The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-10-14
4 Victim or Circumstances,

longing to somebody on South Hill were
strolling down Boundary street, near
Angular, at the same time very digni-
fed clergyman was walking along on the
sidewalk. The street is very muddy, and
presently the horses got tired of it,. and
accordingly filed across to, the. plank walk
and promenaded along, single file, right be-
fore the dominic. Mares, colts, in all there
were just thirteen of the animals, and they
walked along very solemnly, but making
terrific Gathering on the plank, while
the clergyman followed, quietly amused
at the nonchalant manner with which the
horses took possession of the walk. Pretty
soon he heard tremendous shouting and
few screams at the head of the process
sion, which came to dead halt, and the
minister became aware that two women
were trying to "shoo" the horses into the
street by shrieking and making threaten
ing gestures with their parasols, while the
shouting came from man in his shirt
sleeves on the other side of the way, and
his remarks were addressed to the Cos
peler.
"Drive them horses offn that ar side
waikiki" he yelled. "Ain't you got no more
sense than that, We son of rancher? Get
them horses out into the road, or I'll wade
through this mud to ye, and bury ye in
the gutter!''
My FRIEND" meekly began the minis.
ter, "you labor under an erroneous ~
Labor nOthin'!' yelled the man.
"Don't ye know no better'n to drive a
lot of horses along sidewalk, and chase
women an children off into the mud
Now jest hump them cattle out into the
street, Or I'll make it hot for yep
"My good sir" the minister endeavored
to explain, ".you are hasty overmuch. I
. "oh-h-h! ye o1tdacious liar" yelled
watchin ye ever sence We came around yam
corner, drivin 'em along the sidewalk be-
Gaze ye was too nice to walk in the mud
A sweetscented drover you are. Yer too
heightened fer this town, my duck, an if
We don't git them horses into the street
and mosey out o. this before come acrost
to We, yell never drive another woman
and her baby into the mud agin, / kin
tell ye."
The astonfshed preacher began to ex-
postulate once more, but the man was out
of patience by this time and strobe through
the mud toward the terrified gentleman,
rolling his sleeves up and swearing ter
riical1y as he came, big with the impor-
lance of being the champion of two women
and baby against foreign drover. The
minister had made up his mind to be
smashed, but Providence took care of him,
as it does Of ministers and editors and
other good men. Adog which lives down
near the grocery, aroused by the clamor,
looked up and saw the horses, which were
standing quietly listening to the quarrel,
and in a second he was over the fence
barking and swapping at every pair of
heels at once. The frightened horses
snorted and, wheeling off the sidewalk,
charged madly across the street, sudden
" pulling up and wheeling in different
directions as they met the man, and when
they galloped away the preacher saw
sight that filled him with horror. Those
horses in their frenzied plunging had
slapped chunks of mud as big as nail
kegs all over that man. They had plas-
tered him from head to foot; his ears
were level-fun of blue mud and his shirt
was mass Of yellow clay. and he, was
digging this Shiny mud that grows in the
wagon-ruts out Of his eyes with both
hands Every time he spit he blew out
pieces of mud as large as turnips, and he
spit, as near as the minister could esti-
innate, ninety five times minute. He
was trying to say something, but the
angels above could never guess what.
There hasn't been such muddy man in
town since the night dear old Blake chased
the policeman. The minister, grateful
for his providential rescue, did not tempt
Providence by offering to scrape his en-
envy off, but he fed in dignified haste, and
only heard the women pause, in the midst
of their horrifed pity for their champion,
to speak Of the flying minister as g "hor-
rid, ILL., mannerly horse-trader." He only
checked his speed one moment to watch
the dog which had created the stampede
stand for second on three legs to look in
wild amazement at the apparition in the
street, apd then turn ~ abiect terror and