The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-11-14

rel horse out Of the old well. Three or
four of the boys had to stop by long
enough to see the show, and conse-
Guentially after that I mought as well
to of put it in the newspapers. Before
the SUI went down it was known for
miles and miles around that my big sor-
rel horse, with flax name and tail, was
blind in a manner and didn't know a
ten-acre calf paster from a hole in
the ground. He was likewise also
mighty bad SCARED and skint up, which
the same 1 dassent try to explain.
Bright and early the next mornin
l saddled up and lit out. I didn't know
for certain where I was goin, but didn't
need any sorrel horses on my place
and / felt like it was foreordained from
the foundations that the one 1 now had
would soon be looking to some other
man for his corn and fodder. Irid off in
a reckless and promiscus way down the
country towards the Flat woods, and
rid and rid till way in the shank of the
evenin before I found anybody that
didn't know all about the big sorrel
with flax name and tail. 1t would seem
like he was one of the old acquaintances
of everybody in the country but me.
Down there at the little Deer creek
bridge I caught up with a travelin
Methodist preacher drivin a little one
eyed brown mare. Somehow l didn't
raley love to run one of the chosen few
into a brush game and see him git
scratched. But somebody had to suffer.
and I lowed it mought as well be a
stall-fed country preacher as q plain,
blunt farmer like me. So 1 throwed
out my hook and line and the preacher
he took the bait. 1t was to be a square
even trade and no questions asked, but
about that time who should ride up but
julie Nabors-whieh he had likewise
also heard the news by now.
"Hello, Rufe," says julie, "I sec yon
got him out of the well, somewhat dis,
figured, but still in the ring"
Well, that preacher want no natural
born fool-which 1 couldn't say the
same, you understand, for julie Majors
and consequentially he caught on and
backed down from the trade and dTiv
off in a trot. We then rid on together
for a few miles-me and Jule-whilst
I give out my general opinions to him
in plain United States, without any
Sunday school trimmins to speak of.
"Any man that would come into a
game and gum up the cards in that way,
julie" says I, sis mean enough to hit his
firstborn baby. He would cut down
young corn and Craze a billy goat IN his
! grandmother's grave to save fodder"
And blamed if he'wouldn't.
Swapping Stock "sight Onseen."
But to be certainly of course that was
all vanity AMI vexation Of spirit. Tho
sorrel horse was still totin my saddle,
which didn't suit me a blessed bit, and
was ruther unbecomin to him. Any
how, 1 was then headin for old man
Green Longmires' place, where 1 lowed
to put up for the night. 1t was deep
dusk, I reckon, when one of the Mil
ligan boys-a secont cousin to John
Andrew-come clatterin up behind me
on a little, long-legged, round-bodied
mule. By this time 1 had got plum reck-
less, anyhow, so presently 1 made a pass
at him for a trade. We couldn't see the
stock nohow, so 1 told him I would swap
with him like we boys used to some
times swap pocketknives at school,
sight unseen.
you are snapped with right away
immediately" says he, and we dis
mounted and got down and changed
saddles On the spot.
/ then rid over to old man Longmire's
and put up for the night. Next mornln
at the first blush of day I was in the
sadie and my mule was headed for
home. But we hadn't put more than
ten miles behind us before Dolly-as the
Milligans called her-was travelin on
three feet. 1 raley do not know and I
wouldn't try to say what was the mat
ter with Dolly, but anyhow she was all
to pieces in her pegs and under pinnin.
The moo vas up and everybody had
went to bed when we got home that
night-Dolly goin on two pegs and me a
totin of the saddle.
I then turned the mule down in the
calf paster to see if she would know
the difference between ten acres of level
land and ahole in the ground, which sho
did. The next time 1 went to town J
put in and snapped the mule, sight on
seen, to Gus Fannin for a half Jersey
COW, with a steer calf, and give him
eve dollars to boot.
A Curious Kind of Cow.
According to promise I sent the mulA