Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-03-05
MR.. STlVER'S HORSE.


The other morning, at breakfast, Mrs.
Perkins observed that Mr.. Silver, in
whose house we live, had been called
away. and wanted to know if would see
to his horse through the day.
knew that Mr.. Silver owned a horse,
because | occasionally saw him drive out
of the yard, and | saw the stable every
day; but what kind of a horse | didn't
know. | never went into the stable for
two reasons; in the first place, | had no
desire to; and, secondly, did not know
as the horse cared particularly for com
pany.
never took care of horse in my life,
and had been of less hopeful nature,
the charge Mr.. Silver had left with me
might have had depressing effect; but
told Mrs. Perkins would do it,
"You know how to take care of a
horse, don't you?" said she,
gave her a reassuring wink In fact,
knew so little about it that | didn't
think it safe to converse more fuently
than by winks.
After breakfast | seized tooth-pick
was nothing particular to do,as Silver had
given him his breakfast, and found him
eating it. SO | looked around. The
horse looked around too and stared pref
on either side. hunted up the location
of the feed, and then sat down on Il peck
measure and fell to studying the beast.
There is a wide difference in horses.
Some of them will kick you over and
never look around to see what becomes
of you. don't like disposition like
that, and | wondered if Stiver's horse
was one of them.
When came home at noon | went
straight to the stable. The animal was
there all right. Silver hadn't told me
what to give him for dinner, and | had
not given the subject any thought; but
went up to the oat-boX and filled the
peck measure, and sailed up to the man
ger.
When he saw the oats he almost smiled
this pleased and amused him. | emp
tied them into the trough, and left him
above me to admire the way parted my
hair behind. | just got my head up in
time to save the whole of it, He had hi.
ears back, his mouth open, and looked as
if he was on the point of committing
murder. went out and filled the meas
ure again, and climbed up the side of the
stall and emptied it on top of him. lie
brought his head up so suddenly at thi;
that Immediately got down, letting g
of everything to do it. | struck on tn,
sharp edge of a barrel, rolled over cou
pie of times, and then disappeared under
IA hay-cutter. The peck measure wen
down on the other side and got mysteri
ously tangled up in that animals heels
and he went to work at it, and then en-
= sued the most dreadful noise ever hear,
It in all my life, and have been married i
years.
1t did seem as if would never get GU
from under that hay-cutter; and all tn
= while | was struggling and wrenchin,
\ myself and the cutter apart, that awful
beast was kicking around in that stall
and making the most appalling SCUM
! imaginable.
When got out found Mrs. Perkin
at the door. She had heard the racket
:, and had sped out to the stable, her onl
thought being of me and three stove-lid
which she had under her arm and on
: of which she was about to fire at til
beast. This made me mad.
-. ~ SEQ away, you unfortunate IDIOT"
'c shouted. $40 you want to knock m
brains OUT" For | remembered seein
r. Mrs. Perkins sling missile once before an
10 that nearly lost an eye by the operatio
,r although standing on the other side {
- the house at the time.
~. She retired at once. And at the san
time the animal quoted down, but thel
:, was nothing left of that peck measur
not even the makers name.
IT. followed Mrs. Perkins into the hous
and had her do me up, and then sat dow
in chair, and fell into "A profound strai
of meditation. After a while | felt be
ter, and went out to the stable agai
The horse was leaning against the stab
stall, with eyes half closed and appear,
to be very much engrossed in thought
"Step off to the left" | said, rubbir
re his back. He didn't. | got the pitchfol
~ and punched him in the leg with Il
of Of handle. He immediately raised up bo
I'd; hind legs once, and that fork flew out
nv hands and went rattlinp up again