74: FIVE A GEES TOO MUCH. 



the city, and put on their lands to make vegetables 

 grow. Although it smelled strong, and my clothes 

 were seriously damaged, my body proved, on careful 

 examination, to be unhurt, and my mental nature 

 only badly scared. I concluded to sell that family 

 horse. My prejudices and impressions were in this 

 instance, as in all others, borne out by the result. I 

 determined to wait, before 1 drove again, till I could 

 drive my own private steam-engine, for, with good 

 management, I believe steam-engines run smoother 

 than horses. 



It is hardly necessary to mention other peculiari 

 ties, such as an insane desire to eat me up whenever 

 I passed near his head, in entire disregard of the fact 

 that Nature had not made him carnivorous, and an 

 equally intense wish to kick me with his heels when 

 ever I passed by his flanks. These idiosyncracies 

 prevented my visiting the stable frequently, while 

 our out-door acquaintance he had made short, and 

 not sweet. Fortunately, he was lame most of the 

 time, and when he was not lame he wanted shoeing, 

 so that the family were not able to risk their lives 

 unreasonably often. 



All this while the pig had been quietly feeding 

 and growing ; in fact, a pig is a very different sort of 

 animal. A pig never runs away and smashes wag- 



