The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-05-29

anyway. for suppose the icecake had
split in two. Id have lost me pony you
! bet
The next time that happened TO me
| tried another scheme. 1t worked all
right, though maybe you won't believe me
| if l tell you about it. But this is the
way il was, be jocks
1t was an ALFRED cold day-mercury
away down below zero. and | was so
cold sitting in the boat and driving
me pony, bling, that 1 was wishing for
some exercise to warm me up and keep
me from freezing. Wen. just as / was a
getting drowsy, | seen a big wide black
strip of water ahead of me. 1t was then
that / found out what a knowing critter
my pony is. Say, L just got out of me
boat and unhitched the beast and led
him into it, Then ! kinder pushed him.
gentle like.
= lay down., | says. lay down Well
boys, he just looked at me a minute, be
jimmy, then he laid down. just as easy
as you please. Then | pushed the boat
into the water and rowed across TO the
ice. hauled her UP hign and dry, hitched
up the hoss again and on we went Bring
us another like the last, all round"
The old carriers friends always hear
this story with great delight and they
likewise Wink the other eye when he has
finished
No other carrier hauls his boat with
horse or takes horse out al all unless he
is sure the ice is firm from shore to shore,
but there was once a Bass Island carrier
who used to drive a cutter sometimes,
and when everything looked well, wasn't
afraid to go alone.
One day. late in the season. when the
ice was beginning to soften up a bit, he
strated out from South Dock, on PUTIN
Bay, with his horse and cutter and un-
accompanied, in spite of the protests of
his friends. When he turned up all right
at night. they were naturally pTimed TO
hear "a tall yarn about the day, and they
got it,
There was no trouble on the shoreward
trip. according to the carrier. though the
ice was plainly weakening and there were
ominous and oannonnke explosions.
Comm home. though. the carrier
said. was where 1 got scairt. The ice
was considerable thinner than it was in
the morning and in mid-channel | no.
ticed that it kinder bent down, under the
weight OF the horse and cutter and me.
So that wherever he was, we was in the
bottom Of shaIler bowl like OF ice. When
1 seen that. know I'd got TO hustle o.
/ was a goner and ! began TO drive ike
well. like everything Now. that wasn't
so easy as you might think. for, bein'
as 1 was in the bottom CT the bowl all
the time, / was drivin' Up Hill contin-
uaily. l amt saying that the hil was
very steep. understand. but still twas up
hill
Boin by / heard roar IN behind me
and then a smash, boom. ! looked over
my shoulder Just once and I seen that
the ice was hreakiR' up back there
Then / put the bud to the io,ss and We
skun across along faster. Then there was
a snap. smash. in front. and pretty soon
l seen a crack OF water right ahead. That
want no time to stop. IS you must see
and the hess let out another hitch In no
time we was right on &c the crack and
the hoss he just give one spring and
cleared that water with me and the cutter
all right. 1t looked a ROD wide u me but
I was scairt and !. riightn't OF been more
than six CT eight feet. but ] was mighty
sisd when L was over and past
Bass and Catawaba Islanders phuckle
when they are reminded of this yarn, and
always tell anotner ore related BY the
same carrier about a day when the fhin
ice fairly waved almost like water as the
carrier and his aeet-foosed pony sped over
its frozen surfsce- BIT they ali agree
that he is really piacky fellow and ex-
press regrets that mos; CT the carriers
have no gift Of ina rinstioa.
OSBORN SPENCER