Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-10-12
Copyright, 1898, by
the Author.
THOROUGHBRED
from your nose
to your tail, and
w ith lie gs as

quite as sheep, too, apparently. |
wonder how the deuce you came to be
harnessed to hanson cabr'
These were the thoughts that ran
through my mind one fine October after
noon, as, having just finished luncheon
> at the Navy and Military, found my
self in Piccadilly strolling aimlessly
along, and gazing at a remarkably
good looking, little brown horse be-
tween the shafts of very smart han.
som, who walked past me in the easy,
- dignitied way that only a thoroughbred
can. had been among horses all my
life, and flattered myself knew a good
one when saw him.
"And unless you are very much mis-.
taken, my boy" thought | to myself,
you're looking at one now" The
sight of the little brown horse quite
fascinated me, in fact.
The cabman, smart-looking chap,
attired IN very "down-the-road" box
coat, seeing me look his way, pulled up,
with the inquiry: "IIansom, sir?'
jumped in without a word; not that
Iwanted to go anywhere in particular,
but because | could not tear myself
away from the little brown horse. 1t
ended in my driving about the whole of
the afternoon from one place to
another, and thus had good oppor
tunity of seeing what the little nag
was made Of His trotting action was
like that of many thoroughbred ones
not particularly good, but he was de.
lightful horse to sit behind, for he
never looked to the right nor left, but
went steadily on in as old-fashioned a
way as it was possible to conceive. |
don't believe traction engine even
would have ruflled his serenity of tenn
permanent.
That's nice horse of yours" said
l, addressing the cabman on alightin9
at my rooms in Bury street. whats
his fault? / suppose he's got one,
hasn't he?'
"Fault?" exclaimed my charioteer,
scornfully, descending from his perch
and patting the little brown horse af'
fectionately. Fault? Why, bless yer,
he don't know how to spell it, this
little horse don't | don't verify be-
lieve he never done nothing wrong in
is bloomin' life ave yer, my lad? I've
drove i'm" continued cabby, ''gettin' on
now for six weeks, and he's never be,
i'm He looked very different, though,
when fust 'ad i'm Where did | get
i'm? Why, | bought i'm of a pal who
was ard up and couldn't afford to keep
i'm properly, and he was a reg'lar bag
O. bones, bless yer, in conscience. He
soon picked up, though, as yer see, and
wouldn't take fifty of anybody's
money for i'm now"
Well, the upshot of the whole busi-
ness was that after a quarter of an
hours harpling and bargaining the
little brown nag became my property
for the consideration of fifty-two
mounds, ten shillings, an old hat and a
bottle of whisky.
The very next dav claimed n saddle
on the bacl, of NV new purchase and
rode him In the Row-which celebrated
ride need scarcely saw had nearly to
,rvsalf-tho verdict after had mt him
through all his naces beinp that he was
one of the very hest hacks that I had
over ridden.
~ Won can only iump nv beauty. F."
tbonCht To myself as | gave the little
p,r an apnroving Sian on the neck-a
oo,nnlimant he seemed onite tn appre-
o;,te- "ve,u hustle some of ,em IN
hot,yeor tha aags as soon as steeple.
chasing sets in in earnest see if we
don't"
That niSht dreamt | won the Grand
National on him.
wos not hanpv now until | had
Come by Chance" as had christened
him. down in the country
Accordingly few days afterwards
took him along with me to hunting
box | rented down in Buclsingham-
shire.
In a large field behind the house were
several artificial jumps of all sorts for
my horse to practice over, and hither
the morning after my arrival brought
"Come by Chance" to see what he was
made Of
With my groom on my best hunter to
give him lead away we went, now
over the gorsed hurdles, next the post
md rails and then the water iumn-