The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-18
She Never Baked Again.

"Speaking about balky horses and
the best way to cure thein," said
George Sperry, 81 can tell you OF a
trick that Stephen Leland played one
time and it worked like charm-you
fellers all know Steve, course you do
he lives down to Bar Harbor. Well
let's sect was twelve years ago on
the ooh day of January. You remem-
Der the heavy sleet storm-same night
Linnike was married-when all the
trees looked 80 pretty after the storm.
You remember Stephen--he had a
wood lot out near the foot of Green
mountain, where he cut his wood win
tiers. That year he had as handsome
a pair of bay horses as ever rein drew
over. The nigh one was all right in
every particular, but the off one had
spells once in a while when she would
take matters in her own way and throw
up her head. You might put rocks in
her ears, twist her tail, pound, whip,
swear and rave as much as you liked,
but she would never move till she got
ready.
"One day / met Leland when he was
hauling out the first pad for the day.
He told me how she worked, and told
him then and there that if it was my
horse I'd just onhitch the nigh one
and leave her hitched on to the load in
the woods. They went into the Har-
Dor with the first load all right, but
when the second load was piled on and
under way things were different. Al
certain place in the road up goes
that horse's head again. 1t was in
Just the same place where she baked
before. Steve was mad as g halter
He took off his coat and hat. He
swore till the trees around him trem
bled. Next he took sapling birch
and whipped and pounded till he was
all tired out. Then he sat down anC
rested. Then he thought he'd coax
the critter, so he got drink of watel
from spring. She drank it. Their
he asked her to go, but not a muscle
would she move. Stephen fused til
he became exhausted.
"Then, as he told me afterward, h,
took Sperry's advice-onhitched tn,
nigh one, straddled her back and mad,
for home, leaving the ugly, contr',
thing alone in the woods, hitched to
sled with cord and half of greer
wood to anchor it. He never so mucl
as looked round nor said aye, yes, o
no, but made direct for, home, putting
up his horse, and eating his supper
He had become 80 disguised that b
nearly dismissed the thing from hi
mind. That night began with it'll
fine rain. 1t was like cold mist, an
wherever it struck it froze. Then
|
again it turned to rain-the queeres
storm ever known on Mount Deser
island. There was not minute afte
seven o'clock that evening till daylight
next morning but it showed or rained
and the wind was like double edge
razor 'long toward morning. Ever
tree was three times its proper size
and the ones left standing looked lik
the most beautiful plumes you ever Sc
in your life. Lots of trees were broke
to the ground. The telegraph wire
we're nearly an inch and a half in d
ameter, covered with solid ice. Littl
limbs Of birch and maple were lik
branches of coral.
SIN the morning Steve took out tn
old horse and star ID back for -
| WOOue. Wucu uo SOI uchr tuc pc
where he left the horse and load, h
was astonished. The old nag wa
there just where she stood all might
Not the sign of track did she make
Her legs were the size of flour barrel;
her body surely three times its prope
size. Her eyes and ears were hidde
from view by the snow that had drifte
upon her; the steam from her nostril
formed icicles that reached the grounG
All in all it was the toughest sight h
ever witnessed. Mr.. Leland at frs
supposed the animal was dead, but Of
ter awhile he took an AK and brok
the ice and let the poor critter out. Sh
was like chicken coming out of a
egg. The coat came off in large flakes
When he hitched the nigh one on, b
only had to speak once, and he mad
lively time over the icy road that morr
ing. He kept that pair till last yea
when they both died. They neve
baked again. Lewiston Journal.