Year: 1867

of village on the road, the traveller


was overtaken by respectable look


ing gentleman on horseback, a resi-


dent of the village, returning home


from short business ride. Riding
along side by side they soon engag


ed in a pleasant desultory converse
ton. The gentleman was immediate


ly struck with the appearance of the
appearance of the travellers horse
And every glance of the eye cast to


ward him seemed to excite an inter.
est and curiosity to look at him, and
to revive a recollection of something
he had seen before, and soon estab-
lished in his his mind the impression
that for all the world he looked like
the horse he had lost some six years
ago. This soon became so irresisti.
bly, fixed in his mind that he remark
ed to the traveller:


"You have q fine horse, sir"
"Yes," he replied San exceeding
ly valuable and excellent animal"


"What is his age, sir ?"


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


Z" You did not raise him, then p


"No; purchased him of stran-
ger, a traveller, nearly six years
since"


"Do you reside in this part of the
country ?"


"No, 1 reside in the Bay State,
and am on my way to Philadelphia
on business. How far is it to New
York ?" Fl
s" Well, sir, I realIyregret to'inter-
rupt you, or put you to inconve-
nience, but l am constrained to say
II believe you have in your possess
sion horse that 1 must claim as
mine"


The traveller looked with surprise
and amazement, and replied


"What do you mean, sir ?"


81 believe the horse you are on,
in truth, belongs to me. Five years
ago, the past autumn, a valuable
young horse was stolen from my sta
bles Great search was made for him,
but no tidings of hlm ever came to
hand. In color, appearance and
movements, it seems to me he was
the exact counterpart of the horse
you are on. 1t would be hardly pos
sible, think, for two to be so near
alike. But my horse was an uncom-
monty intelligent, sagacious animal.
And I will make proposition to you
that will place the matter in such a
position that the result will be con-
elusive and satisfactory, 1 think, TO
both Of US. We are now within a
mile of my residence, which is on the
read in the center of the village be-
fore 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
standing a short time, the bride of
your horse shall be taken off, and if
he does not 60 to a pair of bars on
the west side of the house, and pass
over, and go around to the east side
of the barn, and pull out pin,
and open the middle stable door
and enter, ] will not claim him.
If he does, I will furnish you
conclusive evidence that he was bred
by me, but never sold that he was
stolen from me at the conclusion of
the war, about the very time you say
you purchased him."


The traveller assented to the trial.
The horse was hitched to the post as
proposed: Stood few minutes; the
bride was taken off; he raised his
head. prlcked up his ears, looked up
the street, then down the street sew
eral times, then deliberately and slow
ly walked past the house and over
the bars and to the stable door, as
described, and 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 recogniz-
ed by his neighbors, who fully attest
ed the facts stated by the claimants
and that the traveller lost his title to
the horse. G tfg5