The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-02-07
HELEN BLAZES.

This is the story of mare that made
her reputation during the weeks of al
most ineessant fightilg before Peters-
burg and Bermuda Hundred. She lost
her life in scrimmsge in which she
was nearly the whole thing, for she
had way of taking matters into her
own control and carrying her rider into
the thickest of the fight, whether he
liked it or not.
She was such a warrior herself that
when she got worked up TO the proper
pitch she paid no attention to bugle-
calls OF orders, and always started in to
thrash the enemy singlehanded. That
was one reason why she was called
Helen Blazes. But there was another
her temper.
The name was not spelled just that
way by the boys of the Third New
York cavalry, but Jeb Smith, the man
who rode her-and the only man who
could ride her-was 8 minister before
the war broke out, so he changed the
original three words of her name into
two, thus quieting his conscience and
satisfying the boys at the same time.
She was picked up one night on a
scouting expedition. Wink Tomkins
brought her into camp the next morn
ing, and he was a sight. You could
hear him swearing at Blazes when they
were a mile away, and between his
curses and the laughter of his eompsn-
ions, and the plunging and kicking,
biting and striking of the mare as they
approached, it made pretty sight for
tired cavalrymen.
"There, by thunderr' said Wink,
"I'ye landed her here, eos I said /
would. The fellow that can ride her,
can have her, for all / care" and he
pitched the lead rope to me.
BIazes was beauty, there's no deny
ing that, and old Mcnamara, our cap
tain, had his eye on her from the mo-
ment he saw her.
Well, there's no use describing all
that happened then. 1t took six of US
to get saddle and bride on her, and
three out Of the six were laid up unfit
for duty for week after it; aud after
that she threw, one after another, pref
ty near the whole company.
Nobody could ride her until Jeb
Smith came along. He had just been
relieved from guard and was tired, but
when mis- eyes lighted on the mare he
frightened up.
That's beauty, boys" he said, for
he was a great lover of horse flesh, if he
was parson. The mare was standing
idle at that moment, as docile as kit
ten, and nobody in the world would
have guessed what devil was in her.
Tompkins draWled out;
''Get on her back, parsoD, and try
her."
Mind you, there was not one in the
crowd who had not tried her, aud
could not show substantial bruise for
his temerity. But the parson never
caught on at all, and we all stood back
while he handed his piece to q COM
rade, and without a moments hesita-
ton walked straight up to the mare
and began to rub her nose; and, what's
more, she seemed TO like it.
You could have purchased the whole
company for very small sum at that
moment, for we felt mighty cheap. We
didn't know whether it was jugg,ery,
or what it was, but the fact remained
that the mare did not treat him IS she
had treated US.
Say, parson," bawled Wink Tom
kins, "have you ever seen the critter
before?''
Certainly not" was the calm reply.
"Why?"
well, Pm blowed. Boys, there's
suthin' in religion, after all"
While he was thus expressing him
self, J-b leaped into the saddle and in
a moment more he was riding around
the place as easy as you please. Blazes
dog-trotted and cantered,
and you'd have thought she was a
Christmas tree rocking horse, for all
the ugiiness she showed then.
"WhO owns her?" asked the parson.
"You do, Jeb, you've earned her."
said old Mac; and he walked away
with a scowl on his face.
Well, Jeb was delighted, and he list
ened with amazement when we told
him what circus we'd been having.
1t was plain that he did not believe all
Of 1t, and presently he led her away to
the stable, took the saddle off and tied
her.
There was only pole between the
horses, and JED hadn't got halfway
back to where we were sitting when
there was the worst racket in that sta
BILE you ever heard. You'd have
thought the rebs were after Us from the
noise and tumult. The horses neighed
and squealed, aud you could hear
boards spiintering and timbers falling.
Blazes had kicked herself loose, laid up
two horses, Scared for life halfdozen
more, and paved her way right through
the back of that place TO liberty. She
was pointing for home too, when Jeb
saw her.
''Here, your he yelled, and she stop
ped and waited while he went up and
caught her.
We fixed up the stable; but we passed
q unanimous resolution that Blazes
tarry there any more, 20 the
arson took her about fwentv rods