Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-27
MIR. STIyER,S HORSE.
rFrom the Danburv fConn. News

EcTkluS observed Lnat MI. St1VeT, Ill whose
house we live, had been called away early
and wanted to know if would see to his
morse through the day.
knew MIR. Silver owned horse, be-
cause occasionally saw him drive it out
of the yard, and saw the stable every
day, but what kind of horse it was
didn't know. / never went into the
stable for two reasons: in the first place
had no desire to, and secondly, didn't
know as the horse cared particularly for
company.
| never took care of horse in my life,
and had | been of less hopeful nature,
the charge Mr.. Silver had left with me
might have had very depressing effect,
but told Mrs Perkins would do It.
"lou know how to take care OF
horse, don't your" said she.
gave her reassuring wink. In fact,
knew so little about it, that | didn't
think it safe to converse more tluently
than by winks
After breakfast / seized toothpick and
walked out to the stable. There was moth
ing particular to do, as Silver had given
him his breakfast, and found him eating
it, so looked around. The horse looked
around, too; and stared pretty hard at
me. There was but little said on either
side. l hunted up the location OF the
feed, and then sat down on peck meas
ure, and fell to studying the beast.
There is a wide difference i'll horses
Some Of them will kick you over, and
never look around to see what becomes
of you. don't like disposition like
that, and | wondered If StiVer's horse was
one of them.
When l came 'hofne at noon I went
straight to the stable. The animal was
there all right Silver hadn't told me
what to give him for dinner, and had
not given the subject any thought; but |
went to the oat box and filled the peck
measure, and sailed up to the manger.
When he saw the oats he almost smiled;
this pleased and amused him. | emptied
them into the trough and left him above
me to admire the way parted my hair
behind. | Just got my head up in time
to save the whole Of it. He had his ears
back, his mouth open, and looked as if
he was on the point of committing MUIR
der. | went out and filed the measure
again, and climbed up the side Of the stall
and emptied it on top Of him. He
brought his head up SO suddenly at this
that | Immediately got down, letting go
of everything to do it. | struck on the
sharp edge of barrel and rolled over a
couple of times, and then disappeared
under a hay-cutter. The peck measure
went down on the other side, and got
mysteriously tangled up in that animals
heels, and he went to work at it, and then
ensued the most dreadful noise had ever
heard in all my life, and I have been mar
ried eighteen years.
It did seem as if | never would get out
from that nay cutter, and all the while |
was struggling and wrencning myself and
the cutter apart, that awful beast was
kicking around in that stall, and making
the most appalling sounds imaginable.
When | got out, / found Mrs. Perkins
at the door. She had heard the racket,
and had sped out to the stable, her only
thought of me and three stove lids which
she had under her arms, one of which
she was about to fire al the beast.
This made me mad.
go away, you unfortunate idiot" |
shouted, edo you want to knock my
brains out?" For I remembered seeing
Mrs. Perkins sling missile once before,
and that | nearly lost the use OF an eye
by the operation, although standing on
the opposite side Of the house at the
time.
She retired at once And st the same
was nothing left of that peck measure,
not even the makers naTae.
followed Mrs Perkins into the house,
and had her do me mp, and then | sat
down on a chair, and fell into profound
train Of meditation. After a while felt
better and went out to the stable again
The horse was leaning against the stable
stall, with eyes partly closed, and ap-
peared to be very much engrossed in
thought.
Step off to the left" l said, rubbing
my back.
He didn't step, | got the pitchfork,
and punched him in the leg with the
handle. He Immediately raised up both
hind legs at once, and that fork flew
out of my hands, and went rafting up
against the timbers above, and came down
| again in an instant, the end of the handle
rapping me with such force on the top of
the head, that | sat right down on the
floor under the impression that | was
standing in front Of a drug store in the
evening. | went back into the house,
and got some more stuff on me- But the
Perkins grit was up ia me, and couldn't
keep away from that stable. | went out
there again. The thought struck NE that
what the animal wanted was exercise.
If that thought had been an empty Civ
cerine can, it would have saved a wind
fall of luck for me.
But exercise would tone him down, and
exercise him | should | laughed at nv
self to think how | would trounce him
around the yard. I didn't laugh again
that afternoon. got him unhitched, and
then wondered how was to get him out
Of the stall without carrying him out. I
pushed, but he wouldn't bulge. | stood
looking at him in the face, thinking of
something appropriate to say, when he
suddenly solved the difficulty by veering
about and plunging for the door. I fol-
lowed, as matter of course, because I
had tight hold of the rope, and hit
about every partition stud worth speak.
Ing OF on that side of the barn. Mrs.
Perkins was at the window, and saw us
come out the door. She subsequently re-
marked that we cane out skipping like
two innocent children. The skippinp
was entirely unintentional on nv part. /
lett as II L stood on the verge of eter.
nifty ; my legs may have skipped, but my
mind was full of awe.
took that animal out to exercise him.
lie exercised me before we got through
with it. He event around few times in a
circle, then he stopped suddenly, spread
OUT his fore legs and looked at me. Then
he leaned forward a little, and hoiste1
both hind legs, and threw about two coal
nods OF mud over a line full of clothes
MIS-: Perkins had just hung out.
mat excellent lady had taken a posi-
ton at the window and whanevar tho