Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-07-13


wagons. l had been hoping that my
avoirdupois would have the effect OF
SOLDERING that unprincipled beast, but
certainly had another guess coming.
He didn't seem to mind me any more
that if l had been bit Of thistledowh,
and the minute l landed in the saddle
he began series of evolutions that
would have puzzled an expert cavalry
man. After the first l didn't attempt
to get onto his curves, but devoted
all my enegries to keep from being
spilled along the roadway.
We reached Manitou without acct
dent, and wouldn't be afraid to wa
ger my pile that my fool sorrel had
covered ~ miles instead of six that
were necessary. The scenery was
very beautiful, no doubt. but had no
time for it, and am pretty certain
that the rest OF the party saw great
deal more of me and my job than OF
the sunrise that was turning Pixies
Peak into thing of golden beauty.
Be that as it may, shall ever regard
1t as one OF the most noteworthy
| pieces of good luck that ever befell
! me that did not alight from that
demoniac beat until | landed on the
| veranda at the hotel where we break
| tasted.
| At the breakfast table no direct ref
erence was made by any memoir of
| the party to my equestrian exhibition
and was mighty appreciatiye of the
courtesy The ladies We're rapturous
over the scenic loneliness of the spot.
| but | was too hungry and the spread
/ was too good to join them in their
praise. | kept as mum as an oyster
until big Mark Baldwin, who was al
ways on the lookout for something to
ing long enough to remark, with a
face as innocent looking as that OF I.
born babe:
This one mornings experience has
done more to convince me that one
need not go abroad in order to see
the sights than anything that I've evel
come up against"
saw what he was driving at. ant
so did the others. made up my minG
that he shouldn't be the only joke
smith in the bunch, and 30 butted II
to this effect:
This one mornings experience ha!
convinced me that playing ball ism
the cutest trick in the world. Learning
to be cowboy in one lesson is abou
the biggest job I've tackled SO far"
But with your mount 1t must hav'
been dead easy" said the big Smok.
City twirler. That animal is what
call prime saddle horse. l quite en-
We'd you from my uncomfortable sea
in the park wagon"
Then, by George, I'll exchange witt
you'll" l declared. IF there's anything
that gets on my nerves it's to be en-
We'd. l can't feel comfortable If
know have something that somebod
else wants. Yes, I'll exchange wit
you, Mark"
He tried to crawtish, but / wouldn'
have it. l insisted that he should ea
perience for himself the sort of COZ
veyance that sorrel nag really was, a
though he protested that he couldn
think of robbing me Of such fine OF
portunity to display my horsemanshi
and all that. l really believe, though
he would have backed square out c
If 1t hadn't been for the ladies'.
didn't take them long to tumble to tn
situation, and they one and all put
veto on Marks hesitation.
II don't see how you can declin
Captain Anson's kind Offer" sal
Mother Spalding. drawing herself II
like queen.
But / don't like to discommod
him." Mark wriggled.
"Oh, the captain likes to be dt
commoded - sometimes" she SAT-
Doesn't he, Mrs. Anson?"
He just loves 1t. He'd rather b
disconnected than not-sometimes
my wife corroborated solemnly.
There was no help for it. Mark ha
put his foot In it sure enough an
there was nothing to do but face til
music. When breakfast was over
got into the park wagon and Baldwi
mounted the sorrel, the tricky equin
showing not a particle Of interest
the change of riders. but seeming