Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-07


blind SPAWN But, b'gee! who cares for blind
spavins. She's all there"
Trials delight was almost childish, as he
examined the black. Meantime Jim was
going over the sorrel. By and by they fin
ished their inspection, and they again sat
down on the stumps. Another silence inter-
vened Trial looked at Jim, and Jim looked
at Trial. 1t was against nature not to sus-
pect what was coming.
How'll you swap" asked Jim, clearing
his throat and shying stone at chipmunk.
Trial gurgled. 'B'gee! amt you and me
had enough swapping horses yet?
Jim cast look of disdain at him. Swap
pings swapping" he said.
Trial. when you get back to Hartford you
just tell Seth Perkins about Sherm. Seth
knows Sherm. They was raised together.
Tell him Sherm brought them two bosses for
tanning machine
Jim was not to be sidetracked eff we
swap" he began, "Sherm won't have no
comeback, if he makes boiler about them
steam whistles and brings them back. l can
tell him you got his black, and you can tell
him | got his sorrel."
This argument appealed to Trial. So the
swapping started in. There was no denying
that Jim had the better looking horse of the
two. Trial tried all his wiles, he exhausted
his boxful of equine blasphemies; but Jim
was obdurate. Trial had to pay ten dollars
boot before he could hitch the black mare in
the traces in place of the sorrel. Jim and
Trial shook hands at the final contamination
of the bargaining.
"Hoss trading is just tough, amt it?"
said Jim, beaming.
Swapping certainly is swapping" voiced
Trial. "Now, Jim, don't you forget to tell
Seth Perkins all about it. Seth'll want to
know. And don't forget to tell him about
the caliope duet Sherm has GOT
Laughing and waving hands, the Clip and
the Jock bade each other farewell. There's
nothing like contaminated horse deal to
make friendship overflow.
TRIAL was silent until we were we'll on
our way. Then he looked at the sky
and reckoned it was going to rain before
morning, after all. He began to laugh.
I'D give my socks to see Jim outen in the
rain with that there sorrel," he laughed.
I'll be squitched if he didn't swaller the
bait, hook, and sinker like an eel!'
Gradually the truth came out. Trial had
succeeded in selling Jim his own gray gel
ding. On the morning following the original
swap, Trial had harnessed the gray to drag
to try him out.
"Heave!" cried Trial You never heard
boss heave until you heard that there gray
heave."
Trial had made the best of bad bargain
by Transformation. He had painted the
gray sorrel with aniline singed and shaved
its hooks filed its teeth and skilfully sand
papered in tug marks and collar gals.
Reaching the name completed the trick.
The gray had been smart looking horse in
the beginning. In the end he looked like an
honest, hard working animal, the sort that
families cry for. He lost something in style;
but when Trial had finished the rapid change
the dyed and barbered horse looked like
honesty unsullied. The trick had been so
we'll done that l had never suspected it; but
the more know Trial the less value place
on my own judgment about horses.
Trial was still grinning over the trick
when we reached the corner where we were
to turn to get to my place. There the new
black took matters into her own hands and
decided she wasn't going to turn. Trial
argued and piled the lash; but the mare
stuck to her resolve. This was the first un-
toward incident of the day. Trial was plain
ly worried.
Let her have her head and see where she
will take us to-" l suggested. "The after
noon is young"
u,oc not for IN, 70 n br,+a. bet