Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-03-06
"A GOOD HORSE STORY.

1
viewed in all good faith that I should never
r5sk myself upon the seas Of matrimony'
But wns reckoning without the trumpeters
horse
4 It was the last of September, 1864, and
had just returned from Baden, expecting TO
poos only twenty hours In Paris. i hsd 1n-
vitsd four or live Of my friends-Calliers,
Bernbelm. Frondeville and Valreas-to /
come down 10 my place In Poitou for the |
hunting season. They were to arrive early |
IN October, and week would give me barely |
tlme enough to put Roche-Targe in readiness |
% roceive them. i found letter from my |
hunssman awaiting me in Paris, aud bringing
disastrous news. The dogs were well but
out Of the dozen hunting horses which had
ct Roche-Targe, five had become sick or
lame during my stay in Baden. There was
no help for 1t +; must fill up my stud.
went the rounds Of the horse-dealers on
the Champs Elysees, and was shown as
hunting-horses a choice collection ofunsound
ahd broken-winded animals at the moderate
price of three thousand francs 1 had had
bad luck at rouge-et-noir, and l was not in
the mood to throw away seven or eight hun
dred louis in a morning.
1t was Wednesday, and Cheri was holding
the first of his auction sales. During the day /
went to his establishment, and there, without
warranties, trusting wholly to luck and the
statements OF the catalogue-"excellent hun
ter Jumps well has carried lady, etc.
bought in one lot eight horses at a cost OF
only five thousand francs. Among the eight,
said to myself, there must be four or five
that will do to be used as relays.
One ofthese horses, must confess had
bought chiefly on account of his beautiful
coat The catalogue attributed to him no
special qualifications for the chase. 1t linn
tied itself to saying :" Brutus, saddle-horse,
old, very well trained" He was large
dappled-gray. But never have seen gray
1,atta aan lad "a white Of his
sprinkled at regular intervals with beautiful
and well-defined black spots.
The next day / set out for Roche large,
and on the day after, early in the morning,
was told that the horses had arrived. l went
at once to zee them, and my first look was
towards Brutus. He had been running
through my head for the last forty-eight
hours, and had the keenest curiosity tn
find out what he was and of what he was ca
pable.
had him brought out from the stable first.
A groom led him quietly up to me- The
horse had long teeth, deep.set eyes, and all
the indications OF respectable age but at
the same time powerful flanks a large chest
a strong but slender neck, fine carriage of
the head, well-set tail and faultess back.
1t was not all this, however, which most at
tracted my attention. What admired above
all else about him was the way in which he
watched me, and with eyes full of attention,
intelligence and curiosity followed ali my
motions and gestures. My words even
seemed to interest him strangely. He bent
his head towards me as if to catch what was
saying, aud when had finished speaking,
neighed ioyfully as If In reply.
They showed Inc the remaining seven
horses In succession. l examined them rap
idly, and with little care. They we're like
all other horses. But Brutus had marked
individuality, and l was impatient for ride
in his company over the country roads. He
allowed himself to be saddled, bridled and
mounted like a horse that understood his
business and we two started off as peaceably
as possible.
held him loosely at frst and he went
along quietly with long strides, his neck a
y little stiff, and his head slightly dropping.
But when 1 made him feel the reins he re.
sponded to my hand with quickness and
ease that were extraordinary, archiug his
neck and champing his bit with a loud
noise. Then, at the same time, he took
short, light and regular step, lifting his leg
high and striking the ground with the regu
larity of a pendulum.
Cheris catalogue had not been untruthful
He was well-trahled horse in fact, he wa
too well trained. ! made him trot and theI
gallop. At the first hint he gave me an ex
cellent little trot and then an excellent little
gallop; but when / attempted to pull hi'
head up he ducked it TO the ground, wrench
ing my arms almost out of their sockets
When tried to increase his pace he brok,
and went to pieces Then he began to dane,
in great style, trotting with his fore-legs anC
galloping with his hind legs Good"
said to myself " begin to understand 1t
have bought some old circus horse, and il
will not be upon such an animal as this thai
i shall hunt next week"
was ready to turn about and go back
home, having learned all cared to about the
capacities OF Brutus, when heard gun-shot
twenty feet away in the wood. 1t was one
OF my men firing at rabbit. And, by the
way, he received some time after, from the
woman who became my wife, a handsome
present for that shot But anticipate.
II.
was then exactly in the centre of a cross.
roads forming a circle five or six yards in
diameter. From this circle branched of six
long wooded drives. On hearing the shot
Brutus had stopped short, planted himself
firmly upon his four legs, pricked up his
ears and thrown back his head / was sur.
prised to find the horse so sensitive
should have expected that, after the brilliant
education which he had evidently received
In his youth, he would have been thoroughly
used TO guns, and even cannon. 1 pressed
my knees against him to make him go ahead,
but Brutus did not stir. l gave him two
sharp pricks with my spurs-Brutus did not
STIR ] made him feel a vigorous application
Of my whip-Brutus did not stir. | tried tC
back him, to turn him to the right, TO the
left could not move him an inch. Brutus
seemed to he set on the ground, and yet
you must not laugh, for my story is strictly
true-each time that / tried to move the
horse he turned his head and looked at me
with an eye in which / could plainly read
impatience and surprise. Then he fell back
Into his pose and became again a statue.
There was evidently a misunderstanding be,
tween the horse and me. / could see that in
his eyes Brutus was saying to me- with all
the emphasis that he could put into his looks
~, the horse, am doing just what ought tC
do, and 1t is you, the rider, who are failing
In your duty" / was more puzzled than an
noyed. What extraordinary kind of an ami
NAL did Cheri sell me, and why does he look
at me in so odd a fashion l was Just pre-
pairing, however, to resort TO severe meas
ures, which means that L was about to give
Brutus sound whipping when second
shot was heard.
The horse at that made a bound.
- thought the victory gained, and taking ad
vantage OF his leap, tried to raise him with
my hand and legs But no. He stopped
short after the bound, and again planted him
self upon the ground, but more firmly and
resOlutey than before. Oh then 1 was an
CRY, and brought the whip into full play.
seized 1t squarely with my hand aud began
10 lay II on the horse right and left with all
my strength. But Brutus then lost his pa
uence, too, and instead of the cool and deter
mined resistance with which he had at frs
met me, l encountered the widest opposi
uon-leaps, Jumps, extraordinary kickings
lncreditable falls and springs, and the mos
fantastic caperings ; aud in the midst of al
TINS struggle, while the horse was leapinl
and rearing madly, and while /, in my ex
Ssperation. was pounding him with the
teanen handle OF my whip, Brutus still
iouna ume To cast at me looks filled not only
WIN impatience and surprise, but also witt
anger and indiunatio,, uplIl.