Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-12-20
felt like a football.

relt like q football.
i went up on deck. The moon and
stars were out and the twinkling lights
OF New York harbor were gradually
fading into the distance. Leaning over
tie rail We're the foreman and the
veterinarian, doc" Casey, by name.
The foreman was talking. Snatches
of his conversation reached my ears
Load horses? Why, that bunch of
scum they wished on me couldn't load
lump sugar, one lump at time. How
Brown expects me to deliver 1900
horses into Bordeaux with this scurvy
outfit, [ don't know. We're lucky, Tn
thinkin', ii five hundred o. them don't
die. Why, there's not one o. the
blighters knows which end of a horse
eats hay. I tell you, Doc, your work
is cut out for you. If, in a few days,
You don't have a couple of hundred
cases of collie on your hands, then I'm
a hloomin liar"
doc Casey answered:
well, I'll tell you, Mr.. Goorty, this
is my third trip over and + have seen
some tough punches, but this one is
the limit, and l sure have job on my
hands. It's too bad that Pinero let out
on that young fellow, because, in my
mind, that was pretty cowardly blow.
He seemed to know how to handle
horses. What do you say if / give him
the job of assistant veterinarian? He's
had six years cavalry experience"
The foreman answered:
s"Throw him over the side, if you
WANT don't care. But I guess you'll
need someone to help you out, so go to
it."
/ was overjoyed lust then Pinero
came aft. The horse doctor turned to
HIM and said: Look here, Pinero,
I've seen lots of dirty work in my life,
but that exhibition of yours ON the
dock is about the filthiest I've seen in
a long time. Now, just take a tip
from me. That young fellow from now
on is working for me, and you lay your
hands off of him. If / find you med
ding with him, I'll push that silly grin
of yours down your throat until it
chokes you. Now, that's all I got to
say, lay off Of him. Do you under
stand?"
Pinero started to humble excuses,
but the doctor shut him up with, II
don't want to hear any more. Tn off
o. you for life, but remember what T
tell you. Steer clear from the two o.
us, sabe?"
| guess the second foreman ''sabied"
all right, because he vouchsafed no
answer. Ny heart warmed to "Doc''
Casey and I slipped away unobserved.
The next morning the doctor fixed
me up with court plaster and was
installed as assistant veterinarian at
$50 for the trip. / was to sleep in
'Doc" Casey's stateroom, where he
had his medicine stock, but before en-
tering the room "Docf told me, "Take
this bucket of water; put few drops
of creosote in it, and go aft on the
hatch and take good bath, and throw
your underwear away"
asked. him what for. He answered:
"When you take your shirt off, take a
a good look at it and you'll see why"
I began to feel itchy all over but mi
nutely followed his instructions.
Upon taking my shirt off, one look
was enough. 1t was alive, and over
the rail it went. Doc loaned me
white suit and took charge of my
outer clothing. What he did with
them I don't know, but that afternoon
he returned them to me. They were
shrunk a size smaller, but were clean.
I was satisfied. So was Doc.
Five days out we ran into squat
and our work was cut out for us. We
even had horses on the decks in
wooden stalls. The ship was lurching
and pitching, and huge seas would
burst over the gunwales.
Several Of the wooden stalls gave
way and the horses were loose on the
deck. With every lurch of the ship
couple Of horses would fall, and,
kicking and snorting. would slide down
the inclined deck, hitting against
winches and the hatchway, scraping
their hides off. 1t was worth mans
life to get into that mess.
Then | had more or less respect for
the foreman and second foreman.
Into the midst of that struggling and
kicking bunch of horses they went, as
sisted by Doc Casey. Four of the
horses received broken legs, and Pin
ero, instead of shooting them, cut
their Threats with sharp dagger he
carried.
One Of the negroes from the lower
hold staggered to the upper deck with
@m.|Iam