£52 THE TROTTING-IIORSE OF AMEIili A. 



Now, if the little bay mare could have foreseen and com- 

 preliendod the brilliant influence which this bargain between 

 the drover and Mr. Vielee was to have upon her destiny, 

 she could not have evinced more joy than she did on this 

 bright, soft, sunshiny summer morning, in the year of grace 

 1850^ when she was taken from the tail of the drover's 

 wagon^ and led into Mr. Vielee's comfortable, well-aired 

 stable. She danced around him, as he led her across the 

 road, to the full stretch of her halter; she tossed her head 

 gayly up and down ; she ran forward, and put her nose play- 

 fully over his shoulder ; and, when she got into her clean, 

 cozy, well-strewn stall, she v/hinnied long and slowly and re- 

 peatedly, with profound delight. 



But, if this pleasure on the part of the little bay mare 

 proceeded from any notion that she had found an established 

 home, her calculations were very much astray. Mr. Vielee 

 was a practical man of business ; and his main idea in the 

 way of business was to turn a rapid penny, and invest the 

 profits of one good transaction immediately into another. 

 He knew that he had a most promising piece of horseflesh, 

 — one that united all the outside conceivable marks of 

 merit ; and, with a correct judgment, he concluded that the 

 city of New York — the great-arena where the best trotting- 

 blood of the country is collected and pitted in continual con- 

 test — was the place where the new-found jewel would com- 

 mand the highest mark. "There's no telling what she 

 may not be able to do in time," thought Mr. Vielee in con- 

 nection with this resolution ; " for if, with that fine make 

 and immense muscle, she only settles into a handy style of 

 going, — a style that don't waste any of her power in false 

 action, — she may yet be able to beat 'em all." 



With such thouglits as this in his head, Mr. Vielee kept 

 Ihe mare in his stable barely two weeks; and, at the end of 

 that time, he took her to New York. As he took her there 

 to sell, it is not necessary to this history that we should 

 fracc his steps, further than to say, that, iinding an opj^"^- 



