Smyrna times., 1885-10-21
A Remarkable Horse.


One day young friend of mine
called to see me. He seemed very |
much depressed.
81 am feeling awfully down in the
mouth. l have Just returned from
the funeral of poor Baron de NiVer-
leuse. What sad catastrophe Only
twenty years old, handsome as a pic
ture, gentleman of elegant manners
from the ground up. He was in the
best of health. He had a magnificent
physique, except that one Of his knees
was little weak. He hurt it when he
was a little boy, and it never was as
strong afterwards as the other one"
he remarked, signing heavily.
Was he a man of family?"
"He leaves a charming widow.
His wife was not beautiful, but she was
rich, and could play on the piano like
an angel. And what was better she
had no mother. Just think of that
mans luck. He had no mOther-in-
law. Moreover, the poor Baron is the
father of beautiful boy that is just
beginning to lisp papa and he has
an income of 10000 francs Il year, and
now he is buried in a hole in the
ground. It's too bad, too bad. But l
have to admit that it was his own
fault"
Yes, it is very sad. In the midst
of life we are in death"
"PoOr fellow. And when l think,
too, that l ate breakfast with him the
very morning that he died. did
him the honor to call on him four
times week. He kept pretty
good table, but as far as that is con-
cerned l would have taken breakfast
with him if there had been nothing
to eat except horseshoe nails, for l
couldn't help liking the man. He
was telling me about his plans for
spending the Winter. Poor fellow,
Winter and Summer are all the same
to him now. But as | was saying he
has nobody but himself to blame for
it. | can't understand how any man
can act as stupid as he did"
BY what act of stupidity did he
cause his own death ?"
Listen and I'll tell you what he
did, and you can judge for yourself
One morning the Baron sat at his
| breakfast table eating his breakfast
at once he burst out laughing; he
fairly hOwled with laughter. That's
is the best joke 1 ever read he
exclaimed"
- What is it, my dear?' asked the
Baroness, who was slipping her
coffee"
"'There is the darnedest advertise
ment in this paper that l ever read
Here it is printed in big letters in a
conspicuous place The Baron was
so convulsed with laughter that he
couldn't scarcely read the following
advertisement:
BUCKING HORSE FOR SALE.
A thoroughbred bucking horse
which has already thrown three men
and killed ever one of them. Price
two hundred francs. This noble ami
NAL originally cost twelve hundred
francs.
Now what do you say to that. l.
it not one of the most original adver
tisements you ever read? Why the
man must be an idiot if he expects tC
sell his horse on that advertisement. ,
The Baron and the Baroness talked
for about an hour about that buckinl
thoroughbred.
Next morning the Baron was anx
ious to see if the advertisement wa
still in the newspaper. 1t was there
but il had been changed little, fol
it stated that the wonderful ANNA
had killed another rider during the
last twenty-four hours. The next day
according to the advertisement, thu
animal beat his own record by killing
two men in twenty-four hours.
One morning the Baron got up yer!
early and walked up and down in
very excited manner. He said to hi
wife:
Il have made up my mind to flint
out about that horse. l want to know
if he really exists, for l suspect he j
nothing but a myth. l am going t
the Office of the newspaper to see abOu
it."
An hour later the Baron returned.
"Well?" asked the Baroness.
"The horse actually exists, and
have bought him." he added, after
I pause.
"You don't say so? Then he don
: buck, suppose" said the Baroness.
"He belonged to the editor of tn
newspaper, which explains how tn
owner could afford to advertise him S
much"
"Yes, but isn't the horse danger
e ous?" asked the Baroness.
He is a noble animal and full q
5 life. 1t is fact that he has killed a
those men,"
"Great Heavens !" exclaimed tn
Baroness.
The Baron smiled cOntemptuousl!
. None of those fellows knew how
ride; they were mere beginners. I'll
horse don't know what it is to have
\ rider on his back, but / will teac
him."
Next morning the Baron mOunte
y the noble animal which originally CO.
twelve hundred francs. The hOri
lt stood up straight on his hind legs, the
et he came dewn own on his fore leg
y and lifted his hind legs up in the a
. over his head after which little pr
lude, he jumped about ten feet into Il
air, and came down on all four fee
81 Then he bumped himself, and Il
IS; Baron was shot up into the blue vau
ID above. After while he came dow
l.. on his head. When they picked hi
up he seemed to have been dead son
time.
"Now, my friend" continued n
visitor, "what do you say to tina
- The Baron knew how dangerous Il
brute was; he knew that one Of h
knees was weak and yet he tried
ride that animal. Now, that's what
call committing suicide. lrepeat VIII
said-that the Baron himself alO
d. was TO blame. He shouldn't ha
acted the fool the way he did,
"On my way back to tho gray
yard, :" continued my visitor, call
10 upon the poor widow, A | was pa
io' ING through the court yard n sorvo
was leading the dovlllsh brute 60 I
stable, tell you he II u thor0l
''s hrod-Mll of life aud dire, just "a ,
b. poor Baron said, all the h0rae Reeds
- i man who knows how t0 ride, tft
We naron'a knee had heeN like mine,
elt would be alive to-day peer, iello
s 'ess Juat leel my knee, u h ~ hard
,N steel, lfthe iMrOn had HAD that q
- Of a knee, he w0uldn't have had a
trouble with that hogaA Well, 10 \