The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-04-26

be quick abou, it.
: Stop him how? ASKS, all fud-
died in the head.
The skipper give me another dig.
You bally fool be hollcrs as loud as
he darcs lie smelling the land: don't
you know what that means? He's
going to neigh. Throw tarpaulin over
his head, smother him, do anything
to him, but don't let him make a
racket. Well have ;he whole feet
firing at u.s. -
My animal was calmly switching
his tail while he munched the grass q,
his feet, and Capt Barrett watched
him with reflective eyes.
81 nearly fell to the deck: | come
down that ladder so quick" he said
presently: but was too late. Just
as | reached the stall another little
breeze come along and before | could
get a tarpaulin that boss laid back
his ears and opened his mouth. The
Eoisc be made was like "A steam CALI
opc, and it woke up every gunboat
within live miles of US. Overhead
the skipper was stamping and cursing
me aud the hoss in three languages.
. Get into the'stal, he yclls, and
when he seen me hesitate he picks up
a muskct Git in he ycls again;
and | was SO excited that instead of
climbing over the stall at the hoss'
head, ! opens the door at his heels.
YOU d have thought after all did for
that hoss he might have been little
bit gra eful; but no; he didn't even
let me in the stall. lie just lifted
his legs and didn't stop going till |
hit ttanchon on the other side of
the deck"
| had not the heart to Tell Capt.
Barrett that excess of joy and not of
ingratitude might have been the real
cause of the animals behavior, and l
listened to him to tell how the guns
doomed and flashed and shots whis-
tied around the Plovcr; and how he
did not lose consciousness until the
batteries at Fort Fisher drove off the
fedcrals and allowed the ship to run
into safety.
when | woke up again. he said;
II was in the hospital with both legs
broke in two places. The doctors
ly-hauled on EN- for weeks, but
they couldn't get 'em straight, and
that was the end of my career as o
lively sailor man. I'll say it for the
skipper that he treated me white,
even if he did nearly lose his ship,
and he fixed it with the company 80
that l got enough money to keep me
to the end of ny days.
"After time I came back to New
York to see my gal, and I thought
at first that she was going back oa
me.
" Johnny she says. What ha'
you bin doing to yourself? What's
the matter with your legs? They're
nearly bent double?'
." Il had 'em broken by q hoss,'
says 1.
why, I didn't know you worked
in livery stable she says, 4 thought
you was a sailor
SO l am I replies, but before I
could explain she breaks in:
"'Go on, you've been deceiving
me, you landlubber, and you'd better
git out of my sight at once
II didn't quite know whether she
was in earnest or not, but thought I
saw twinkle in her eyes, and so I
waited, and presently she come over
and put her arms around my neck.
" Johnny, she says, tell me al
about it, and when I told her she said
she'd marry me if I wouldn't have
nothing more to do with hosses.
" IF you've got to be kicked about
was the way she put it, sd sooner do
it myself, and we made bargain
right there"
Capt. Barrett rose and looked at his
watch.
cts pretty near time I was walk.
ing," he remarked. I Iwouldn't mind
taking chance behind that boss of
your'n, but Minnie, that's my wife,
ain't seen fit to kick me about yet.
and aint going back on my word till
she does"