The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-10-03
LAS WONDERFUL COLT.

LAS WONDERFUL COLT.
The Story Of h Trials Of an Old Hero
Told BY . Maino Man. =.
' II remember tho first time that I saw
Elias Perkins" said tho man from Maine
to tho New York Tribune. "IIe was
sitting on q foncc-rail, whiting q stick.
Tho noxt timo l saw him no was
perched on tho same rail, and tho stick
In his loft hand seemed to DO tho same
ono as before. saw him many times
that summer, and he always sat on the
tcnco, and ho always whitfield.
"Ho was ono of those pieces Of hickory
that ono mccts in my State. He was
yer sixty years old, but during the
winter he could swing an axe with any
man in tho woods. lie nevor worked in
tho summer. lilo had picked up a deal
If knowledge somewhere, and his brain
vas like an iron box, for no mover for
got anything which he one got into his
head. Ilo would discuss 'algcbroo, trigo-
nometree and tho classics as he OK
pressed it, with equal willingness, but
ho would add, 4 prefer tho old poets;
they got down to business without
many flourishcs.' / havo hoard him
quote Homer by tho hundred limos with
out o break, his long arm making UNI
calmly gestures, and his whitcnod head
bowling with q solemn dignity at tho end
Of each verso. In geometry no would
ratio away ut :ny thing, winding ur
with IN impressive quad crat demon.
strandum.''
'Lias, ovory body called him, and he
was ofton called upon u. act as tho final
refcrco in cases of dispute, for it was ad.
mittcd in that part OF tho country that
'Lias knew very thing. But 'Lias was
destined 10 show his weakness late in
life, and tho result of it was more SO.
voso than years of chupping ct pines in
tho coolest Maino weather.
".It was tho second summer OF my &C.
Quaintanco with him that found him
q day, as usual, on tho fcnco, but his
knife was no at work as usual or q piece
Of wood Ho w'as pcgginG away in an
absent-mindcd fashion at tho rail itsclf.
"'I vent into tho village day before
yesterday said Elias, looking up with
q weary lock in his faded blue eyes,
and l bought q colt. I'm going to raise
him, and havo the finest horse in this
township
"'Vycll, Elias I said, what arc you
going to do with him? What do you
need Of - horsc?'
"'I just want to raise him. he On.
swered. But he's q tough n To
handle. I think that's why l want to
raise him. ID
1.-TWO days aftorward, when I saw him
sgain,, both his knife and whiting
stick worc gone. y.
"'IIow's tho colt, Elias?' ] asked.
"'Ilo got up in tho hills yesterday,
and l was out looking for him all night.
He's back now Tho old man showed
signs of fatigue.
perhaps thcro novcr was q colt more
vicious than Elias. l heard Of tho ami
malls eapcrs every day, and it kept
Elias continually busy looking after his
now pct. But n day Found him back
In his old position, looking like himself.
f"'NVhcro's tho colt to-day?' / asked.
"'I1o's lost said, Elias. with satisfac-
ton, and no quoted souao vorscs to show
his submission to fato.
"In thrc.jd days Elias had, como back to
his old friends, tho Iinifo and tho stick.
But on tho morning Of tho fourth day
whom he got up he found his colt stand
.ng at tho door OF his littlo house.
tI%onocforth troubles came thick and fast
apon tho old backwoodsman. His back
oogan to bend over, and nothing could
induce him to talk Of tho old poets! Tho
nd man won't to pieces rapidly, but he
would not give up tho colt. This con-
lition Of affairs continued until it. was
liflcult for Elias to drag himself around.
ONO night tho vicious colt, while Jump
ing a fcnce, caught ono of it's logs and
oroko it. Some n took o rifc and
ended tho bruto's suffering. Whom I
heard of this, tho next Aay ] called on
Elias. Ho, was lying on lis bed, with
his eyes closed, but thcco was q supreme
look of rest on tho yellow face, and o
the corner of tho mouth.
,".Elias,' l said. it was too bad about
tho COLT
Eyes said tho old, man, with .
smile. 4 think l was teaching him q
.ittlo doconcy. 1t was too bad to be dis
appointed i"}:
ELIAS got out again in d fcw wcoks,
but he was v ablo to so back to tho
woods. lilo W CEASED to tell, how
fever, how no was %conqucring his colt
when tho animal was killed. And as
ime,went on tho virtues of tho brute
'eemod to grow IN Elias, for such q pa
;ient, docile, intelligent and wonderful
;olt as tho n described by Elias two
1cars afterward, as he sat on tho old
.ccnco n evening, man never before
aoard praised"
l, A Conaclcnco-ktricken Nan.
"A sad-eycd man Walked into a store
n Iscloit THO other day, says tho James
,iIln Cozotf6 and ~, nit ~ inu,n . en-