Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-12-03
CAPTAIN TODD'S HORSE.

| boss. | don't want stiffness and breadth
of beam so much as / want good clean
run. want q boss to show off with"
"Well, sir" said the doctor, patting
on the neck vicious-looking animal
| which he held by the bride, eff you
| want smart horse, l can't recommend
! better animal than this. just look at
| those heels Hi, don't go near 'em. As
| told You, have three horses that
want to sell but you want mare
that will go, this mare is just the animal
you want"
"You see," said the captain, conf
dentially, II don't know much about
horses. Pm seafaring man. Followed
the sea, man and boy, nigh thirty-five
years, Now I'm going to settle down
on Shore and Pm looking around for u
wife. don't mind telling you that Pm
sorter courtin' the Widow Bum. Now,
the widow is mighty fond of q good fast
horse, and there's another Teller, Sam
Bliss-perhaps you know him--thats
shinin' round the widow, too. Sans
got % frst-rate hoss, and takes the Wild
ow to ride good deal. Now if | don't
get something better than Sans got |
won't stand any show, for the widow
will be sure to ride most with the man
that's got the fastest boss, don't you
see"
The doctor nodded affirmatively. II
see," he said, ~ see. Well, now, think
the mare will suit you. She's o know
ing beast just see how her ears are
laid back, listening. Ifyoufind her get
ting lazy, just touch her up o little
with the whip, and she'll climb, / can
tell YOU"
"Well," said the captain, ''if she's all
you say she is, bring her around to-
night and turn her into my pasture, and
tomorrow III hitch her up in my new
buggy and give her trial"
The next afternoon Capt. Todd ran
his new buggy out of the barn, and
throwing halter over his arm, sum-
mOned Bill Tyke and proceeded to the
pasture where the doctor had left the
mare the previous evening.
Bill Tyke was the captains right hand
man. He had sailed with the captain all
his lite, and now that the former had re.
| tired from active duty, Bill had retired
| with him, and undertaking to learn the
art of farming. In appearance he was
like what the immortal Bunsby might
have been, and he was not much tho
inferior Of that worthy in taciturnity OF
oracular wisdam.
The captain and his factotun circum
navigated the pasture and "bore down
upon the mare persuasively from thu
windward. But the intelligent ANNA
saw them coming and tlattened her ears
The captain was within reach, when sh'
threw up her head, changed ends, ant
cantered away to the other end of tn
field.
The captain swore round oath ant
divided his forces. Bill Tyke was seer
to coast around the fence while the cap
tain lay "of' and on" in the offing. Bnt i
was game that the mare understood
best. She trotted leisurely around tn
pasture, keeping tantalizing out Of reach
and resisting all the Establishments of
fered her in the shape of wheedling word
and ears of corn.
The captain and Bill Tyke both fell tt
swearing, and followed the beast arount
for an hour. At last, with consummatt
generalship, they succeeded in cornerinl
her, and as she tried to rush between
them, both sprang at her name.
: The captain was successful and hung
on like grim death, but Bill Tyke faile'
to secure q satisfactory grip, and wa
kicked head over heels into blackberr.
, bush, whence he emerged, torn AM
bleeding, and swearing worse than ever
, As to the captain, he was dragged
hundred yards before he managed t
, "board" her, but at last he found him
selfon her back, tearing across the pas
o ture, and bounding foot in the air a
every Jump. The mare made straigh
for the bars, went over them, and final
came to q halt in the captains door yard
The captain slipped Off in an exhauste
|, condition, and drove his new purchas
!, into the barn.
The operation of Harvesting was on
requiring all the seamanship OF both tn
: captain and Bill Tyke to successful
perform. The uses of the various straps
: buckles and "belaying-pins" were tn
subject of several animated discussion
II before the harness was finally adjusted
r.. ~ =