198 FARMING IT 



double harness only, and I had with great pains 

 made her the best driving horse I ever owned. 



As a saddler she had a quick sharp trot that 

 one could sit as easily, almost, as a single-foot. 

 This she could keep up mile after mile, and tire 

 out any of the trained saddlers in town. 



She had faults. She was somewhat hard- 

 bitted, very sensitive to ill-treatment, afraid of 

 nothing but firearms and the whip, and would 

 not stand with anything but a neck-hitch, and 

 occasionally, as I have said, brought home a 

 stone post, or a fence-rail, or part of a barn, when 

 the neck-hitch was stronger than the particular 

 real estate to which she was attached. 



And so I sold Polly. Sold her for twice what I 

 had given for her five years before. Sold her 

 without any warranty and after full explanations 

 of her failings. Sold her and took my blood- 

 money and went home. 



It took me a full hour to break the news to my 

 wife. It took her a much less time to give me her 

 opinion of the transaction. I represented the 

 facts with judicial calmness, and cited Daniel as 

 authority for my position. I am glad Daniel did 

 not hear what she said about him. Its brevity 

 was no measure of its completeness. 



My daughter began to cry, and my son left the 

 table in a huff and banged the door. There are 

 few sounds more disquieting to one's nerves than 



