The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-06-20
LAS WONDERFUL COLT.
The story OF the Trials % an Old Hero
Told by n Maine Man. F.

W.T.
'LiAs' WONDERFUL COLT.
The story Of the Trials 81 an Old Hero
Told by . Maine Man. y
II remember the first time that I saw
Elias Perkins, said tho man from Maine
to tho New York Tribune. 'slIo was
sitting on . fencc-rail, whittlin2 q stick.
Tho next timc / saw him no was
pcrchcd on tho same rail, and tho stick
in his loft hand seemed to he the arn
ono as before. saw him many timcs
that summer. and he always sat On tho
fence. and no always whitfield.
"l!c was one of those pieces OF hickory
that one meets in nay State. llc was
v e sixty years old, but during tho
winter he could swing an axe with any
man in tho woods. lie never worked in
tho summer. He had picked up q deal
of knowledge somewhere, and his brain
was like Nh iron box, for he mover for
got anything which he onco got into his
head. Ike would discuss 'algcbrce, trigo-
nomctrco and tho classics,' ns he OK
pressed it, with equal Willingness, but
no would add, Il prefer the old poets;
they get down to business without
many lourishcs.' have heard him
quote Homer by tho hundred limos with
out n break. his long arm making un-
calmly gestures, and his whisancd head
bowling with n solemn dignity at the end
OF each verse. In geometry no would
ratio away ut any thing, Winding up
with an impressive quad crat dculon-
stranlurn.'
'~'i.ias, every body called him, and he
was often called upon To act as the final
referee in eases of dispute, for it was adj
Iaitt:d in that part Of the country that
Lila: knew every thing. I;ut 'l.ias was
destined to show his weakness late in
life, and The result of it was moro Sc
vore than years of chcppiMs ut pines in
the coolest Maine weather.
cit wa tho second summer Of nv ac-
quninta:lcc with hin, that l found him
ons day, as usual, m the fcncc, but his
knife N.as not 81: work as u:;u.:lc n s. piece
of wood. he vas pcsg;ns away in IN
a~lrscnt-,ni:nicd fasllioa 1T .l,c rail itself.
"'I vent iu.n Tho village dag before
yesterday said alias, looking; up with
y weary Look in his faded llue eyes,
and / bought acolt. I'm going to ruisc
him. and have the finest horse in this
township
"'Nycll. Elias said, what a,e o
going to do with him? What do you
need Of a horsc::'
81 just want to -aiso him. he an
swcrcd. 'nut he's q tough ono to
handle. think that's why l want to
raise him.
Two days afte,waN,. when I saw him
again, both his kEifo and whiting
stick were gone.
Flows the colt. Eliasc!' l asked.
"'i!e got up liz tho i:ills yesterday,
and ] was IL looking for him all nir.at.
He's back now Tho old man showed
signs of fatigue.
perhaps there never was II colt moro
vicious than Elias. heard of tho ami
mails capcrs every dag, and it kept
Elias continually busy locking after his
new pot. :at III day Ifaus.l him back
IN his old position, looking like himself.
"~'INlcsa's the colt :o-l..yy" l as:scd.
"'tle's lost, said Elias. with saiistac-
ton. and he quoted so.ssc yccses to show
his submission to fate.
"ln three days Elias had conc back to
his old friends, the knife and TAO stick.
but on he morning of the fo;.rtl. day
whom he got up no found his colt stand
ing at the door of his li.tlo house.
Henceforth troubles came thick and last
upon tho old bac!swoodsr.aa. His back
began to bond ovor. and nothing could
induce him to talk of tho old poets! The
cd man wont to pieces rapidly, but ho
would not give UP the colt. This con-
dition Of Affairs continued until IL wa
difficult for liias to drag himself around.
Ono night the vicious colt, while Jump
ing . fence. caught onc of its legs and
broke 1t. Some took q rit.o and
ended tho bruto's suffering. Wacn 1
heard of this tho next day I ca...ed on
elias. lilo was lying on Lis bel. with
his eyes closed, but there was a supreme
look Of rest on tho yellow face, and q
smile of content about tho thin lines at
the cora~r of tho mouth.
'Elias;,' l said, 1T was too bad about
tho COLT
Yes said tho old man. with a
smile. Il think l was tca.l.;ng him o
lit:la dcccncy. 1t was too bad To be dis
aEpointaa.'
Elias got out arain in q fcw weeks,
but he was mover able to GO back to the
woods. lilo never ceased to tell. how
ever, how he was c%onlner!ag his colt
when skc animal was killed. And as
time went on tho virtues of the brute
seemed to grow on Elias, for s.:ch u pa
ticnt. docilo, intelligent and wonderful
colt as tho ono described by I:..ias two
years afterSard, as no sat ON the old
fence one evening. man never before
heard praised"
AN EXPENSIVE SHAVE. y
What john Jacob Aston. Jr.. Was Com