Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-09-27


the wearing Of rain soaked clothes cali
ed for reprisal One wet May morning
after vainly trying to hobble about the
stable Tim, with a bottle Of horse lini-
ment under his arm, gave it up and
went back to his bunk.
Team No. Al went out that day with
a new driver, q cousin of the stable
boss, who had never handled anything
better than common, lightweight ex-
press horses. How Chieftain did miss
Tim those next few days! The new
man was slow at loading, and to make
ND the time he cut short their dinner
hour. Now, it is not the wise thing
to hurry horses who have just eaten
eight quarts of oats. The team finish
ed the day well blown and in con-
dition generally bad. Next day the
new man LET the off horse stumble, and
there was pair of barked knees to
be doctored.
Matters went from bad to worse I'M
til on the fourth day came the climax.
Sludge acid Is an innocent appearing
liquid which sometimes stands in pools
near gas works. Good drivers know
enough to avoid 1t. 1t is bad for the
hoofs. The new man still had many
things to learn, and this happened to
be one of them. In the morning Team
AZ was disabled. The company's vet
Urinary looked at the spongy hoofs and
remarked to the stable boss: about
three weeks on the farm will fix 'em
all right, / guess, but should advise
you to chuck that new driver out OF
the window. He's too expensive for
us"
That was how Chieftain's yearnings
happened to be gratified at last. The
company, it seems, has big farm
somewhere "up state,'' to which dis
abled horses are sent for rest and re-
cuperation. Invalided drivers must
look out for themselves. You can get
a hundred truck drivers by hanging
out sign; good draught horses are to
be had only for price.
Chieftain and Tim parted with mu-
tual misgivings. To younger horse
the long ride in the partly open stock
car might have been novelty, but
to Chieftain, accustomed to ferries and
the sight of all manner of wheeled
things. it was without new sensations.
At the end of the ride-ah, that was
different. There were the sweet, fresh
fields, the springy green turf, the trees
all just as he had dreamed hundred
times. Halterless and shoe freed, Chief
tain pranced about the pasture for all
the world like two-year-old. With
head and tail up he ranged the field.
He even tried a roll on the grass. Then
when he was tired be wandered about,
nibbling now and then at tempting
bunch of grass, but mainly exulting in
his freedom There were other COM
pany horses in the field, but most of
them were busy grazing. Each was
disabled in some way. One was half
foundered, one had leg sprain, an
other swollen joints; but hoof COM
plants, such as toe cracks, quarter
cracks, brittle feet and the like, were
the most frequent Ills They were not
a cheerful lot and were unsociable.
Chieftain went ambling off by him
self and in due time made acquaint-
ance with rather gaunt weather
beaten sorrel who hung his head lone
somely over the fence from an adjoin-
ing pasture. He seemed grateful for
the notice taken of him by the big
Norman, and soon they were the best
of friends. For hours they stood with
their muzzles close together or their
necks crossed in fraternai fashion,
swapping horse gossip after the manner
Of their kind
The sorrel, it appeared, was farm
bred and farm reared. He knew little
or nothing of pavements and city haul
ings. All his years had been spent in
the country. In spite of his bullying
ribs and unkempt coat Chieftain al
most envied him. What fine thing
it must be to live as the sorrel lived,
to crop the new grass, to feel the turf
under your feet and to drink, instead
of the hard stuff one gets from the
hydrant, the soft, sweet brook water,
to drink 1t standing fetlock deep in
the hoof soothing mud! But the sor-
rel was lacking in enthusiasm for coun-
try life.
About the fifth day of his rustication
the sharp edge of Chieftain's apprecia-
ton became dulled. He discovered
that pasture life was wanting in varie-
ty. Also he missed his oats. When
one has been accustomed to twenty
four quarts day, and hay besides.
grass seems a mild substitute. Craze
industriously as he would it was hard
to get enough. The sorrel, however,
was sure Chieftain would get used to
all that.
In time, of course, the talk turned to
the pulling of heavy loads. The sorrel
mentioned the yanking of hay rick,
laden with two tons Of clover, from the
far meadow lot to the barn. Two
tons! Chieftain snorted in mild dis
dain. Had not his team often swung
down Broadway with sixteen tons on
the truck? To be sure, narrow tires