14000 MILES 



the summer days were over, and one would almost shiver 

 to think of Spec, with the bare trees and the cold water 

 beneath the icy surface, the boat fever still ran high, and 

 one of the coldest, dreariest days last winter, we went to 

 Clinton to look at some boats partly built. We ploughed 

 through the snow in search of the boats, and then of the 

 man who owned them, and were nearly frozen when we 

 had at last selected one and given directions for the 

 finishing up. We had an hour to wait in the station, and 

 we said, "Now, let's name the boat!" As quick as 

 thought one exclaimed, "What do you think of 'G. W.' — 

 not George Washington, but simply the 'mystic initials' 

 suggested by date of purchase?" As quick came the 

 answer, "I like it." "Very well, the G. W. it is." Lest 

 we take too much credit to ourselves for quick thinking 

 we will tell you that a little friend said in the morning, 

 "Why, if you get your boat today, you ought to call it 

 George Washington, for it is his birthday, a fact which 

 had not occurred to us. 



Now if Jerry could tell a story as well as Black Beauty, 

 he would fill the Transcript with his observations, but 

 he never speaks ; that is, in our language. He wears no 

 blinkers, however, and nothing escapes those eyes, and 

 he may think more than if he spent his time talking. I 

 feel positively sure that could he have told his thoughts 

 when we began to speak in earnest of our drive in Sep- 

 tember, he would have said, "What is the need of those 

 two thinking they must go so far for a good time, making 

 me travel over such roads, sometimes all clay and weeds, 

 or pulling up very steep hills, only to go down again, per- 

 haps tugging through sand, or worse yet, through water 



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