Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-01-16
SIseenv David.

to have been told to the author by a
South Carolinian
sit was this day three years ago,
and OH this very spot, that l entered
my horse Southron, for purse OF
two thousand dollars. He had won
q like sum two years before with all
ease. In short he was the best horse
at that time in all Carolina. There
were to be sure two other horses, and
very fine ones too, entered against
him; but they were no touch 10
! Southron, and [ was as sure OF WIN
ming as 1 am Of sitting here this mo
ment, when who should come along
but a id Yankee with Il tin cart
He had the shabbiest, worse looking
horse you ever set your eyes on. He
was lean, slab-sided, cross-legged,
rough-haired, Observation-Disclosures
ored son of a gun as ever went On
four legs. He stood all the time as
if he were asleep-in fact, his owner
called him Sleepy David. In short,
sir, he was such horse as would not
have brought twenty dollars.
SIT was near the hour of starting,
when the peddler, whose exterior cor
responded marvellously with that OF
his horse, and who said his name wss
Zadock Baker, TO the astonishment
to all, intimated wish to enter his
horse along with the rest.
s. Your horse!' exclaimed /.
what, that sleepy-looking devil
there? You'd better enter him for
the turkey-buzzards.'
"'Not's you know on, mister re-
turned the Yankee, with some show
Of spirit. To be sure the critter
looks rather sleepy as he stands, and
on that account L call him Sleepy
! David but he's jo-fired smart horse
for all that. He's like a singed cat,
darncd sight better than he looks.
l should like tarnation well TO try
him agaist some of your South Caro-
| Inns horses. To be sure / didn't
come all the way from home on pur-
pose; but as was coming out this
way with load of tin and other no.
tions, thought might time it so as
to kill two birds with one stone for,
thinks 1 to myself, if can win the
purse and peddle off my notions at
the same time, l shall make plaguey
good speck. But | had to hurry on
like the nation to git here in season ;
and that is one reason my hoss looks
| so kind of shabby and out of kilter
this morning. But for all that he'll
perform like days work, can tell
you
".Supposing he had no idea of run
ming his horse, and that all he said
was merely to crafty his propensity
for talking, bade him be gone, and
not tronble us with his id Yankee
palaver.
why, mister says he, this is a
free country, and a man has a right
to talk or let it alone, jest rs he can
afford. Now, I've taken q good deal
VI palnS - get here this rnvrninS, -.
order to run Sleepy David against
some of your Southern horses. |
amt a joking, sir, l m i'll airnest. l
understand there is a purse Of two
thousand dollars, and L should like
amazingly to pick it up.
"'You talk Of picking up a purse
of two thousand dollars with that bit
of carrion of yours! Awaywith you,
and don't trouble us any further
"'Well, if | can trun, then 'spose
can't; but it's darned hard, any
how. for a man to take so much pains
rs have to come to the races, and
then can't be allowed TO run after
all
Its too late now; by the rules
of the course the horse should have
been entered yesterday; however, if
you plank the entrance money, per-
haps you may get in yet
II said this by way of getting rid
of the fellow, having no idea he could
command fourth part of the sum re-
quired.
"'How much might the entrance
money be?' drawing out a purse con-
tanning few shillings in silver, and
few pence in copper. IF it amt
more than qurter of dollar or SO,
I'll plank it on the nail
est is two hundred dollars
"'Two hundred dollars?' e,1claim-
ed the Yankee. BY golly, what a
price! Why, they axed me only a
quarter of dollar to see the elephant
and the whole caravan in New York
Two hundred dollars! Why, you
must be joking now. Bless me! my
whole load of tinware, hoss, wagon,
and all, wouldn't fetch that. But
mister, don't you think 1 could get
| in for ten dollars?'
''Nothing short Of two hundred;
and that must be paid in the short
space of five minutes
"We now thought we had fairly
got rid of the fellow, but he returned
again to the charge and asked if fifty
dollars would not do, then seventy
five, one hundred; and finding he
could not make q bargain for less
than the regular sum, he engaged to
give it, provided he could find any
one to loan him the money, for which
he offerd to pawn his wagon load of
notions, and Sleepy David to boot.
He asked one, then another, to ac-
commodate him with the loan, de-
claring as soon as he took the purse
the money should be returned, and
would give half dozen tin whistles
into the bargain. He however, got
more curses than coppers, until some
wag, who had plenty of cash, and
| liked to see the sport go on, lent him
the two hundred dollars out of sheer
malice. Though, as it afterward
turned out, the Yankee had money
enough about him, and was merely
playing the 'possum all the while.
His next object was to borrow
saddle. Here, also, he was accom-
modated; and taking Sleepy David
from the tin cart, he scrambled upon
his back, and took his station on the
couse. You never saw fellow sit
on horse so awkwardly in all your
life. Everybody said he would fall
| haf,ora ha had rora q hundred wards