Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-07-29

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Now she heard, and turned, walking
with great slowness and dignity toward
me. Something in her aspect made me
look about, and | saw a gentleman
within few feet OF me. He did not
attempt to disguise his merriment. He
said it did not appear to be a good time
for him to call, and he would go on.
He was not urged TO stay, but he was
invited to call some other time and see
the horse that we had taken to keep.
AS soon as possible we hurried into
the barn and found Jacob with his head
in the meal barrel. We pulled him out
and decided that he could not be loose
in his box, so we tied him to the man.
ger just as if he had been in stall. He
was all right now. 1t being sunset, we
placed hay and oats before him and left
him.
The night passed quietly. When Il
went to the barn in the mo rning saw
plainly that I had not fed the horse
enough. He had eaten everything II
had given him, all the bedding, and a.
bout one-half of the manger, which
was made of thick pine plank. Also
| shallow hole was gnawed out In she par
| tition. l hastened to give him his
|
| ty three times as much as the usual
quantity. | told my sister what 1 had
discovered, and she informed me that
| we should have to have our stable and
eating-boX lined throughout with zinc,
| for it was not because Jacob was hun
CRY, it was because he was a "eribber"
that he had done this thing.
She proved to be right. In less than
4 HnI hn Usv
| ly barely in time then TO saYe the walls
and foundation. / watched the horse
once: saw him take hold of the wood
and pull and grunt. He was lost and
bewildered when he could not do that.
| think it was for lack of this occupa-
tion that he got into trouble the very
| first night after his dwelling was repair
ed. We were awakened about midnight
by noise which at first we could not
place: but of course as we had had no
real freedom since Jacob had come, we
Immediately thought he was the cause
or it. We dressed hurriedly lighted the
lantern and went out into the summer
night, which was full of sweet OdorS
and the hum of insects. A WhippcOr-
| will was singing on the grindstOne un-
der the cherry tree as we opened the
back door.
When we reached the stall our hearts
| sank. There was the horse sprawled
out, with yards and yards of hind legs
on the floor behind him. He was not
struggling now, he was lying perfectly
still, his head on its side. Although
we had never seen horse like this be-
l fore, we were sure that he was In fit.
ran to our nearest neighbor. ruth
lessly pounded and called until he came
| to the window, when / informed him
that the gray horse was i'm fit, and
would he come right up ? He said he
would, and ran back, being perfectly
breathless and helpless when / reached
| home.
Gertrude was sitting on stool be-
hind the horse, looking at him. He lay
| just the same.
sHe is coming l said .and sank down
1 on TIE meal chest.
Il wouldn't run myself to DEATH she
| said. 81 don't know that it is required
of us that we give our lives for this
horse. though his family are in Europe.
| | wish they were here with us, gazing
at their pet.'
The man came. He said the horse
was not in a fit. He was well enough
he was only cast.
sOnly cast y cried my sister. what
more would you have9 How long does
horse stay cast p
sWhat you want is a good plank,
said our reighbor.
We found good plank. He laid one
end of it over Jacobs hind legs, and
there was ample opportunity SO to do
then he directed Gertrude and me to
get ON the plank and stand firmly while
he went i'm the stall. We did not see
what he did, we were too much occupl-
ed with what we were doing, for we O.
beyed him.
Immediately there was moyement.a
| lurch, an upheaval. The legs were
drawn up, and we few off across the
barn. Gertrude's nose began to bleed,
but 1 only sustained general bruises,
which counted as nothing. The horse
was standing.
Il guess he's all right now," says our
friend. 'I'H hitch him up so high he
can't get his head down; il he can't do
that he can't lie down. / guess he tried
to roll. Better put him in narrerer
stall. Too much room. Horses don't
try to roll in narrer stalls
When daylight came we harneSSed
our own horse and went for carpenter
TO thakG u udIT6r SLdlI. I0Jb we uCNCk
used it after it was made more than
half dozen times. We turned Jacob
out to pasture and drove Kentucky.
lame though she was. The reason why
we did this was because to harness Ja-
cob was more than we were able to do
often.
At our first attempt he got away from
us six times as we tried to put MS
bride on. The instant we slipped OH
his headstall he flung up his head even
higher than usual, mountain high IL
seemed to us, and went out OF doors III
he could, or back into his stall. One or
us led him out, the other stood on a
chair with the bride in complete readl-
ness to put on his head. No, bis teeth
were shut hard, and his head was, so
far as we were concerned miles off. On
ly those who have tried 1t on hot sum-
mer day kDow how exasperated and
how helpless we were. But we did sue
ceed. Then we went into the house
and rested. When we came out tie
sight of that beast attached to a low
phaeton made us feel that our labor
was thrown away. He looked higher
than ever he was mOnstrOus. lie
would have looked tall in a T-carG or
an omnibus. When we sat down and
took the reins. they came to me from
such height. and descended so Tar be
fore they reached the little dash board,
that was ashamed.