The morning call., 1893-11-26

the time, as l had but recently made Miss
RusSelPs acquaintance. L say ] do not re-
call reading any account she ever wrote OF
that performance, nor of the time when
with a rashness born of inherent folly she
undertook TO drive me from one town 10
another, distance of five miles, without
any reins. | shall never forget the anx-
ieties of that trip. There were several
gray hairs in my name when | was once
more safe In my stall, having travelled ten
miles, pulling a light buggy, racing two
other horses on the road and stopping and
starting again several times. and travelling
at a brisk gait all the time and knowing
perfectly well that the occupant of the
buggy held no reins. 1t left a terrible re-
spOnsibility on my shoulders. l realized
that | alone was accountable for the outfit
aud that my new mistress was very hare
Drained order of being.
The responsibility of taking care of her
has preyed upon my mind ever since, and
has developed In me sedateness far be-
yond my years. Neither, if | remember
Alright, has Miss Russell ever seen fit TO
write of the time when | was so far forced
to violate rIy principles as TO run away in
order to teach her lesson. She was
riding along country road, reading The
CALL. As usual, her reins were wound
around the whipstock and she was utterly
Obvious to me as trotted along. keeping
good lookout for anything that was likely
to do her harm, for | know oulv too well
that but for me she would return with a
broken neck every time she goes for
drive. Presently we passed a tall euca-
lyptus tree, from the very top of which
hung long. ragged streamer of bark,
dangling just within easy reach of Miss
RussePs hand. Reaching up she gave a
pull at IL. when down came the whole
rattling length of it squarely On my back.
Now, l was not frightened: far from 1t,
though the strip of bark must have been
fxo ,fx fnn in md do pNic
like regiment of artillery. but instantly
jumped at the conclusion that the time
had come to teach Miss Russell a lesson,
and sprang forward at a rafting run.
l listened to hear her shrek with terror,
and had she done so l would have stopped
at once, but instead she began to laugh
inordnately, whereat l accelerated my
speed, until she finally took up the reiDs,
saying, "Oh, come. now, Madame, that's
carrying joke too far" and pulled me in,
for of course | am too thorough an equine
lady to run after am told 10 whoa"
l declare, l came near tn having nervous
prostratiOn that night Il was weeks
after that before [ could pass a eucalyptus
tree without ewing it askance and sheer
ing off little. but Miss Russell did pay
little attention to her reins for some time
afterward.
Then this astute young woman who
knows so much about horses should not
TAIL 10 tell her readers some time about the
time when she took the advice of brag-
ging horseman that "heavy blanketing and
light cinching is what makes life easy for
a saddle horse" and started in to follow
the rule. Not content with single
blanket she put feather pillow under the
monStrous dish which is what this enlight-
ened generation deems a fit seat for
woman on a horse. Then she cinched
the girths up Loosely and started for
ride across country.
Such time as l had keeping that sad
die on! At every other jump / gave it a
toss, and kept it going, but at last we
came to bit of soft ground. where l had
TO pick my way. and, as l gave spring
over ditch of running water, the saddle
turned in spite of me, and Miss Russell
was spilled ANONYMOUSLY into the water.
She escaped with no i'll consequences from
some days from the thorough sweating it
had under that pillow, and the shifting of
the loosely girthed saddle.
1t was not long after that that Miss
Russell loaned me to a friend. / wanted
to warn her at the time, for have had
the testimony OF many stable companion
as to how borrowed horse is ridden, but
| failed to make her understand and was
led off, reluctant but obedient. The
| friend who borrowed me put an old sad
die on my back, and nail working out
| from the badly mended tree buried an
inch OF its point between my withers.
will not dwell upon my sufferings durin g
that ride. The borrower brought me back
with the remark that was rather hard to
manage, who always take pride in
| being trusted with child and never
played a trick 10 my life. 1t was
not until morning that the deep,
ugly wound in my withers was discovered,
and despite the tenderest care it was
months before it healed. 10 fact, it seemed
as though ii never would get so that the
slde-saddle would not hurt the tender skin.
m AFRAID her saddiing days are over -
the veterinary said, as he dressed The
| wound one day when it had reOpened.
"Better sell her to some man who can ride
her with cross-saddle." Ny heart sank
within me. especially as Miss Russell said
nothing. but looked at me thoughtfully.
turned and rubbed my nose against her