The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-04-24
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nosI incessant lighting before
petersburg and Bermuda Hundred.
one iost her life in q scrimmape in
she was nearly the whole thing.
ior she had a way of taking matters
into her own control and carrying her
r1der into the thickest of the igbt.
whether he liked II or not.
She was such a warrior herself that
"nen she got worked up 10 the proper
piicn she paid no attention to buole
caiis or orders, and always started in TO
the enemy single handed. That
was one reason why she waa called
Helen BlazeA 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 ever
could ride her-was a minister before
the war broke out so he changed the
original three words of her name into
TWO. thus quieting his conscience and
satisfying "tbe boys" at the same time.
She was picked mp 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 bis curses
and the laughter of his companions,
and the ~plunging and kicking, biting
and striking OF the mare as they APP
preached. 1t made q pretty sight for
tired cavalrymen.
There, by thunderi" said Wink.
I've landed her here, COS / said I
would. The fellow that can ride her,
can have her, for all ! care" and he
pitched the lead rope to noe.
Blazes was a beauty. there was no de-
nying that, and old McNamara-our
s~aptain-had his eye on her from the
moment he saw her.
Well, there's no use IN describing al
that happened then. II took six of us
10 get a saddle and bride on her, and
three out Of the six were laid up unfit
for duty for a week after it; and after
that she threw, one after another,
pretty near the whole company.
Nobody could ride her until Jeb Smith
came along. He bad Just been relieved
from guard and was tired, but when
his eyes lighted on the mare, he bright
.ned up.
THAT'S a beauty. boys" be said. for
be was a great lover of horse1esh, II
be was a parson. The mare was stand
ng idle at that moment, as docile as a
kitten, and nobody in the world would
have guessed what devil there was in
her. Tompkins drawled out:
"Get on her back, parson, and try
her."
Mind you, there was not one In the
crowd who bad not tried her. and who
could not show a substantial bruise
for his temerity. But the parson never
caught on at all, and we \ i stood back
while be handed his piece to a COM
tionf walked straight up 10 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 a very small sum at that
moment. for we felt mighty cheap. We
didn't know whether il was jugglery,
or what II was. but the fact remained
that the mare did treat him as she
had treated US
"Say, parson," bawled Wink Temp
kins, shave you ever seen the critter
before?"
Certainly not" was the calm reply.
"whyP"
well, I'm blowedI Boys. there's
suthin' in religion after ALL"
While he was thus expressing him.
self, Jeb leaped into the saddle. ard in 9
moment more he was riding around the
place as easy as you please. Blazes
single-footed. d~og-trotted and can.
tered. and you'd have thought she was
q ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for al
the ugliness she showed then.
"Who owns herr" axked the parxon.
"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 lis
tened with amazemeut when we told
him what a circus we'd been having. II
was plain that he did not believe all oil
IL, and presently be led her away TO th'
stable, took the saddle of and tied her
There was only q pole between the
horses, and Jeb hadn't got bali way
back TO where we were sitting, wheI
there was the worst racket in hat sta
BILE you ever heard. You'd have though
the rebs were after US for TIT
noise and tumplt. The horses
neighed and squealed and you coulc
hear boards splintering and timber
falling. Blazes had kicked hersel
loose, laid up two horses, Scared To-
life a half dozen more. and paved ne'
way right through the back of tina
place TO liberty. She was pointing 70
home. too. when Jeb saw her.
Here. you'll" be yelled. and sh,
stopped and waited wnile he went n
and caught her.
We fixed up the stable. but we passe'
a unanimous resolution that Blaze
coul6u't tarry there any more, so III
pareon took her about 90 rods away ant
tied her TO a fence. Then he gave be
some oats. and you'd have thought sh
was the three graces rolled into one sh
was so quiet; but il didn't last long.
She finished her oats. and maybe sh
got tired or thirsty. or something. Any