The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-11-05


g uselessly in the air. He resembled
j. beetle in molasses.
Q We sat upon his head and discusse
him.
r He is WONDER" said my partne,
: HE is a fend," painted.
. We packed him again with infnit
l pains, and when he began buckin
5 we threw him again and tried to ki]
MN. We were getting irritated. W
| Threw him hard and drew his hin,
legs up to his head until he grunted.
: When he was permitted to rise h
} looked meek and small and tired, an,
| we were both a little 'remorseful w
; rearranged the pack-it was some en-
eouragement to know he had no
bucked it entirely off-and by blind
folding him We got him started on the
trail behind the train.
Il suppose that simple.
Dutchman is looking at us from across
the river" said I to partner, "but nc
W. dlo VICTORIOUS,
This singular thing noticed in the
Blue Rat. His eye did not roll nor
his ears fall back. He was neither
scared nor angry. He stiff looked
like oguish, determined boy. He
was alert, watchful, but not vicious,
lie seemed not to take our stern meas
ares in bad part. He regarded ii as a
1alr contract, apparently, and consid-
ered that we had won. True, he had
lost o !, both hair and skin by getting tan
gledln therope, but he laid up nothing
against US, and as he followed meek.
ly along behind, my partner dared to
say: " "
He's all right now. I presume he
has been running out all winter and ia
a little wild. He's satisfied now.
wen have no more trouble with him."
Every time I looked back at the
poor humbled little chap, my heart
tlngled with pity and remorse. eve
were too rough" I said. "We must
be more gentle"
Yes, he's nervous and scary. We
must be careful not to give him q sud
den start"
An hour later, as we were ooino,
down steep and slippery hill, the
Rat saw his chance. He passed into
another spasm, opening and shutting
like a self-acting jack-knfe. Hebound.
ed into the midst of the peaceful pack.
horses, scattering them to right and
left in terror.
he turned and came up the hill to
get another start. Partner took a
turn on a stump, and all unmindful of
1t the Rat whirled and made mighty |
spring. He reached the end of the
rope and his handspring became a
somersault. He lay, unable
to rise, spatting the wind, breathing
heavily. Such annoying energy T
nave never seen. We were now mad,
muddy and very resolute. We held
1lm down till he lay quite still.
Any well-considered, properly bred
'nlmal would have been ground to
'onedust by such wondrous acrobatic
movements. He was skinned in one
II two places, his hair was scraped
rom his nose, his tongue bled, but all
nese were mere scratches. When we
'epacked him he walked off compare
lively unhurt.
The two days following he went
long like a faithful dog. Every time
looked behind could see the sturdy
title chap trotting along. His head
ung low, and his actions were meek
nd loyal. For week he continued
lus. Partner became attached to {
I'm and began once more to make ex-
Uses tor him. ''He will never make
trouble again." be said. :
haln came, transforming the trail
ITO series of bottomless pits and
easy lnclines and we were forced to c
y IN camp two days. The Blue Rat (
uhed himself on pea-vine and bunch
as: ass and on the third day "pitched" i
TN undlminished vigor. This settled 0
$ fate. ''O~'
L made up my mind to sell him, v
nee had determined upon his mo- o
res l. could not afford to bother with 0
M any more. He delayed us with
morning antics, and made us the :,
lusement of the outfits which over -
OK and passed us by reason of our o. o.
terestlng sessions with the Blue y
he must go and selected my pur- q
aser. He was a Missourian from 81
lite. He knew all there was to bo II
own about trails, horses, gold, poll
s. ana a few other things. He con- &C
Tered all the other men on the trail tc
rely tenderfeet out for q Picnic Fl
On time he passed us he had some I'll
lWllng remark indicating his sur
Sc that we should be still able to is
we. Him I selected to become tho m
ner of the Rat. in
laid for him. When he had eaten Sc
supper one night 1 sauntered eare- to
sly over to his tent. 7 edged
und" by talking of the weather. the
ii and so ON op1 ~ la