The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-09-03

THE pitching horse Is An exotic in the

QOule. vi uCI pIo1IlCo OuAy SIOW uuC
juicy grasses that nourish the pitching
propensity in perennial vigor. He has
never yet formed a taste for corn and
oats. To see him quietly feeding and
laying up material for future usefulness
you wouldn't dream of his wonderful ca
pabilities.
He has sluggish, hang dog look. l
say hang-dog for the sake Of cuphony-I
never knew how to hang dog. have
seen him kick one into sausages, but he
didn't hang 'em up afterward. He had
good reasons for it, have no doubt, but
he didn't mention them at the time.
There is no music in his soul. He has
pitch enough, but lacks Tone He in
dulges in none of those sweet courtesles
and domestic cndearmcnts which charac-
terize the Arab barb when confined in
the stalls Of the bookseller
He can be bought for twenty dollars
without any trouble, but it is dangerous
to try him any cheaper. Sanguine gen.
tlemcn who attempt it are generally
raised by willing hands out of the mire
and perplcxitics of this life, and trans
formed into postoak acorns. The trans
formation is interesting to disciple of
Pythagoras, but, to the party chiefly con-
cerned, the elevation is lacking in the
elements Of true grandeur.
1t is no trouble, though, to borrow one.
You can borrow one to ride a week, a
month, six months-if you should live
that long.
When first came to Texas l negoti-
ated without difficulty the loan of spot
ted animal named Downy, being assured
by his master that he was as gentle as a
mich COW. This was figurative ex-
preston, which it would have been well
for me if had called upon him to ex-
plain. But it seemed so absurd for a
human being in boots to require gen
tier steed than mich COW that re-
Trained.
He did look gentle His ears hung
loosely about a very unintellectual fore
head, his legs were built even from the
ground up, and his fetlocks were four
inches long.
These marks were sure evidences of a
lambl like spirit when found in the horse
of my native land.
mounted him without hesitation, and
dismounted in the same way.
As soon as got comfortably seated in
the saddle he Strengthened his ears and
drew long breath did not know
what this meant, but found out after
ward. He did not mean to let me ride
him without a vigorous protest
If he had only taken the trouble to in
form me in any language that | under
stood what he wanted, l would have
saved him some exertion.
But half the trouble in the world is oc-
casioned by people not understanding
each other.
He went up like balloon. He came
down like an aerolite started to say
like thunderbolt, but saw that would
not do. There is some elasticity about a
thunderbolt, but Downy's legs were as
stiff Us the manners of an English tour
list in Texas
tried to dismount, but before l could
get my right foot out of the stirrup he
went up again. When he came down
this time the jar was awful beyond de
scription.
do not know what it is to be struck
by lightning, but do not dread it now
like | used to. There might be something
new in the filling up, but the general out
lines of the feeling would be familiar to
me.
The jar did not seem to hurt Downy,
for he kept going up and coming down
faster than could count. And every
like bull.
This was the only point Of resemblance
ha t, from first to last, | discovered be-
tween him and milch COW. 1t was not
striking, to be sure-but as corroborativc
TO IA limited extent, of my friends testi-
mony, it was, on the whole, gratifying to
my feelings.
My first thought was that the great
want of Texas was railroads. My next,
that the animal was demented
then wondered how | ever could
have been fool enough to get on him,
anyhow; and finally resolved that if
ever got down alive l would first kill
Downy and then his master-if | could
get the drop on him.
BY this time blood was streaming from
| my nose, mouth, ears and eyes. Mean
time, the man for whose blood l was
thirsting was surveying me with curios-
ity, but without emotion. He was used
to it. So was Downy / was the only
one of the party for whom the proceed
ings possessed the charm Of novelty
would have been thrown sooner had
it not been for my saddle-a genuine
Texas saddle
The Texas saddle is wonderful
structure, which has grown out of the
necessity of the country A rider with
even moderate degree of GOODNESS can.
not be thrown out of it even by horse
with an immoderate degree of pitch.
At last Downy stopped for breath. ]
felt it to be the supreme moment, and
with admirable presence of mind at
tempted to roll Oft sideways. He discov.
cred my intention and frustrated it. He
| wanted to discharge me himself
Rising straight on his hind legs he
threw me on his back in the rear of the
saddle Then bringing down his head
and raising his heels at the same instant
he launched me into space with veloc.
ity hardly surpassed by the comet OF
1853.
had barely time to regret my depart
| ure from the earth before found myself
regretting that had ever got back to it
struck at full length on the wreck of
an old stone chimney. Then for five
minutes | slid around on my back and
gathered grass with both hands.
don't know why did this. Ihad no
use for the grass myself, and was Ger
tainly not in the humor to save hay for
Downy.
He was cropping grass, too, but he had
a use for it, besides, in cooler, more
dispassionate way.
His owner came up promptly and said
if it would be any alienation to my feel
ings he would shoot Downy on the spot
I started to say yes-hcsitated-re
flected.
AT last Christian charity got the better
of passion. "No,"I said, "let him live.