Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-10-16

orner ciaimanrs Ior 1IMs affections
than bis horses. There was q Mira.
Doyle, for instance. Sometimes Chief
tain saw her when Tim drove the truck
anywhere In tlss vicinity Of the fat
house in which he lived. She would
come out and look at the team, and
Tim would tell what fine horses he
had. There was young Tim. too,
big, growing boy, who would now and
then ride on the truck with his father.
One day-it was during Chieftain's
fifth year In the service-something
had happened to Mrs. Doyle. Tim had
not driven for three days that time.
and when he did come back he was q
very sober Tim. He told Chieftain oil
about 1t, because he had no one else to
tell. Soon after this young Tim, who
had grown up, went away somewhere.
and from that time on the friendship
between old Tim and Chieftain became
closer than ever. Tim spent more and
more of his time at the stable until at
the end he fixed himself bunk In the
night watchman's Office and made II
his home.
So for three years or more Chieftain
had always had good night pat on the
flank from Tim, and In the morning,
after the currying and rubbing, they
had a little friendly banter In the way
of love slaps from Tim and good ma
tured nosings from Chieftain. Per
haps many Of Tins condolences were
given half In jest, and perhaps Chief
tain sometimes thought that Tim was
a bit slow in perception, but, all in all,
each understood the other. even better
than either realized.
OF course Chieftain could not tel!
Tim Of all those vague longings which
had to Go with new grass AMI springy
turf, nor could he know that Tim had
similar long:ngs. These thoughts each
kept to himself. But IL Chieftain was
of Norman blood, horse whose noble
sires had ranged pasture and paddock
free froii rein or trace, Tim was a
Doyle whose father and grandfather
had lived c!;.'c to the good green sod
and had do ,e their toll in the open,
with the cool and calm Of the country
to goethe and revive them.
or such lights as these both Chief
tain an Tim had tasted scantily, hur-
rieily. in yo;:!,i: and for them, in the
lap ;es OF the carly grind. both yearned,
each after his own fashion.
And. each IN his way. Tim and Chief.
tain were philosophers. As the years
had come and gone. toll filed and un-
eventful, tie character of the man had
ripened am me!lowed, the disposition
of the horse had settled and sweet
ened.
In his early days Tim had been ready
to smash wheel or lose one. to de-
mand right Of way with profane unc-
ton and to back his word with whip.
fist or bale hook. But he had learned to
yield an inch on occasion and to use
the soft word.
Chieftain, too, IN his first years be.
tween the poles, had sometimes been
impatient with the unframed mates
who from time to time Joined the team.
He had taken part In name biting and
trace kicking, especially on days when
the loads were heavy and the files
thick, conditions which try the best Of
horse tempers. But be had steadied
down into o pole horse who could set
an example that was worth more than
all tho six foot lashss ever tied to O
whip stock.
1t was during tho spring Of Chief.
tain's eighth year with the company
that thIr,s really began to happen.
First there care rheumatism to Tim.
Trucking uses up men as well as
horses, you know. While 1t Is the hard
work and the heavy feeding Of oats
which burn out the animal. 1t Is Sen.
orally the exposure and the hard drink
Ing which do for the men. Tim, how.
ever, was always moderate in bis use
Of liquor, 60 lie lasted longer than
most drivers. But at one and forty