Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1905-11-04

the axle My plan was to have my
assistant walk behind, holding up the
shafts and steering the cart, while /
guided the calves with the reins. But
the calves did not fall in with the
plan. At the first bump of the wheels
upon a stone the little imps, now
weighing nearly 300 pounds apiece,
plunged forward, maddened by the
noise, and pull as l would soon found
was no match for them, and they
simply tore the reins out of my hands
My assistant was game, and held on
to the shafts in spite of my shouts
to "let 60" He stuck to his post
until he was jerked off his feet, and
not until he had been dragged along
the road for more than so yards did
he obey orders. Freed from his
weight, the buffaloes increased their
speed, and the cart, now having moth
ing to guide it, shot from one side Of
the road to the other and back again.
Presently it struck a clump of bushes,
and turned end over end, and the
calves, believing with fright, galloped
too fast to give 1t a chance to right
itself. The seat, split in two was
flung to one side Of the road, and the
broken shafts flew to the other side
and l fancy there would not have
been enough left of that stout little
cart to have started a fire with had
not the rope parted, allowing the vehi
Gle to take final plunge into a group
of saplings, where it lay still, as
though completely tired out.
Next day the cart went back to the
shop for repairs, and I, wiser than
had been, hitched the calves to a
heavy stone-boat and made them drag
it for three miles along the country
roads When they cot home they were
tired, but they had learned to throw
their weight into a yoke and pull
load without getting excited about it.
was now very willing to make
plenty of allowance for the strength
of my team, and was determined
that it should not run away again
In the first place the habit was a
very bad ono for the calves, and in
the next place, if. while running away
on a narrow country road they should
happen to meet cart or carriage it
might not be bad for the calves alone.
So before hitching them up l secured
the stOne-boat to the axle of the cart
with a chain. Then l put on the yoke
and the brides and, taking a firm hold
of the reins, l turned the heads of the
calves up the road. Forward they
plunged, bent on running clean away
with the noisy, humping cart, but they
had not gone three yards when their
speed was considerably slackened by
the weight of the stone-boat, which
now began to drag heavily behind.
For a minute or two the buffaloes per-
sisted in trying to gallop, but the load
was too great, and they seemed glad
to slow down and drag their burden
slowly. When they had gone about
half a mile l threw off the chain
which held the stone-boat and, jump
ing quickly to the seat of the cart,
set the brake with my foot almost be-
fore the calves knew that a change
had taken place. With brake and bit
held them in until we reached level
piece of road along which had a
clear view for half a mile. Then l
.ook my foot off the brake and gave
he imps their heads. Away they
'aced with their heads down and their
.ails in the air, and let them go and
n 4.
If the cart urged them on, but did
lot make a move Of any kind untf
We began TO approach the crest Of a
ill. down which II would not have
wise to let them run. 50 1t was
lown brakes and q steady pull on the |
eins until the calves slowed to a trot.
hen TO a walk. and had q working
cam of buffalo calves.
ERNEsT HAROLD BAVNEs.