The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-06-22
4Oetrp.
THE cRooKED-LEG COLT.

En- Pierce in the HOrseman.
In old Cattaraugus county, in barroom flied with
smoke,
Where the nabobs gather in at night talk horse and
crack joke
Where abundant beer and cider clustering
winters night
Cut loose the tongues of modest men and make them
wonderous bright,
In such a place, on such night with tongues
already creased"
While smoke rolled from his clay pipe, Bill Hopkins
spoke his piece
Said Bill: an tell about the colt my dad was going
to shoot,
He was bound to take the life of that crookedlegged
For he was tarnal mad you see, to think old Doll,
our mare,
should throw such Hambletonjan as we saw
sprawling there;
But begged so hard for him to give the homely
thing to me.
He finally said; "well. take him, BILL he's the worst
ever see~
well boys, had an awful time to get that eritter
through.
My dad would laugh and say to me, he was biood-
ed cuss he knew,
And of blooded stock he'd had enough, twas
swindle and shame
A high priced stallion caught him once but ne
never would again.
awell, / got him through to two years old, and
altho' wouldn't own it.
I'd liked to snapped him for mule, ifno one could
have known it,
His head was large, his ears were Tonga hannole-
tonian feature
steep rumped, slsbsided, and e|e-necked was the
makeup of the creature.
Il tried to keep him out of sight, they laughed 50
much at me;
Iput him in small back lot, well out Of sight you
see,
And there I'd go and-str him up and switch MN
round the lot,
To see If he could strike gait that looked mite
like trot
81 couldn't get much out of him; he'd change from
trot to pace,
And set him down failure for any kind of place.
But I broke him and I drove him, yet he didn't
seem to know,
Hltehad double drove single. how he ought 10 ae'
orgo.
~He didn't seem 10 have gait but mixed himself
all up
Like an old jack knife with rye's loose man 'ie'i
and half shut
Well hauled milk TO the factory with MIA ana 'le
old mare,
One night when was driving home iooho OUT
what was there.
sarhe pole slipped through the neek-yoke ring.
while going down a hill.
The wagon nan against their heels and they III out
to kill;
JehOshaphat but how they VENT The mink cans
few sky high
s,aors5 them straight the best could, and then
just let them ay
my fright turned to amaaement, my blood got boil
ing hot
The old mare ran her level best but the colt Just
kept his troe
Wen. didn't he just square away9 never saw the
Is.Opped them going up hin. and soon fixed all in
right
aSo one had seen the aops I'd had; my heart stood
almost sill.
BY gosh. says l. gnsss that calf is BONANZA yet
for Bill.
kept my secret 70 myself. trained that colt at
night.
was in sight
.'our county fair was coming of. and I Eaae up
my mind
He'd sand chance with l-yeAr-osis-and not get
far behind;
I got chap to enter him 30 no one else should
know
what colt it was agOing to trOt until called on to
go
-Four other colts we've entesC and they were there
Awaiting Cor the unknown colt when drove 70
stand
entered him As ,Twister and you ought 70 pave
heard EN- shout
As Twister shufaed up the track. before ne turned
about
Il never drove a race before, bat ia seen some
iOekcYing did.
And I'D kinder cstched on 10 the game, like any
The other drivers were all smart they'd been right
there before
And the way they looked At Eae, and srinned. made
me feel tArnai sore.
ave scored and scored 70 &c. away. my colt would
sprawl and skip,
And the crowd would laugh and boiler Bill. why
don't you let him ripg
I knew they Poked their fun a, me and got con
founded mad
when saw. a.looking mighty shamed. The face Of
my old dad
AT last they gave the word 70 60. When The rest
way ahead
wished that was somewhere else and the tarnal
colt was dead
Ihnuied right up and pounded him the very best !
knew
And be seemed 60 catch on all at once and spread
himself and aew.
~wen talk about your trosters and talk about your
fun,
Twas when passed those 4-year-olds and dropped
them. one By one;
passed them like gust Of wind. the crowd went
crazy Wild,
Ny homely colt won three straight heass-dad hur-
rahed like child
"weu boys to close the zorE up. you know the
The price got for Inst ere col, Ius decided nae that
lromet
since then the old man thinks blooded stock Is his
best holt,
Aad you bet he'll never give away another crooked
legged colt"