Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-08-25
). the MANKILLER. :.

<isCE vicious mare. Sam Per-
kins, who owned her, bought her
| cheap; she was only a mongrel, any,
how. and her intolerable temper made
her still less valuable.
"Eut she'll do to raise colt FROM"
| observed Sam, remark profoundly
| foolish, but by no means original, as is
evident TO any horseman who has wit
messed the occasional stock-breedng
| performances in those districts where
| few horses are raised.
Peters father was a thoroughbred,
and from him Peter inherited many
noble qualities. There was not another
horse in all Perkins Neck who could
| show such clean, fiat limbs as Peter,
| or who could travel so far without
WEAKNESS, or who was so fearless of
objects along the roads. Nor had Peter
any bad habits i'll harness. But over
all this the bad disposition hung like
| a cloud.
1t manifested itself in a thousand
| surly looks and impatient ways, and in
a disposition to hurt all people who
came near him. This inclination
seemed irresistible at times, at others
held painfully in check. 1t was as.
if two spirits were struggling for the
mastery in the black horse.
He bit or kicked every farmland,
until none would consent to take care
of him. Upon Sam, who was thus
constrained to the disagreeable duty,
/ /, Inft ,o,.l-c do
in sheer evaporation, Sam tied the
horse to a tree, and with a nicely
trimmed birch sapling gave him q
thrashing.
HE amt with his barn room an
keep" said Sam
This sentiment was echoed by every
| person on the farm except Ruth, Sans
sixteen-year-old daughter. Fer Ruth,
alone of them all, understood, and
when the others abused him she said,
poor fellowr'
And did Peter never injure Ruth?
| Yes, once. On her white shoulder
there is still the mark of his teeth.
But that was before he learned all the
sympathy there was in that kind little
| heart
Life is no brighter for surly horse
than for a sErly man or woman, and
when Ruth visited the stable, Peter
would lay his cheek YEARLY against
hers, and sad look replaced the an
cry glitter in his eyes, as if he were
saying, ooh, why am in this wretch
ed world at ALL who by every law of
humanity and common sense ought
never to have been bred, never to
have been bornr'
One day-it was shortly after the
thrashing-Sam essayed to enter Pc
ter's stall, although peculiarly wicked
look in the horses eyes might have
warned him to take special care.
Out flew the iron-shod heels, and
Sam received al injury to his thigh
that kept him confined to the house
| for week. 1t tsas then decided that
if any one was fool enough to buy
him Peter should be sold. A customer
soon appeared in the person of a big,
red-headed Irishman, named Patrick
Rafferty,.
"Sure, it's mesilf can break any horse
In the wurruld av his vices" said Pat.
On arriving home with his new pur-
chase, he discovered promptly that he
had some vices to break. For after
leading Peter into a stall and tying
him, the Irishman found no way of
getting out
If he tried to collie out as he went
in, the horse was ready with a pair
of very wicked heels; and if he climbed
ignominiously forward through the
manger, a strong set of teeth was in
waiting to harass him. A dozen times
did he back the horse out, kick him
savagely in the belly with his cowhide
boots, and then lead him back and
renew the attempt, but to no purpose
Pat was puzzled as well as furiously
angry. He had broken a number Of
mongrels, but Peter was marlborough
bred-a very different thing.
Pat had heard of the expediency of
laying down horse in case like this:
in fact, had once seen 1t done, with
excellent results. He Resolved to try
it. But he proposed a few improve
ments on the original method, which
was too simple and humane to suit his
| ideas.
Mike, his son, sugge:ted the pro-
priety of repairing to the pasture.
where the ground was soft, but Pat
laughed him to scorn.
An make it aisy for him, is it?o
| he beloved, his face crimson with
rage. Its here on the cobblestones
I'll throw him, for it ain't for his
pleasure I'm THROWN himr
With Mikes assistance Peters off
forefoot was now strapped up; sur
cingle buckled round him. and a piece
of clothes-line run through it and fast
ened to his near forefoot. A push
sidewise, a jerk on the line. and the
game was on.
Peter leaped into the air like a tiger
when he found his two fore legs tied
up, so high, indeed, that Pat was con-
strained to let go the bridle-rein. but
he kept his hold on the clothes-line.
Then down Peter came upon the cob
blestone pavement, crushing his beau
tifully formed knees nearly to the bone.
Up once more, wild spring into the
air, and again the crushed and bleed.
ing knees We're brought down with
terrible force upon the pavement. This
time Pat succeeded in catching the
rein, and the horse went over on his
side.
"And now, Nike" shrieked Fat,
"hand me that cart-stakem
OF the notwithstanding punishment
that followed | need only say that it
is as cowardly to strike horse when
he is down as it is to strike a man
when he is down. Moreover, had Pat
been more of horseman, he would
have known that he had no hands to
spare for welding a club: both were
needed to handle the rein and line.
And now the horse did something
which Pat had never experienced be-
| fore-he roared; not an ordinary neigh
but roar, such as horses rarely give,
out which, when they do give it, is so