The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-02-13
THE QUAGN WIRE
Copyright, 1901. by G. B. Lewis.l

Copyright. 1901, by c. B. Lewis.l
/ During the last year of nv Uncle
Williams life he came into possession
of the horse Jimmy Star, that after
| ward became known to fame as the
fastest pncer in the west. This was
over thirty years ago, and Jimmy had
won only few scrub races when my
uncle bought him and was not vet
four years old. Uncle William, as well
as many others, saw in him future pos
sibilities, but when the husband died
the widow would neither allow Jimmy
| to race again nor sell him. He was
! used with other horses on the farm
and might have lived and died in front
of the pillow but for queer incident.
After uncle's death l went to live
with Aunt Mary, being then a lad of
| fourteen. The horse had developed an
ugly disposition, and the hired man
| had almost become afraid of him. He
took to me at once, for some unknown
| reason, and thereafter no one else dar-
ed enter his stall. If turned out into
the field for run, no other hand could
catch him. Many and many a night
| used to slip out of bed after the house
was asleep and take Jimmy out and
send him over the meadow or the high
way at his best speed, and he seemed
to enjoy it as much as / did. 1t was
one of these nights when had him out
on the highway that l passed and re-
passed two strangers in buggy. They
were evidently amazed at the PAGERS
gait and stopped me to inquire all
about him. Next morning they offered
Aunt Mary $50 more than anybody
else ever had, though some one was
always trying to tempt her. She re-
fused to SELL / think she somehow
felt that Jimmy was a bond between
her and the dead. The figures were
increased by $50, but she was obsti-
nate.
The men went away disappointed,
but from a remark accidentally over
heard l became suspicious that they
meant to have the horse whether or
no and intended stealing him. This
was in summer, and for three or four
nights after that | slept in the barn.
Nothing happened, and the strangers
passed on out Of sight. 1t was a fort
night later that woke up one night
at midnight and heard Jimmy squeal
and kick Without waiting to dress or
alarm the house l climbed out of my
open window on to the roof of a shed
and dropped to the ground and ran to
the barn. My idea was that the horse
had got tangled up in his halter, but
no sooner had entered that barn than
hand clutched my neck and hoarse
voice exclaimed:
snow, boy, if you utter one loud
word I'll be the death of you in a min
ute!''
There were two men. there with a
dark lantern, and they were two
strangers. They had been working
to get Jimmy out of his stall and lead
him off, but he had kept them off with
out of his stall, and when the man let
go of my neck he covered me with a
pistol. Had been man instead of
a boy | should have obeyed orders.
The fellows had hard, determined
faces, and they would have thought
nothing of knocking me on the head.
Under my guidance the horse backed
out quietly enough, and was ordered
to. lead him out of back door. The
fellows had saddle horses waiting
there. They had come across the fields
from highway a mile to the west
and intended going back that way.
When Jimmy was clear of the barn,
said to me:
"Now get on his back and come with
us, and if you try to play any tricks
Ill put bullet through your
dared not to say word in reply.
AS we started across the meadow they
took their places on each side of me-
I was riding bareback and had only
halter, and we had not gone ten rods
before Jimmy got the idea that it was
to be race and started off. The
meadow was field Of thirty acres,
with creek meandering through it,
and at one point in the bed of this
creek was small but dangerous
quagmire. Whenever we had live
stock pasturing there we put up a
temporary fence at the spot. 1t SO
happened that Jimmy headed straight
for this spot, though l did not notice it
at the time. He shot off like an arrow,
and the two men put their horses to a
gallop and tried to grab his head. He
paced right away from them, even as
pulled my hardest, and as he reach
ed the creek he gathered his legs under
him and made jump that few horses
will ever equal. 1t has gone down in
history with his name, as it deserved to
do. His amazing leap just cleared the
quagmire, and we were hardly over
before | heard the two following horses
come, down into it with a great swash.
Jimmy continued on to the fence and
then turned and headed back for the
harm and I oou1d not cton him until