River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-04-30

d0red if | was green enough to believe
everything that was told to me. | said
nothing more, but after breakfast went
out to the yard, and was looking at the
colt, when uncle came out.
w"WeI, Johnny, do you see the
springs 2"
think looked as though had been
the object of joke, but commenced con.
yersation at once by saying:
"What is the work for to-day g.
"Think we will finish binding those
oats. What shall give you to carry
bundles ?"
) Had he said this almost any other day
should have gladly accepted the invita-.
tation, thought think should have pre-
, ferred riding on the reaper, rather than
any other work, for like most boys l al
ways did have a dislike for walking.
Somehow, it seemed as though | did not
feel quite as we'll as usual, hardly able to
hire out for the day, but only said
"What time would you like to have
me begin to carry bundles!"
"Oh! ten o'clock wi" =
'All right. I'll lie out by that time"
Isaid !.
In few moments the teams and men
had gone to work in the field. But that
colt. ! could think Of nothing else, and
the more thought about it, the easier it
scemed just to go into the barn and get
a halter. knew could put the halter
on the colts head, for had been allowed
to do that several times and lead him into
the stable. had always found that it
was the nearest way out of the stall to
climb up through the Manager; not that
was afraid of the colts heels. oh, no!
but what was the use of taking any need.
less steps.
Well, in few minutes | found myself
in the barn looking at the halters. Then
! took down the one that Dick wore
Thought would try il on the colt; then
| brought around the strap and fastened
it on the other side Of the head-piece.
There now, thought ], why can't take
short ride. Uncle said that / wasn't
heavy enough to hurt Dick. haven't
had horseback ride since | came here.
"Come Dick, come Dick said |, pat.
ting him and coaxing him up beside the
fence. In moment made spring and
landed on Dicks back. 1t would be of
no use to ask you to imagine my feelings
at the next moment, for | haven't been
able to find words in Webster's una
bridged dictionary to express them N.Y.
self. The colt whirled around several
times, very much as the circus horse
does, but about ten times as fast; then
the speed with which he carried me out
through the lane to the pasture was far
ahead of anything | have ever seen at
Dexter Park. | should Judge that it was
at about the rate of lao. 1t was about
that time | thought OF darius Green,
with his flying machine" | didn't mind
the flying, but wondered where and
how | should light. ] wasn't kept in
this state of suspense many seconds, for
the colt struck bee line for the spring.
| Now this spring was clear, cold water,
and it had been dug out something like
well, and curb built around it. Oh
dear, now he will throw me into that
spring, and | shall go to the bottom of it,
and | shall certainly be drowned and
the yell which | made then was never
surpassed by any boy of my age. |
don't know what the colt thought |
meant by it, but if it was possible, he ran
faster than ever but when within about
twenty rods Of the spring, just where the
cattle had been to drink until they had
trodden the ground all up into a good
sized mud hole, the colt stopped with as
much speed as he had been running. But
somehow kept going as before, until |
had plowed furrow nearly across the
soft place in the pasture. Then crawled
out just in time to see the colt wheel
about and make peculiar motion with
his heels-which reminded me of those
springs Of which my uncle had warned
me-then ran away; and / came to the
conclusion that the friendship which had
existed between that colt and myself was
dissolved by mutual consent"
For the the first time in my life found
myself in the undisputed possession of q
large amount of ''real estate" to some of
which / was about TO give ''quit claim
deed by scraping the mud off my clothes,
when uncle and the men from the field,
who had been attracted by some noise or
other, probably i made a buzzing noise
while going through the air) came up in
great haste and out of breath. All in
quired at once, "Where are you hurt!"
"IIurt Can't fellow take short
ride in the country, without attracting so
much attention. | Indignantly answer
ed. They looked at me for a mo.
ment, as though they thought ! had lost
my senses; but as | continued to remove
that portion of uncie's pasture which
had taken possession of, or which had TAX
en- possession Of me, flor il was difficult to
tell which way it was) and as that small
portion Of my face which was visible
wasn't much paler than blood bat, they
left me and went back to their work.
thought heard them smile as they left
the pasture.
Perhaps you would like to know how |
passed the remainder of that day, but,
like many other things in this world "the
less said about that the better"
There are many ways in which spring
can be used, such as in making spring.
latches, spring-locks and spring-traps. |
think the best mouse-trap that has ever
been made was composed principally Of
a cat.spring. 1t has proved to be both
seryiceably and durable. After il has
caught one mouse il will set itself TO
catch another, and with good care will
I i