The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-27

| said lie. Bullet wouldn't hold IS on his
| back. nohow. But. as | bantered you
If you say an even swap. here's at you.
Y Il told YOU. said Peter. I'D be as
clever as you: therefore here goes ):
more, Just for trade sake. Give me 5;
and it's bargain
Blossom repeated his former assertion
and here the parties stood for 81 LONG
time and the bystanders (for many were
now collected) began to taunt both par
ties. After some time. however, it WA
pretty unanimously decided that the Ole
man had backed Blossom out.
At length Blossom swore he "neveI
would be backed out for 50 after banter
Ing man." and accordingly they closed
the trade
Nov" said Blossom. as he handed
Peter the IS, 4 am a man that. when
he makes a bad trade. makes the most
of 1t until he can makefa better. I'm for
no rues and after-claps.'
That's just my way" said Peter: y
never goes to law to mend my bargains.
'sAh. you're the kind of boy l love to
trade with. Here's your boss, old man.
Take the saddle and bride off him. and
| I'll strip yours; but lift up the blanket
easy from Bullets back, for he's mighty
tender-backed hoss.'
The old man removed the saddle, but
the blanket stuck fast. He attempted to
raise it, and Bullet bowed himself,
switched his tail. danced a little, and
gave signs of biting.
Don't hurt him, old man." said Bios
som. archly take it off easy 1 am,
perhaps, a leetle of the hest man at a
horse-swap that ever catched a coon."
Peter continued to pull at the blanket
more and more roughly, and Bullet be-
came more and more cavortish insomuch
| that, when the blanket came off he had
reached the kicking point in good earn
| est.
+ The removal of the blanket disclosed
sore on Bullets backbone that seemed
| to have defied all medical skill. 1t meas
ured six full inches in length and four
| in breadth, and had as many features
as Bullet had notions. My heart sickened
at the sight; and I felt that the brute
who had been riding him in that situa-
ton deserved the halter.
The prevailing feeling, however. was
that of mirth. The laugh became loud
and general at the old mans expense,
| and rustic witticisms were literally be-
slowed upon him and his late purchase.
These Blossom continued to provoke BY
various remarks. He asked the old man
IF he thought Bullet would let SIS lie on
his back He declared most seriously
| that he had owned that horse three
months, and had never discovered be-
fore that he had a sore back, '.or he
never should have thought of trading
| him., ETC., etc.
The old man bore it all with the most
philosophic composure. He evinced no
establishment at his late discovery, and
| made no replies. But his son Neddy had
not disciplined his feelings quite so we'll.
His eyes opened wider and wider from the
first to the last pull of the blanket, and
when the whole sore burst upon his view
astonishment and fright seemed oncon-
| tend for the mastery OF his countenance.
| As the blanket disappeared, he stuck his
hands in his breeches pockets. heaved a
deep sigh. and lapsed into a profound
reverie, from which he was only reused
by the cuts at his father He bore them
| as long as he could; and when he could
contain himself no longer, he began with
a certain wildness of expression which
gave peculiar interest to what he ut
tered: Ills backs mighty bad of; but
dod drot my soul If he's put it to daddy
as bad as he thinks he has. for old Kits
| both blind and deef, I'll be dod drot II
| he eint!'
.sThe devil he ISL said Blossom.
| yes, dod drot my soul if he emit! You
walk him, and see IL he emit. His eyes
don't look like III. but he'd jist as leve
90 agin the house with you, or in a ditch,
as anyhow Now you go try him." The
| laugh was now turned on Blossom, and
many rushed to test the fidelity of the
little boys report. A few experiments
established its truth beyond controversy.
"Neddy," said the old man, 'you
oughtn't to try and make people discon-
tented with their things. Stranger. don
mind what the little boy says If you
can only get Kit rid Of them little fail
ings you'll find him all sorts of A. horse.
You are a leetle the best man at horse
swap that ever got hold of; but don't
fool away Kit Come. Neddy, my son,
let's be moving; the stranger seems to be
getting snappfsh." HALL.