Year: 1873

"euU out and hlled the measure again
and climbed up the side of the stall and
emptIed it on top of him. He brought
his head up so suddenly at this, that | i'm
med'atey got down, letting 60 of every
thing to do it, | struck on the sharp edge
of barrel and rolled over couple o.
times, and then disappeared under hay
cutter. The peck measure went down on
the other side, and got mysteriously tan.
ged up in that animals heels, and be
went to work at it; and then ensued the
most dreadful noise ever heard in all nv
life, and | have been married eighteen
years.


1t did seem as if [ never would get out
from that hay-cutter, and all the while /
was struggling and wrenching myself and
the cutter apart, that awful beast was
kicking around 10 that stall, and making
the most appalling sound imaginable.


When L got out, found Mrs. Perk ins
at the door. She had heard the rack ct
and had sped out to the stable, her only
thought of me and three stove lids which
she had under her arm, and one of which
she was about to fire at the beast


| This made me mad.


"Go away, you unfortunate idiot" |
| shouted, " do you want to knock my brains
out p For | remembered seeing Mrs
Perkins sling missile once before, and
that L nearly lost the use of eye by the
operation. although standing on the oppo-
| site side Of the house at the time.


She retired at once. And at the same
tima tho .ujTnol o,,ia+o1 JouY, ~
was nothing left of that peck measure, not
even the makers name.


| | followed Mrs. Perkins into the house.
and had her do me up, and then sat down
on chair and fell into profound train
of meditation. After awhile | felt better
and went out to the stable again. The
horse was leaning against the stable wall,
with eyes partly closed, and appeared to
be very much engrossed in thought.


Step off to the left" | said, rubbing
his back.


He didn't step. l got the pitchfork and
punched him in the leg with the handle.
He Immediately raised up beth hind legs
at once. and that fork flew out of nv
hands, and went rattling up against the
timbers above, and came down again in an
instant the end of the handle rapping me
with such force on the top of the head
that | sat right down on the floor, under
the impression that was standing in front
of drug store in the evening. | went
back into the house, and got some more
stuff on me, and couldn't keep away from
that stable. | went out there again. The
thought struck me that what the animal
wanted was exercise. If the thought had
been an empty glycerine can, it would
have saved windfal of luck for me-


But exercise would tone himl own, and
exercise him should. | laughed at my
self to think how | would trounce him
around the yard. I didn't laugh again
that afternoon. | got him unhtched and
then wondered how | was to get him out.
pushed, but he wouldn't bulge | stood
looking at him in the face, thinking of
something to say, when he suddenly solved
the difficulty by veering about and plung-
ing for the door followed as a matter
Of course, because | had tight hold of
| he rope, and hit about every partition
stud worth speaking of on that side of the
>. L Il
and saw US come out of the door. She
subsequently remarked that we came out
skipping like two innocent children. The
| skipping was entirely unintentiona on nv
part. felt as if [ stood on tle verge of
eternity; my legs may have skipped, but
my mind was filled with awe.


| took that animal out to exercise him.
| 10 l.
with it. He went around few times in
circle, then he stopped suddenly, spread
out his fore legs and looked at me- Then
he leaned forward little, and hoisted both
hind legs, and threw about two coal hods
of mud over line full of clothes Mrs
Perkins had just hung out


That excellent lady had taken position
at the window, and whenever the evolu
tons of the awful beast permitted, |
caught glance at her features. She ap-
peared to be very much interested in the
proceedings, but the instant that the mud
flew, she disappeared from the window,
and moment later she appeared on the
stoop with long poker in her hand, and
fire enough in her eye TO heat it red hot


just then Stiver's horse stood up on his
hind legs and tried to hug me with the
others This scared me. A horse never
shows his strength to such advantage as
when he is coming down on you like fran
tic pile-driver. [ instantly lodged and
the cold sweat fairly boiled out of me.


1t suddenly came over me that had
once figured in a similar position years
ago. My grandfather owned little hite
horse that would get up from meal at
Delmonico's to kick the President of the
United States. He sent me to the lot al
ter him one day, and unhappily suggested
that | should ride him down. | often
went after that horse, and suffered all
kinds of defeat in getting him out of the
pasture, but had never attempted to ride
him Heaven knows [ never thought of
it. [ had my usual trouble with him that
day. He tried to jump over me and push
me down in a mud hole, and finally got up
Cd his hind legs and came waltzing after
me with facilities enough to convert me
into hash, but l turned and just laid for
that fence with all the agony prospect of
instant death could crowd into me. If
our late candidate for the Presidency had
run one-half as we'll, there would be sew
enty-fve post-masters in Danbury to-day,
instead of one.


got out finally, and there he was quiet
enough, and took him up alongside the
fence and got on him. He stopped an in
slant, one brief instant, and then tore off
down the road at frightful speed. | laid
down on him and clasped my hands tightly
around his neck, and thought of my home
When we got to the stable was confident
he would stop, but he didn't. He drove
straight at the door. 1t was a low door,
Just high enough to permit him to go in at