The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-09-21

At, yo,t ID liie kind Of boy ! ;5T&&
I'd trade witt: Here's your hoss. ol9
nsn. Take Tie saddle and bride Of
him. and III strip yours: butlift uf the
blankets easy from Bullets back. fer
he's a mighty tendcF backed hoss.
The old man removed the saddle, but
the blanket stuck fast. He attempted
to raise it. and Bullet bowed himself,
switched his tail and gave signs OF bit
Ing.
Don't hurt him, old man, said
Blossom archly, take it off easy. lam
perhaps. leetle of the best man at q
horse swap that ever catched a coon.
Peter continued to pull at the blanket
more and more roughly: and Bullet be-
came more and more cavortish, inso-
much that. when the blanket came off
he had reached the kicking point in
good earnest.
The removal Of the blanket disclosed
i sore on Bullets backbone that seemed
to have dcfed all medical skill 1t
measured six full inches in length, and
four in breadth, and had as many feat
ures as Bullet had motions My heart
sickened at the sight, and | felt that
the brute who had been riding him in
that situation deserved the halter.
The prevailing feeling, however, was
that Of mirth. The laugh became loud
and general at the old mans expense,
and rustic witticisms were literally be-
slowed upon him and his late purchase.
These Blossom continued to provoke by
various remarks. He asked the old
man if he thought Bullet would let S5
lie on his back. He declared most Sc
riously that he had owned that horse
three months, and had never discover
ed before that he had a sore back. or
he never would have thought OF trad
ing him, etc.
The old man bore it all with the most
philosophic composure. He evinced no
astonishment at his late discovery, and
made noreplies, but his own son Neddy
had not disciplined his feelings quite
so well. His eyes opened wider and
wider. From the first to the last pull
Of the blanket, and when the whole
sore burst upon his view, astonish-
ment and fright seemed to contend for
the mastery of his countenance. AS the
blanket disappeared he stuck his hands
into his breeches pockets, heaved a
deep sigh and lapsed into profound
reverie, from which he was only arous-
ed by the cuts at his father. He bore
them as long as he could; and when he
could contain himself no longer, he be-
gan, with certain wildness of express
sion, which gave peculiar interest to
what he uttered: His backs mighty
bad off. but tod trot my soul if he's put
it to daddy as bad as he thinks he has,
for old Kits blind and deef, I'll be tod
trot if ne ein't.
''The devil he is" said Blossom.
''Yes. dod trot my soul if he ein,t.
You walk him and see if he eint. His
eyes don't look like it, but he'd just as
leave go again the house with you, or in
ditch as anyhow. Now, you 60 try
him. The laugh was now tnrned to
test the fidelity Of the little boys re.
port. 4 few experiments established
its truth beyond controversy.
''Neddy," said the old man, you
oughtnt try and make people discon-
tented with their things. Stranger,
don't mind what the little boy says.
II you can only get Kit rid Of them
little failings, you'll find him all sorts
of horse. You are leetle the best
man at horse swap that | got held Of
but don't fool away Kit. Come, Neddy
my son, let's be moving; the stranger
seems to be getting snappish.