Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-07-08

tied her. There was only pole be-
tween the horses, and Jeb hadn't got
half way back to where we were Sit
ting when there was the worst racket
in that stable you ever heard. You'd
have thought the rebs were after US FOR
the noise and tumult. The horses
neighed and squealed, and you could
hear boards splintering and umDers
falling, and the devil was to pay.
Blazes had kicked herself loose. laid up
two horses, SCARED for life half dozen
more and paved her way right through
the back of that place to liberty. She
was pointing for home. too. when Jeb
saw here.
Here, you" he yelled, and she stop,
ned and waited while he went up and
caught her.
We fixed up the stable. but we passed
unanimous resolution that HEiZes
couldn't tarry there any more so The
parson took her about twenty rods
away and tied her to fence. Then he
gave her some oats. and you'd have
thought she was the three graces rolled
into one, she was so quiet. But it did
not last long.
She finished her oats. and maybe
she got tired or thirsty or something
ANYHOW she pulled away one section
OF the fence and broke loose from that,
and then she started for the stable
again. Some Of us heard the horses
suuealing and kicking. and we went
down to see what was the matter ana
I'm blessed If BaZes wasn't trying to
eat them. Shed reach In and take a
mouthful OF loose flesh. set her teeth
on it and pull. and then when the horse
she was biting kicked she'd wheel ans
kick too. After that we made Jeb tie
her with a chain and always to some
thing that she could not pull apart.
There wasn't thing that lived that
could get within reach Of her. rxcep'
Jeb, without being hurt, but she never
tried to injure him, and | never SAW
man so fond Of anything as he was or
Blazes. She ruined ten horses. kicked
one mule to death and another one so
that we had to kill him. and she tore
all the clothes Off negro who trleG to
feed her one day. but 1t got to be an
old story after awhile, and we didn't
pay much attention
Nobody will ever forget the first time
she was seen in fight You'd have
thought she was human from the sens"
she showed and Il fiend incarnatr from
the way she fought. Our company had
been out on a sortie. and we were on
our way home. everybody givin. Jel
and BlaZes wide berth. for she'd kick
and bite everything in reach on the
road as we'll as in the stable. when W.
came upon detachment OF Confeder'
ate cavalry between us and home.
They had more men than we did. bu
there was only one thing TO do. and
that was 10 charge. and we did it.
Old Mac gave the word. and we
started. yelling like so many devils. in
tending to cut our way through and
keep right on. was abreast of Jeb
when we got the word, and | never
saw anything made OF flesh and blood
do what Blazes did then. Jeb couldn't
hold her any more than you could hold
cyclone. and she ran like streak
of lightning. In the thirty or forty
rods between US and the Johnnies she
got more than two rods ahead Of the
rest Of us, so she struck the line first
I'll bet she covered thirty feet ut every
Jump, and finally she took an almighty
plunge into the air and landed plump
on top Of a Johnny and his horse
knocking them both down as easy as
she would blade Of grass.
You should have seen her then. She
reared and plunged. struck with her
fore feet, kicked with her hind ones
and she used her teeth like tiger
Shed grab q Johnny's horse by the
throat and tear out chunk Of flesh;
she'd seize a man by the leg or the
arm and pull him out Of the saddle
and trample upon him quicker than
you could knock him out with saber
and every time she had chance she'd
Jump into the air and land right on
top of horse and rider and then bite
and tear and strike her way through
or past the next one she met. don't
see how Jeb ever stayed on her back.
but be did. and he came out without a
scratch too Nobody ever made fun
of Blazes after that brush. but her
greatest fight was her last one
We'd been out on scouting and for
aging expedition and were on our way
back when we had that set-to. There
were only ten OF us. and we thought
we had got past the point where we
were likely to fall in with any John
MES when we saw full company OF
Confederate cavalry come over the
top Of u knoll not quarter Of a mile
away. They saw US. too. and they
gave their yell and started. There was
no use for us to try to run. for W"
would only have run into their lines
and there wasn't main there who
wanted to surrender so we yelled back
and started 10 meet them.
A hundred men against ten Is long
odds. and none of us had much hope OF
getting through. but we knew that
Blazes counted for about ten more. for
she had been in many fight with us
since that first one.
We came together. and in second
we were all mixed up. They surround
| ed us like flies around honey pot. we
were so few that we could not keep to
| cethcr and every man fought for him
self regardless of the others. Still ev
erybody Could tell where Blazes was al
the time by the commotlon she kicked
I'M. and when in fight like that any
thing kicks up enough extra commotiol
to be noticed you can bet its moving.
got bullet through my right shoul
der and another one in my left arm
and I was helpless. and just then m!
horse got a saber clip on the side OF Iii
head which sent him crazy. and some
now he managed to kick himself out O
the melee before he dropped. which III
did with one Of my legs under him
Rut | was where could see the fight
and kept my eyes on Blazes.
Just as discovered her l saw Jel
Smith pitch head first out Of his sad
| a,o ond know that the parsop wa