The St. Johns herald., 1898-02-05
FOUND HIS HORSE
Man Finds His old Nag Being Abused
 Animal Recognizes Its Master.


 Animal Recognizes Its Master.
 A few mornings ago a crowd was ] idly watching a poor old horse strug- glIng vainly to pull a heavily-loaded wagon out of a rut in Fifth avenue, near Washington street. It was task to tax the strength of vigorous, we'll conditioned horse. Still, he bravely re- l sponded to each call of his rough mas ter to try it again, until at length. weak ] and trembling, and with the sweat running in streams down his rough, un- ] groOmed coat, he refused to further at ] tempt what he knew was beyond his ! power.
 ! There was something about the horse ! which suggested that he had known ! better days His large, though now ! dim and sunken eye, his small, trim ears. clean-cut head, and broad, thin nostrils, stamped him as one possessed of aristocratic lineage, who in his younger and better days had known far different things than hauling the wagon of junk peddler.
 The whip had been applied, but to no purpose, and there had been several emphatic suggestions from the crowd that if the man expected his horse to pull anything he had better feed him occasionally, when a tall, broad-shoul- dered man, whose dress and general appearance suggested that he had re- gently come out of the West, moved forward out from the crowd. where he had been watching the horse intenrly for several moments, and, approaching the man, asked:
 Where did you get that hoss|
 At the sound of his voice the horse pricked up bis ears, and, turning his head in the direction whence the sound came, gave utterance to a low, glad neigh.
 Without waiting for the owners re- ply the man advanced quickly to the horses head, and batting it gently he said in a tone of affectionate tender ness: Poor old Joe, so they've brought you to this. I somehow thought 1t was you, old boy, when I first saw you, but I couldn't hardly believe my eyes, for you used to be a mighty different look ing horse from this"
 All this time the horse was rubbing his head against the mans breast and shoulders, and there was a suspicion of moisture in the eye of the man as well as several of the spectators.
 'I never would have sold you in the world, Joe, If had thought they would ever bring you to this,' the man con- tinued. "But never mind, old boy, there's going to be change right away now. You're going to have all you want to eat; you're going to have a nice big stall, and you ain't ever going to do another lick of work as long as you live"
 And then turning to the astonlshed owner he asked: How much do you want for this hoss?"
 The former hesitated a moment and then said: Forty dollars"
 He knew that he was asking four times what the horse was worth, but he shrewdly concluded that the old own CT would not stand on a few dollars to get back bis old horse.
 And he didn't; for, taking out g roll of bills from his pocket. be counted out ehe $40 and handing it to the man said: Heres your money. You're robblug me. but l must have that old hoss." A ieT minutes later ue Vaa ieadiue mim down the street, and as they made their way along there were doubtless many who wondered .L. that well-dressed man should eviuce such tender consideration for the poor, bony old horse which followed with lame, faltering steps so close behind him.-Chicago Tribune.