The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-04-22

it was the nearest way out of the stall to
climb up through the manger; not that
I was afraid of the colts heels. Oh, no!
but what was the use oftaking any need
less steps?
Well, in few minutes found myself
in the barn looking at the halters. Then
took down ore that Dick wore. Thought
l would just try it on the colt; then l
brought around tie strap and fastened it
on the other side of the head-piece.
There, now, thought I, why can't l take
short ride? Uncle said that wasn't
heavy enough to hurt Dick. l haven't
had horseback ride since came here.
"Come, Dick, come, Dick" said !, pat
ting 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
able to find words in Webster's Una
bridged Dictionary to express them my
self That colt whirled around several
times, very much as 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 had ever seen at Dex-
ter Park. l should judge that it was at
about the rate of 40. 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. l 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
a well, and a curb built around it. o
dear now he will throw me into that
spring, and l shall go to the bottom of
it, and l shall certainly be drowned; and
the yell which made tEen was never
surpassed by any boy of my age. 1
don't know what the colt thought l
meant by it, but if it were 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
good-sized mud hole, the colt stopped
with as much speed as he had been run
ming. But somehow kept going as be-
fore, until l 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 friend
ship which had existed between that colt
and myself was "dissolved by mutual
consent"
For the first time in my life l found
myself in the undisputed possession of a
large amount of real estate" to some
of which was about to give a"quit-
claim deed" by scraping the mud off my
clothes, when uncle and the men from
the field, who had been attracted by
some noi.e or other (probably ] made a
buzzing Eoise while going through the
air., came up in great haste and ont OF
breath All inquired at once: " Where
are you hurt?"
HuFt! YAH IL lCllON IdhO q shoie
ride in he country without attracting SO
much attention? indignantly answered.
They looked at me for moment as
though they thought bad lost my
senses; j.; but as | continued to remove
that portion of uncle's pasture which
had taken possession Of, or which had
taken possession of me for it was diff
cult to tell which way it was), and as that
small portion of my face which was visi-
BILE wasn't much paler than blood-bat,
they left me and went back to their
work. l 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 a
spring can be used, such as in making
spring -latches, spring-lncks and spring
traps. l think the best mouse-trap that
has ever been made was composed prin-
cipalIy of cat-spring. 1t has proved to
be both serviceable and durable. After
it has caught one mouse it will set itself
to catch another, and with good care will
last several years. Sometimes steel
traps are provided with spring. But
my father has often told me "not to tell
all know at one time" and / am in-
clined to follow his advice, for if l
should tell all l know about spring-traps
l should be obliged to confess what
caused that scar on the fore-finger of my
right hand.
I am aware that time in the spring of
the year is very valuable, so will draw
these lines to close, hoping that each
of us will continue to draw information,
knowledge and wisdom from various
sources, whether presented to us in
hooks, the incidents and accidents of
everyday life, or in the inexhaustible
field of nature, which in years to come
may prove well-spring of joy.-"John
Jones'" in Prairie Farmer.