The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-02-23
THE QUAGNIRE


 Williams life he came Into possession of the horse Jimmy Star. that after ward became known to fame as the fastest pacer In the west. This was over thirty years ago. and Jimmy had won only e few scrub races when my uncle bought him and was not yet four years old. Uncle William, as well as many others, saw in him future pos abilities. 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 blow but for q queer incident.
 After uncle's death went to live with Aunt Mary. being then a lad or 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 a run. no other hand could catch him. Many and many a night l 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 bis best speed, and he seemed to enjoy 1t as much as l did. It was one of these nights when had him out on the highway that passed and re- passed two strangers in buggy. They were evidently amazed at the pacers 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. l think she somehow felt that Jimmy was bond between her and the dead. The figures were increased by $50. but she was obsd- 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. It was a fort night later that 1 woke up one night at midnight and heard Jimmy squeal and kick. Without waiting to dress or alarm the house 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 a hand clutched my neck and hoarse voice exclaimed:
 Now. 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 or. but he had kept them on with his heels. was ordered to bring him out of his stall. and when the man let go of my neck he covered me with pistol. Had been man Instead of boy I 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 I 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, the man who had done all the talking said to me:
 Now get on hls back and come with US. and If you try to play any tricks I'll put a bullet through your
 dared not 10 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 a halter. and we had not gone ten rods before Jimmy got the Idea that It was to be a race and started or. The meadow was a field of thirty acres, with a 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 IL so happened that Jimmy headed straight for this spot. though did not notice lt at the time. He shot ocf like an arrow, and the two men put their horses to gallop and tried to grab his head. He paced right away from them. even as | pulled my hardest. and us be reach cd the creek be gathered hls legs under him and made jump that few horses will ever equal It has gone down ln history with his name. as it deserved to do. His amazing leap just cleared the quasmire. aud we were hardly over before l heard the two following horses come down Into 1t with great swash. Jimmy continued on to the fence and then turned and headed back for the barn. and l could not stop him until we reached 1t. Then l slipped on his back and ran to the house and raised an alarm. but 1t was a quarter of an hour before the hired man turned out. Then ye reached. the Quagmire to find