St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-04-03
''Say. mister. are you ridin s~appin

stock this evenin7"
"Not II the court knows herself and
she ruther thinks she does." Andy come
back at him. But at the same time |
come from swappin stock myself. and
you mought bring ON . trade Il you ars
any ways sufierin for one"
"WeH. bow will you change with me =
says the stranger. which he WAS ridin
of little roam mare some l2 or IL years
old.
This aint my time Of year to trade. =
says Andy. -but II you want to put your
own traPpins on this pony you mousht
pitch in and do the tradin. Money
talks, and when you hit me right with
the figgers will let you know"
20 the stranger he first made a PASS
Mt Andy to trade even. and from that he
went to offerin boot. All this time
Andy said nothin-only kept on shakin
his head-till the stranger run the fig-
gers up 10 SEQ. when the trade was
closed and Andy put the money in his
left flank pocket. Then they dis
mounted and changed brides and
pulled OF their saddles. And, man
sir. when the stranger walked around
and saw that awfal hole In the pony's
back he dropped his saddle to the
ground and thought in my soul he
would 60 OF In dead trance right
there in the big road.
Say. mister. I wouldn't ride thaa
dang thing home and turn him loose in
my fathers lot for $780," says the young
man when he recovered from the shock
sufficient to talk.
'You made your own trade. youna
man" says Andy. "and il you don't love
to ride. walkin il tolerable good at
this season of the year."
II want to rue back and go home" !"
says the young man. whilst his voice
wavcred and trembIed like he was
fixin to cry.
Il don't know how It il over in your
settlement" says Andy, ''but We don't
trade horses that . way around Rocky
Creek"
II will give you the pony even trade
for my mare, and you can keep the
boot money" the young man went on.
lookin powerful sorry like and pitt
full. "Durned IL l wouldn't tote my
saddle and walk home before l would
ride this internal freak of nature"
"You have done made one trade al
ready this evenin. aud IL noth:n else
will do I reckon. 1 will have to let you
make another one" says Andy. Throw
your saddle on the mare and 60 on hack
home TO your ma. and the next time
you start out on horse swappin stam-
pede fight shy Of the Rocky Creek
ScalIop-Daek Horses All the de.
The young man was 10 tremendous
glad to swap back most anyway till he
went on rejoicin. whilst Andy he rid
home on scallop-back Billy. with $50
spot cash landed safe in his left flank
pocket.
Nobody knows for certain how many
times Andy has swapped Oh scallop
back Billy. but he gets him back every
clatter with little boot money throwed
in for good measure. The stranger
which first swapped him to Andy sent
I trader into the settlement oncst, and
sent him after scall0p-back Billy at any
price. But Andy got onto the trick,
Ind when finally at last the trader
shook 500 at him for the calico pony
Andy would only shake his head and
>ay:
"Not this year. Some other year. |
prehapr. Tell the man which sent you
here that love him ike twin brother.
do. And tell him moreover also that |
he scallop- back horses are now all the |
20 around Rocky Creek"
And 10 IL it ever comes to pass that |
rou mought pitch out to try your hand
with swappin stock. you can keep in
mind that there 10 one man in this great /
:ountry which always falls like cat-l
N his feet. It would pay you likewise
llso TO recollect that fits don't run in
he Lucas family.
RUFUS SANDERS.