Year: 1868

The Horse-His Memory and Sagaeity.


AN aged and venerable friend, resid-
ing In one of the cities on our eastern
seaboard, a gentleman of character and
worth, once related to US the following
aneodats Of the horse, illustrating in a
remarkable manner the sagacity and
memory of this animal


At the close of the Revolutionary
war, when everything was unsettled and
in disorder, an acquaintance, residing
on the Boston road, some thirty or forty
miles from New York, lost valuable
young horse, stolen from his stable in
the night. Great search and inquiry
were made for him, but no tidings Of
him could be heard, and no trace Of him
could ever be discovered.


Almost six full years had now elapsed.
and the recollection even of the lost ami
NAL had nearly faded from the mind
At this period 4 gentleman from the
East, in the course of business, was trav-
cling on horseback on his road, on his
way to Philadelphia When within four
or FIVE miles OF a village on the road,
the traveller was overtaken by a respect
ble looking gentleman on horseback, a
resident of the village, returning home
from a short business ride. Riding
along side by side, they soon engaged
in a pleasant desultOry conversation
The gentleman was Immediately struck
with the appearance of the travellers
horse. And every glance Of the eye cast
toward him seemed to excite an interest
and curiosity to look at him, and to re.
vive a recollection Of something he had
seen before, and soon established in his
mind the impression that for all the
he looked like horse he had lost some
six years ago. This soon became so ir-
resistibly fixed in his mind that he re-
marked to the traveller:


You have a fine horse, sir


Yes" he replied, IAN exceedingly
valuable and ex client animal


what is his age, sir ?"


Well, 1 suppose him to be about ten
or eleven years old"


You did not raise him, then"


No, I purchased him of a stranger,
a traveller, nearly six years since"


do you reside in this part of the
country?o


" No, I reside in the Bay State, and
am on my way Is Philadelphia, on bust
ness. How far is it to New York ?"


D." Well, sir, l really regret to inter-
rupt you, or put you to inconvenience,
but 1 am constrained to say 1 believe
you have in your possession horse that
l must claim ....


a. The traveller looked with surprise
and amazemeut, and replied


What do you mean, sir?'


4 believe the horse you are on, in
truth, belongs to me. Five years ago,
the past autumn, valuable young horse
was stolen from my stable. Great search
was made for him, but no tidings of him
ever came to hand. In color, appear
ance and movements, it seems to me- lie
was the exact counterpart of the horse
you are on. It would be hardly posi-
bic, l think, for two to be so near alike.
But my horse was an uncommOnly IN
telligent and sagacious animal. And l
viii make proposition to you that will
place the matter in such a position that
the result will be conclusive and salts
factory, I think, to both of US We are
now within a mile Of my residence, which |
is on the road in the center of the vii !
lage before us. When We arrive at my
house, your horse shall be tied to the |
east post in front of my door-the horse
I am on to the west post. After stand
ing a short time, the bride of your horse /
shall be taken off, and if he does not
90 to a pair of bars on the wet side of
the house, and pass over, and 60 around !
to the east side of the barn, and pull /
out pin, and open the middle stable
door and enter, l will not claim him
If he does, it will furnish you conclu-
sive evidence that he was bred by me, !
but never sold that he was stolen from
me at the conclusion eff the war, about
the very time you say you purchased
him"


80 The traveller assented to the trial.
The horse was hitched to the post as
proposed stood a few minutes; the
bride was then taken off; he raised his
head, pricked up his ears, looked up
the street, then down the street, several
times, then deliberately and slowly walk
ed past the house and over the bars and |
to the stable door, as described, snd
with teeth and lips drew out the pin and |
opened the door, and entered into his
own STALL We hardly need to add he
was recognized by his neighbors, who |
fully attUsted the facts stated by the
claimant, and that the traveller lost his
tile to the horse. ''-PRs5urg Republican.