The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-07-21
Two Women and a Horse.

VIC lOOh a. nOlSC w hCCD' nC ldllll1
to whom he belonged were going to
spend the summer in Europe. We
knew the Fletchers slightly They
called on us to see if we would enter
tain Jacob, their faithful steed. They
said they knew if we had him they
should rest easy; and they knew that
we.might like to use Jacob for his keep.
Afterward we found out that though
the Fletchers might rest easy, we could
not. We thought well of this PROPOSE
ton. We decided we would have
Kentucky's shoes taken off and put her
in our pasture back of the barn.
When these people drove over from
the town where they live, they did not
drive their own horse, but came with a
neighbor. 1t happened that we had
never seen the horse we were to take
until he came on the day his family left
for New York to take the steamer. A
man in very narrow open buggy
drove into our yard. Hitched to his
wagon behind was an iron-gray horse
so tall that it made one gasp to look
at him. II was not that he was so very
heavy, but that his legs and neck were
so long. Now we knew enough to
be aware that it is not a good sign to
"see too much daylight under horse.n
One could see half the armament I'M
der Jacob.
The man grinned as he said he
guessed this was the old Barton place.
We said it was.
WALL" he responded, jumping
down from his seat and beginning to
unite the halter which was fastened to
the rear of his buggy; "wall, I've
brought We this ere railroad bridge, We
see."
My sister and both stood, with our
heads thrown back, gazing. immedi-
ately suggested that it might be well to
lead the horse home again. | didn't
believe we could take care of him, and
my sister added that we had had no eX-
perience in the wants of dromedary,
or even a giraffe. The man grinned
still more.
Cant take him back" he said;
''his folks hev gone. Hadn't We ever
seen this critter before?"
"Nevern
Then he laughed, and laughed so
long that we began to be angry. Jacob,
meanwhile, had begun to Craze. / saw
uc ldu hllu eyes, lutIc WIS llO NlClOuS
appearance about him. My sister re-
marked that if she had money enough
to travel in Europe she thought she
should afford to sell Jacob, whereupon
the man went off into another laugh
and asked sternly how many tricks he
had. AS soon as possible l was told
that he hadn't any tricks; he was per-
feet horse, so far as he knew The
Fletchers set such store by him they
wouldn't sell him at no price, and they
thought we women folks would appre-
ciate him.
Having said this with great solem-
nifty and emphasis, he put the end of
the halter into my hand, placed his foot
ON the hub of the wheel and sprang
over into his buggy AS he drove away
we saw him swaying with laughter, and
he kept looking behind at the group he
had left.
1t was good while before either of
us spoke. Our Gordon setter now
walked up from somewhere, glanced at
us and walked away again, as if wash
ing his hands of this affair.
6 guess we'll put him into the barn, -
l said, cheerfully, after awhile . You
go in and turn Kentucky out"
Gertrude did as she was told. In a
moment | saw our horse walk out of the
west door into the pasture. She had a
loose box, and it was into this that /
now led Jacob. The box was not the
largest kind, but it was roomy enough
for Kentucky to turn round in, and she
was a goOd-siZed animal. 1t never oc-
Cured to us that this apartment was
not large enough for any horse, or if it
was not, that any horse of sense would
try to turn round in it. We closed the
door and stood moment, asking each
other what we were going to do. We
said we hated the Fletchers. We said
we hoped they would drown; but We
withdrew that wish for two reasons
First, because if they drowned W,
should have to keep Jacob forever
secondly, because the wish was wicked
AS we walked toward the house we
heard great noise of hoofs and then
an ominous stiffness, in which we fancie(
was kind of choking sound. We ran
back and flung open the box door
There was Jacob describing a curve
across the room, his headquarters being
one end and his head the other, both eX.
tremities being pressed so hard against
either partition that he was curved
nearly into half circle, and appeared tC
be smothering so twisted was his neck
g Run for mann' | cried out, look
ing wildly round for something, knew
not what.
My sister started, while | recklessl,
caught up whip and went at the horse
flourishing it across his back. II,
made a tremendous movement ant
curved up still more; so much so tina
he released himself and stood heaC
toward me-
/ ran after Gertrude and told her t.
come back, that we did not want a man
the horse had turned round. She dic
not hear at first and screamed still
louder that we did not want any man
Now she heard and turned, walkin!
with great slowness and dignity towar'
me. Something in her aspect mad
me look about, and | saw gentleman
within few feet of me. He did nc
attempt to disguise his merriment; III
said it did not appear to be good tim
for hin, IN coll and he would 90 on