Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-05-11


time in years, and had left the city with
the lightest heart and brightest anticlpa-
uons- They were now to be realized.
Early spring was the season, and trout
was the object of our visit. We had pro-
Vlded ourselves with every conceivable
necessary of fishing paraphernalia, and
all we now desired was horse to take
US to :" Mad River" which plunges and
toamS, sparkles and gurgles, dashes and
splashes, its brilliant, beautiful way,
down toward the Merrimac, from the
fastness of Black Mountain, fifteen miles
away.
We looked at the mare as she stood
with her muzzle thrust through the bars,
her winter coat half on, her fetlocks
dragging in the mud, her tail locked half
way, her name at loose ends, and several
CALLED places on her sides and neck, in
dlcatlve OF some possible toughness in the
harness or thills. But we felt honored
Uncle Reuben was not always willing to
let even his nephews drive his horses. We
doubted in our hearts that the mare could
go" so, as the old fellow said, but we
were glad to get any mag which would
jog US comfortably and safely along 10 the
fishing ground.
1e} amt goin' alone, be yep said
Aunt Sally, as that mare and l stood in
the cup country open wagon; l ar
ranging my tackle,' and she with her
nose about to touch the earth, her eyes
half shut, and one hind foot tip-toe to
rest her leg, before she had travelled rod.
"1t'y We go alone, I'm afraid somethin'll
happen to ye." sob, don't worry ~
said we, smilingly, 1.-The mare don't look
very lively" g She is, though" an
swered Uncle Reuben, " and ye'd better
keep a pretty taut rein on her. Good
luck to vel" as we finally fourished the
whip, and she" slowly logged out of
the yard. r..-. o.,
That mare had a queer step. She went
as if she was half cat. She stole along
| almost without sound. Slowly she went
and silently. We enjoyed trying to hear
her feet. In spite of the uphill, rocky,
ep-rutted roads, which in this unsettled
season were sometimes "gouged'' almost
halt across the way, we could hardly hear
footstep on the gravel. She had no gait
at all. She had not even two. If she
had any at all, it was covered, multi
piled, myriad hammered affair, which was
| one thing and ten other things all at once.
She hoped up on one leg and ambled on
another. The other kept up quick pat
terlng trot, and the fourth, as we say in
races, " did the running" Her head
she held perfectly stiff. Her nose was
| slightly elevated heavenward, and it did
not vary an inch in three miles. We
laughed at her and enjoyed her "......
We paid no attention to the driving,
but, seeing she was perfectly safe, gazed
about us on the exquisite mountain seen
cry, the caps Of snow glistening in the
glorious light Of the fresh, clear dav, the
first glimpses Of green along the book
ways, the budding of the willows, the
somber darkness of the pine-clad hills
and all the infinite tiny beauties which to
the close observer are never absent from
the country landscape.
AS we were curiously watching the
flight of 6 three black crows" which
were making specks Of themselves across
a mountain hollow, we noticed the mare
had quickened her pace. The old wagon
began to jingle its loose screws in a little
livelier manner, and the creak of wheel
which needed oiling began to be sugges-
tive. What caused this increase in veloc-
ity we knew not and cared not We drew
the rein ''taut'' as we had been advised,
and were pleased at our rate of speed 3 q !
The mare kept on. She went gradual
ly faster. How she went no tongue can
tell. There is no language capable of
describing the sixteen ways she went at
once. But she kept in the road, and she
"minded her business we'll She went
a little faster all the time. She began to
get down to a. three-minute gait. We
concluded this was swift enough for COM
fort. Up hill and down, over gullies and
stones, on she went. We mildly insin--
uated that she might get tired. We
pulled on the reins and shouted - whoa
We got tired. That mare continued to
get along-slowly but surely getting down
to 2 80. We were by this time little
anxious. We had been SO busy chatting
in friendly way to the mare, telling her
that her health light suffer, that we had
forgotten to keep track of the guide posts.
We were not sure that we were hurrying
the right way. But we were sure we were
hurrying. So was the dry wheel. 1t
screamed, it protested, it insisted that it
would do something dreadful if some stop
was not put to its heated and tired con-
dition; but that mare pursued her own
way.
Mad RIVER was reached and passed, an
unfamiliar line of straight poplars was
passed, and in spite Of rein and voice,
command. and entreaty, the memorable
creature still kept right along about her
business. We looked back at the happy
hunting grounds we left behind US; we
looked forward into the unknown land
into which we were going; and we joined
with the wagon and harness and wheel
and tackle, which was shaken about the
floor of the e" go-cart'' and the tin lunch