Daily Yellowstone journal., 1892-03-01

AN EXPENSIVE LESSON.
stIll the o,.t Driver Felt That He Had
CurcA the tlor1e. ut kAiklng.
1t Ii Pheasant to succeed in what
We undertake.. but s,1tccss is some
times purchased ut too high price.
A farmer bud rwo very handsome
horses. Of whose excellent qualities
he was very proud; but unfortunate
ly they lat acquired the reprchen-
siblc habit of baking. which ut times
caused their gorl master much an
noyancc. Onc warm t1ny III August
he WIS driving tn town with IL load
of hay, It wills not only all unusually
large load, but the hay was Of fine
quality. and the farmer fcltan honest
pride in driving through the village
with it.
Just ~ 1le arrived mt tho top OF the
knoll that Tucked duwu upon the
main thorouyhfure, long street
lined OH either side with stures and
shops. the horses came to Il dead
standstill and refused to move nm
other inch Neither kintl words nor
the moderate application Of the whip
had the slightest effect, md the
farmer was i'll despair
Susllcnlyu bright thought occurred
to him. well, | gt1c>s these horses
will change their minds in about two
minutes. he saitl. smiling.
Rolling two large wisps ct the dry
hay he placed them carefully under
tho stubborn anill,uls then he made
Il smaller wisp to serve as II fuse,
lighted it and placed it in such II 20.
sition that the flame would soon
reach the uther wisps. Then he
clambercd upon the load again and
took the rr1ns. cluckllng over his
plan.
1t succeeded. The horses, feeling
the unusual and disagrecablc heat,
stepped forward briskly. but only
just fur enough to escape the effect
OF the flame. Then they stopped
again In vain did their master from
his lofty perch urge them on and
snap his long whip. They were mo-
tionless.
The farmer reflected. 1T appears
to me-" he said, a moment or two
later. there's an awful lot of smoke
tor a mighty little blaze" But as
the smoke increased he first won
dered, and then slid to the g1u1nd to
investigate.
The little blaze he had kindled
under the horses was now exactly
under the big loa1 of hay. the bottom
Of which WAS already burning in fine
style. Something had to be done.
Mounting the load with nll haste,
he seized IL fork and began to throw
th1, hay in all directions His work,
however, soon CAME to IL stop. for the
horses. feeling the warmth of the
second contlaGration, started off
again, this time in good earnest; and
the luclxlcss farmer was glad to get
to the ground a. best he could.
Down the street sped the horses.
dragging utter them, much to their
discomfort the great four wheeled
bonfire. The villagers. looking up
the street and seeing the flying ami.
mails pursued by the enormous ball Of
flame. fled for their lives. Staid old
farm horses tied to posts along the
street. broke their halters and clat-
tered down the hurd road. Women
screamed aud dogs banked. and some
excited person, under the impression
that the whole town WAS attire, rushed
for the engine house and rang the
bell vigorously.
Just what would have been the
outcome it il difficult to tell, had it
not been for the fortunate fact that
the wagon SOON became too much
burned to hold together. The char.
red wreck dropped in the middle of
the road, while the horses. still drag
g7ng one blackened pair of wheels,
continued their flight several miles
farther.
When, all hour later, they were re-
turned. with bloodshot eyes and bad
~ singed tails, to their owner. he
g:lzed upon them with mingled
look of sadness and triumph, and ex-
claimed: We'll, you pesky critic
guess I've Earned you to balk
Youths Companion.
che Decline of tue Conductor.
L. !