, 1900-11-10

s"' ''J
the opening of the county fair in 'SS."
and 1t was we'll entertained. To be
sure, Hezekiah had some trouble get
ting up steam, and so sOrely taxed the
patience Of the people that he was sub
jected to many ribald jests, but after a
wait of about an hour he announced
hat he was ready and the word was
given. The h%olseless vehicle was eX-
tremely slow In getting under way, and
tor a minute it looked Ike a walka-
way for 81 Tompkins' blind mare. The
machine wheezed and Kissed and
snorted and seemed utterly unable to
gather Roadway. The mare meanwhile
took the turf" at the word and bore
down on Hezekiah as if he and his
automobile were standing still. But
she didn't pass them. On the contrary,
just as the crowd was beginning to
laugh she betrayed a sudden desire to
get over the fence and take to the field
inside the track. 81 pulled her up
sharp in order to prevent a disaster
that would end everything and then
tried to pass OF the other side OF
Hezekiah. This also was a failure, for
the very devil seemed to get into that
machine as the mare approached. 1t
fairly shrieked and blew out clouds of
steam on both sides, while the mare
on her head.
BY this time the excitement was
intense. and there were cries of, 60
on, 81! Go on! Now's your chance!"
But 81 had begun to see that there was
trouble ahead for him. The tract was
not wide, and Hezekiah kept the mid
die Of it. There was room to pass on
either side, but very little more room
than was necessary, and a very slight
collision with the fence would wreck
the ancient sulky. Hence 81 pulled up
and talked s~oothingly to the mare be-
fore making another trial. But the
mare was not in a mood to be readily
soothed. On every side of her there
were shouts and laughter, and from
ahead came that weird whistling, in
terspersed with occasional screeches-
noises that would have frightened a
more docile horse than the blind mare
ever thought of being. She danced a
Scottish hornpipe ever while her mas
ter was talking to her, and when he
again urged her forward she seemed
to be disposed to give an exhibition of
ground and lofty tumbling. Indeed,
as she stood on her hind legs and
paved the air with her forefeet some
n in the crowd suggested that she
was probably a circus horse.
Meanwhile the horseless cart was
Mostly pursuing the ven tenor of its
way. Hezekiah glanced over his
shoulder occasionally, but did not seem
to be at all worried. Some men in the
crowd insisted that When the mare be-
gan to come up from behind the ma
chine seemed to make more noise than
at any other time, but it was admitted
that automobiles were contrary crit
ters" at best and there was no telling
what they would do or when they
would do it.
At the half-mile post 81 broke a
spoke in the right wheel of his sulky
and HeZekiah was seen to fill his pipe
and light 1t. After another furlong 81
got down from the sulky and stroked
the blind mares neck and whispered
in her ear, while Hezekiah leaned back
in his seat and made a pretense of go
ing to sleep. Naturally, this was too
much for the men who were backing
81. They climbed the fence and rushed
across the field. all shouting at once.
60 on!" they yelled. You've got to
beat him."
Il could returned 81 ruefully, IF
the mare would only sprout wings"
you've got to do it anyway" they
insisted.
IF l thought she could jump the
whole machine" answered 81 reflect
lively, I'D get on her back and try it,
but 1t amt so easy to make her pass a
slice of hell"
Still he made another trial He
waited until they were in the home
stretch, and then he came laundering
down the track at top speed, intent on
getting her by before she realized what
was happening. HeZekiah apparently
was oblivious of all that was taking
place, although the crowd, having now
entered thoroughly into the spirit OF
the contest. yelled at him vociferously.
He had his pipe in his teeth and was
using an oilcan with one hand while
he held the lever with the other. The
machine was moving with less noise
than previously, too, and it really
seemed as If the mare would go by it,
but
There was a shrill. shrieking whistle.
Calm, undesigning Hezekiah looked
startled. So did the mare.
Fragments of the sulky were picked
up all over the inner Enclosure and
three yards of fence had to be rebuilt
before the track a again used. AS
for 81, he was able to get out again in
about two weeks, although he walked
month.
The stranger tool the night train
out of town, but before going was seen
to pocket a roll of bills and slap Heze-
kiah heartily on the back.
You're all right he was reported
to have said, to which Hezekiah re-
sponded, as he put the remaining bills
In his own pocket, Il reckon l know
my business, don't II"
And since that time the subject Of
Hezekiah's invention has been tabooed
n the little town Of Sun Prairie.