New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-04
sir: but she be good I'm for gentlemsn's

| inonIa, ne naO accepted her as gift, and
oy careful nursing had cured her. Then
for time he rode her himself. and his eve
frightened as he told of her leaps and her
strides. Of course he rode her to the races,
and one luckless day when he had lost
everything, and his passion had got the
better of his prudence he staked the mare
herself on perfectly sure thing in two
mile heats. Like most of the ''sure things''
OF life, this venture went to the bad, and
the mare was lost-lost to Bulls Head
dealer 10 single driving h ,rses. II see her
In his stable after that, sir, and she 'ad lad
ard life OF it.; she were the youngest and
likeliest Of the lot; you'd swore she were .
three-year-old, sir"
If that dealer had had soul above trot,
ting wagons, my story would never have
been written; but all was Fl sh that came to
his net, and this thorough. bred racer, this
beautiful creature who had never worn har-
ness in her life, must be shown to q pur-
chaser who was seeking something to drive.
She was always quick to decide, and her
actions followed close on the heels of her
thought. She did not complicate matters
by waiting for the gentleman to get into the
wagon. but then. there, and on the instant,
kicked it to kindlings. This ended the
story. She had been shown at high figure,
and was subsequently sold for song; he
could tell no more. She had passed to the
lower sphere Of equine life and usefulness,
he had heard, of fish wagon, but he knew
nothing about it. What he did know was
that it would never do to ask him. Now,
here was something to live for, sort of
princess in disgrace. whom it would be an
honor to rescue, and my horse hunting
acquired new interest.
BY easy stages Icultivated the friendship
of the youth who. in those days, did the
morning's sweeping out at the Bulls Head
Hotel. He had grown up in the alluring
shades OF the horse market, and his daily
communion from childhood had been with
that mobile animal" To him horses were
the individuals of the world, men their
necessary attendants, and Of only attendant
Importance. OF course he knew of the
black she devil; and he thought that "a
boss that could trot like she could on the
halter" must be crazy not to 60 in harness.
However, he thought she had got her
deserts now, for he had seen her only few
weeks before "a draggin' CLANS for Teller
in the Tenth avener.' Here was clew at
last-clams and the Tenth avenue. For
several days the scent grew cold. The PEG.
pie Of the Licensed Vender part of this
street seemed to have little interest in their
neighbors' horses; but found one man, an
Irish grocer, who had been bred stable
did know of a ''poor old screw of black
mare" that had good head, and might be
the one l was looking for; but, if che was,
he thought might as we'll give it up, for |
she was all broken down, and would never |
be good for anything again.
Taking the address, l went to stable |
yard in what was then the very edge of the |
man, who devoted his time to peddling |
CLANS between New York and Sing Sing. |
CLAIMS up, and potatoes dOwn-twice every |
week-distance thirty miles; road billy; and |
that was the wagon with heavy arched |
top, and room for heavy load, and only
shafts for single horse. In reply to my |
question he said lie changed horses pretty
often. because the work broke them down;
but he had maze now that had been at it
for three months, and he thought she would
last some time longer "She's pretty thin,
but you ought to see her trot with that
wagon" With an air of idle curiosity
asked to see her. l had gone shabbily
dressed, not to excite suspicion; for men of
the class l had to treat with are usually
sharp horse traders, and this fellow, clam
peddler though he was, showed an en-
thusiastic alacrity in taking me to her stall.
She had won even his dun heart, and he
spoke OF her gently, az he made the most
OF her good points and CLOSED over her
condition.
Poor Vixen THAT had been her name in
her better days, and it was to be her name
cAO unu IOuuu IL udTu kICklOg |
agalns the pricks! Clam carts are stronger
than trOtting wagons, and even her efforts
had been vain. She had succombed to dire
necessity, and earned her ignoble oats with |
logged fidelity. She had a little warm
corner in her drivers affections. as she
always had in the affections of all who came
20 know her we'll, but her lot was a very
lard one. Worn to skeleton, with sore
,alls wherever the harness had pressed her,
Ter pasterns bruised by clumsy Shoes her I
ilky coat turned brown by the sun, and I
,eck curved upward, it would have needed
more than knowledge of anatomy to see [
snything good in her, but for her wonderful
ead. This was the perfection of horses
ead-small, bony and of perfect shape,
With keen deer-like eyes, and thin, active {
ars, 1t told the whole story of her virtues,
nd showed no trace of her sufferings Her ,
oyal blood shOpe out from her face, and =
ept it beautiful. :
Ny mind was made up, and Vixen must :
g mine at any cost. Still, it was Important '
D me to buy as cheaply as 1 could, and 4
esirable, above all, not to be jockeyed in a
horse trade; 80 it required some diplomacy
IN account of which would not be edifying :
ere) to bring the transaction to it's sue. s
essful close. The pendulum which swung =
etween offer and demand finally rested I
t SIS.
She was brought to me at the park on
right moonlight evening in June. and we Il
ere called out to see her. think she l,
new that her harness days were over, and Il
le danced of to her new quarters as gay n
) colt in training. That night my wake
illness would have done credit to a boy of II
xteen; and was up with the dawn, and | O
Dund Tor ride; but when examined poor Il
TX again IN her stable, it seemed almost tt
'uel to think of using her at all for a n
Onth. She was so thin, 80 worn, so | g,
ruised. that l determined to give her d
ng rest and good care-only l must try d
,r once, Just to get leg over her tor five lie
inutes, and then she should come back in
I'd be cared for until really well. 1t was W
weak thing to do, and confess it with all ia
'edful humiliation; but mounted her at al
ICE; and although l had been rider all tn
y days, this was the first time had ever 81
ally ridden. For the first time in my life
felt as though had four whalebone legs re
my own. worked by steel muscles in 70
cordance with my will, but without even We
conscious effort of will Sc
That that anatomy of a horse should 80 | %
silly, so playfully, handle my heavy To-
light was mystery. and is a mystery XII
H. She carried me iI The same high, M
,g reaching, elastic trot that we sometimes an
} young horse strike when first turned pr
% field. A low fence was near by, and tn
urned her toward it; she cleared it with be
pound that sent all my blood thrilling tel
rough my veins, and trotted on again as pl
,ugh nothing had occurred. The five
nutes' turn was taken with go much ease, or
til such evident delight, that made it a wi
tue to indulge her with longer course w
d longer stride. We went to the far ";
rners OF the park, and tried all our PAGES: m,
were marvellous for the power so easily TO
arted and the evident power in reserve. in
les, Frank Forester was right: blood Or
fses are made of finer stuff than others. an
fntHnflOR proy L