Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-25
A Valuable Trading Horse.

bhluaDie IfadinS Horse.
When the Black Hills feyer was at its
height McC. was one Of thesoang men
who went from ST. Louis in the expec-
tation OF becoming millionaire. After
arduous labor in Dead Mans Gulch he
acquired, not n fortune. but the skele-
ton Of horse and mule with wen
on its leg, which had been first stolen
I from the Government by the Indians
aud afterwards recovered from the In
dians by the miners. He had got them
/ in the way Of Legitimate horse-trading,
and was holding them to trade again.
One evening long, lank stranger drove
| through the guich with led horse and
mule behind his wagon. The horse was
/ fine looking bay, and McD. wanted him.
The stranger stopped and a crowd of
miners gathered around him. McD
| joined them and bantered the stranger
/ for trade. The stranger was willing
! TO give his bay for the mule with wen
on its leg and $50 to boot McD. was
very uneasy for fear he would see the
wen, but the stranger did not appear to
notice II. Then Med went around the
I big bay, felt his legs and found him
sound as new dollar. He had on
Texas saddle with a very broad girth,
but this did not seem q matter OF any
Importance.
Its bargain said MeD., refer
ring to the $50 boot, and reaching for
the horses halter in haste TO close the
trade before the stranger saw the wen.
The stranger took the shoot money
and held II meditatively in his hand.
young feller,h said he, looking sor-
/ rOwfdlly at McD., ''you must have
mother, and hate to do it on her ac-
count. Here, my boy, take back yer
money-you're beat on this trade-bad-
ly beat"
"Never mind that" said McD., shov-
I ing the mules bride into the mans
hand and thinking of the wen.
"Well, then, / can't help it; but I've
Warned YOU You're beat and step
ping round on the other side of the
big bay, the stranger unstrapped the
saddle. A yell from the crowd showed
that discovery had been made, and
McD., going around that side, saw that
there was q terrible ulcer in the big
BAYS side which had been covered by
the girth. His jaw fell. The stranger
looked at him commiseratiugly. That
horse can't live two hours" he said,
"The Injuns shot him thar whar you
see that hole, and the best thing YOU
can do Is to hitch him to tree and let
him die"
The crowd yelled again, and McD.,
who saw that his reputation was at
stake, braced up. Never YOU mind,
said he, "just you look at that mules
Leg
That knot thar, l saw il when You
KEN in thirty yards of me. Imeant to
teach you lesson, but I'm a soft-heart-
ed critter-allers was; an now, il you
want to trade, I'll keep the fifty dollars
and give you yer mule for that crowbait
thar"
McD gathered hold of his horse's
halter and led him OF towards his cab
in. "Never mind, he said 1--WE taken
a liking to this horse, and | guess I'll
keep him."
The stranger followed and kept up
his offers until finally he said he'd give
the mule and the $50 boot il MoD.
would only give him back his horse.
Don't you never trade horses agin,
my boy" said the stranger, as he
handed back the money and took his
big bay.
"What does all this mean, anyhowPn
asked McD.
"Well, it means just this that
wouldn't take S5. 900 for that are hole
in that animals side. I've traded him
thirty times this week and got $40 q
time TO take him back. was mighty
skeered for fear you was goin' to keep
him."
The stranger went his way and McD,
learned that he had sold out two.thirds
OF the miners OF the gulch on the same
trick. But the guch was saddened a
week after by news of the strangers 5
untimely demise, at the Clear River
canyon camp at the hands OF Jim Long
wood, man who never did have any
patience when he was beat in trade.
The stranger let his mark on JIM S
right eye, which he slashed with his
bowie, and in half dozen other cuts
on his person, Med, is now n 81. Louis
office. holder, but he never trades horses,
ST. Louis Repablica.,
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