St. Landry democrat., 1889-10-19
amy, the Colt.

Little Fanny was motherless, having
been discovered in an open field beside her
dead mother.
Before she was year old she could open
the door to her own room and go to bed
alone. She did not quite understand the
fastenings FROM The inside and had TO be
let out in the morning
The children there were six thought
her most wonderful baby, and claimed
her as their own. The boys had taught
her to take off their caps with her teeth,
shake hands with her feet and do many
other cute things.
But when she was four years old she
had to go to work, for Fanny was only a
| horse, after all Never was she driven
except by one Of the family, and she really
acted as if sba liked to go. When the
buggy was drawn out she would give a
little pleased wh1nny and step daintily
about as if impatient to be off, and when
once on the rad, disliked, of all things,
to take the dust of another vehicle. The
children were a croupy set, and physl-
clan was often called, Fanny being the
horse to be ridden every time and SO we'll
had she learned what was wanting if a
saddle was placed hastily upon her back,
she only waited for rider, and without a
hint from the rein, bounded off in the
direction of the doctors office; returning,
she logged leisurely home.
1t was a sad day for the family when
one morning no glad whinny greeted the
one who went to feed her. She had been
stolen.
Two other horses had been taken from
nejghbor at the same time, and he be-
moaned them as so much money lost; but
the joint owr ers OF Fanny grieved as if a
friend were dead, To her it might be
even worse than death. "For how could
the taker be otherwise than cruel2' they
asked.
A thorough search was made, but no
clus obtained, and the horses were given
up as lost. The older children strove to
be brave, but the younger ones could not
keep back the tears when speaking of
poor Fanny" and the mother was
shocked one evening to hear four-year- old
Bessie add to her infant prayer: "And
please GOO, send Fanny back"
She kissed the child tenderly, and whis-
pered: IF we cannot have Fanny we
will have another horse to take her place,
my dear" But it wouldn't be her,
mamma I want just Fanny" and she
laid her face in mammals lap and sobbed
as she had done many times since the loss.
A few days later, as the family were at
breakfast, Nora, the girl, rushed into the
room, exclaiming: eff ye phase, mum,
Fanny's in the stable, or else It's her
ghost, sure. | whit to find the clo'es-pins
lost last night, and as l whit a-near the
barn | hearn a whin-now as like bern as
two pase, and" but before she had
concluded every seat was empty and all
had hurried to the barn.
The stable door was opened, and forth
stepped Fanny, to be Rugged and kissed
as never before.
. She still wore her halter, from which a
broken strap dangled, showing how she
had released herself, and once free, her
presence in her own stall was no mystery.
An officer was duly notified, and taking
her tracks, he went about five miles along
the beach of the lake, where, in bluff
overhanging a ravine, he found sort OF
cave, where the two other horses were
still tied
Fanny had broken her halter, opened
the wide door, that swung in, pushed her
way through the brush piled against it
and hurried home TO her own stable.
The horses must have been taken to
their hiding place by being led along the
waters edge to conceal their tracks and
their food conveyed to them by boat.
The thief was not caught, more is the
pity. Evidently seeing the signs of Fan
ny's escape, h-'was only too glad to escape
himself. The owner of the two horses
suggested that Fanny ought to have a
| medal, but on being shown lump OF
sugar she uttered decided neigh and then
munched her sugar in silence.-Cotman's
RurGl World.