The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-01-04
"DAN's" BLACK MORGAN.


in the shelter of some thickly wooded
hillside, Bert Daniels used to take his
four-horse team, big covered wagon
and breaking -plow, and each summer
start on trip to the Dakotas. All
summer he would follow the break
ing -plow, moving on to the next job
as soon as one was finished. Some
Times he would barely reach Dakota
before the season would end other
times he would travel across Iowa
without more than half dozen stops.
While working in the western part
of the State one summer, "Dan"-as
he was familiarly known, came across
a Morgan colt that just struck his
fancy. She was less than a year old
at that time yet she showed an un-
usual aptitude for learning. As Dams
work kept him at that place for near
ly four weeks, he and the Morgan
colt became quite good friends. Her
gentle, playful disposition, together
with her extreme beauty, suited Dan
especially we'll, so he made up his
mind to buy her and take her with
him.
When Dan was at work '"Trilby"
for that was the name he gave her
would roam about the field, grazing
when and where she pleased. Dan
soon taught her to come at his call.
and it was not long before she would
place her hoof in his hard in response
to his command. "Shake." She also
learned to trot in a circle around him,
to lie down and to rear her hind legs
at his command. Another little trick
which she had developed herself and
one which pleased Dan very much
was that of whinnying when anyone
her. By the time they
were ready to return in the fall Tril-
by had also learned to travel along
beside the team without being tied.
Each spring she went off with Dams
outfit, followed it all summer, and
came back with it in the fall.
At three years of age she was a
neat, well-proportioned animal, weigh
ing perhaps thirteen hundred pounds
and feet as a deer. Her black coat
always glistened, her fine name hung
nearly half way to the ground, her
nicely arched neck, her clean-cut head
and quivering pink nostrils spoke of
refinement, while out of her bright
eyes flashed spirit and vigor.
Late one afternoon, as Dan was
making his homeward trip after
successful summers work, he stop
ped in fair-sized town to lay in sup
plies for the rest of the journey. AS
is usually the case, there were num-
Der of persons standing in front of the
store at which Dan had stopped. Just
for amusement, Dan ran his hand
along Trilby's neck and whispered a
word or two as he passed into the
store. Immediately she laid down.
There was considerable talk among
the bystanders about wornout and
sick horse. Finally one man even
ventured so far as to step out to ex-
anime her. As he touched her head,
Trilby gave a low whinny. A sharp,
short whistle answered from the store
and Trilby was upon her feet SO quick
that the man who had been bending
over her went sprawling in the dust.
A general laugh from the crowd greet
ed him as he got up and watched her
trot over to playfully tease the other
horses.
As Dan was preparing to drive
away tall, dark stranger with small
twitching eyes, and thin blue lips ac-
costed him with "What'll you take
fer thet colt, pard?"
"Oh, guess I won't sell her, can't
spare her, you see, was Dams eva
sive reply.
"Well, I've got fine one down at
the barn I'll trade for her." persisted
the stranger.
Dan assured him that he was not
trader, and after few moments drove
off leaving the stranger with an in
creasing desire to obtain that colt.
About a mile or so from town Dan
pulled up for the night at sheltered
place where there was plenty of grass.
After he had had his supper and the
horses had finished grazing he fasten-
ed the four, two at each end of the
wagon, then crawled in and rolled up
in his blankets. The weather was
just cool enough to discourage the at
tacks of the mosquitoes and other in
sects, so the horses were quiet and
Dan soon fell asleep.
In the middle of the night he found
himself propped up on one elbow,
half awake listening for something,
he knew not what. At length he
was fully awakened by low whinny
from up the road. Half suspiciously
he crawled to the back end Of the
wagon and pushed aside the flap of
the cover. There, some thirty or
forty rods up the road silhoutted
against the sky, Dan saw the forms
of the tall, lank stranger and-Tril-
by. He sprang from the wagon, ut
tering shrill whistle. Hardly had
the Eotes reached Trilby's ears till
she reared up in the air and gave
tremendous lounge forward. Whether
from fright or surprise, the stranger
dropped the rope and ran. Dams
only weapon was the neckyoke which
he had unconsciously picked up, so
he contented himself with conjectur-
ing AS to what would have happened
had he been better armed.
Trilby came tearing down the road,
frightened at the curious proceedings
and urged on by the dangling rope,