up the walnut leaves, made the
dccoction, and going out to the stable. by
the light of the young new moon which
kindly lent itself for the occasion, lie
"soused the beast" 10 use his own ex
preston, till she hadn't dry hair on her
hide" Now, my lady," continued lie,
"you won't he at home TO receive no more
hy-calls, and that tail Of yours will know a
little rest. Tomorrow you've got to spread