Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-01-12
THE TRUMPETER'S HORSE.

THE TRUMPETEK'S HORSE
| was nearly forty years of age,
and felt myself so safely anchored
in the peaceable haven of a bache-
lor's life that nothing would induce
me to run the risk Of disturbing it
by marriage. But l had reckoned
without the trumpeter's horse.
1t was at the end of September,
1864, that | arrived at Paris from
Baden, intending only to remain
four-and-twenty hours. had in
vited four or five friends to join me
in Poitou for the hunting season,
and as they were to arrive at the
beginning Of October, | had only
allowed myself a week at La Roche
large to prepare for their reception.
A letter from home awaited my ar
rival at Paris, bringing me the dis
astrous intelligence that out of
twelve horses five had fallen i'll or
lame during my stay at Baden, so
that l was under the necessity Of
remounting my cavalry before l
left Paris.
made the round Of all the horse
dealers of the Champs Elysees,
where was shown a collection Of
screws, the average price Of which
was 9120, but | was neither in a
humor nor in cash to throw away
my money upon such useless beasts,
1t was a Wednesday, the day of
Oheri's Autumn sale; / went to the
Rue de Ponthieu, and purchased at
a venture eight horses, which cost
me altogether 9200. "0ut of the
eight" said | to myself, " there
will be surely four or five which
will GO"
Among these horses there was
one which, confess, / bought prin-
cipally on account Of his coat. The
catalogue did not assign to him any
special qualifications as a hunter.
All that it stated was, Brutus, a
saddle-horse, aged, well-broken."
1t was a large dappled gray horse,
but never had | seen one better
marked, its smooth white skin dap
pied over with fine black spots so
regularly distributed.
The next morning left for La
Roche large, and the following
day my horses arrived. Ny first
care was for Brutus. This gray
borse had been running for the
last forty-eight hours in my head,
and was anxious to try his PAGES,
and see what he was good for. He
had long teeth, and every mark Of
respectable age, a powerful shoul-
der, and he carried his head well
but what | most admired in Brutus
was the way in which he looked
at me, following every movement
with his attentive, intelligent, in
quisitiye eye. Even my words
seemed to interest him; he leaned
his head on one side as if to hear
me, and when l had finished speak
ing, replied with a merry neigh.
The other seven horses were brought
out to me in succession, but they
resembled any other horses, and
Brutus certainly was different from
them all. was anxious to take a
little ride in the country, in order
to make his acquaintance,
Brutus allowed himself to be sad
died, bridled, and mounted as a
horse who knew his work, and we
started quietly together, the best
friends possible. He had a beauti
full mouth, and answered to every
turn of the rein, arching his neck,
and champing his bit. His PAGES
were perfect; he began by slow
measured canter, raising his feet
very high, and letting them fall
with the regularity Of pendulum.
! tried him at a gallop, but when |
sought to quicken his pace he began
to amble in grand style. " Ah,"
said |, 81 see how it is. ! have
bought an old horse out of the
cavalry riding school at Saumur."
was about to turn homeward,
satisfied with the talents Of Brutus,
when a shot was heard a short dis
tance of. 1t was one of my keep
ers firing at a rabbit, for which shot
be it said, en- passant, he afterward
received a handsome present from