DIFFICULTIES. 497 



I directed the owner to take a back street and drive there 

 quickly, and the few friends who wished to see the exper- 

 iment to go separately, while I jumped into a wagon and 

 drove rapidly in an opposite direction. When out of view, 

 I took a side street back to the place of rendezvous. We 

 could see the people coming down the street on a run ; but 

 I jumped out and made a rush for the horse, and although 

 he was a kicking, runaway fellow that had not been har- 

 nessed in over two years, I succeeded in five minutes in 

 making him sufficiently manageable to be hitched up with- 

 out kicking. I had barely time to hitch him up before the 

 wagon, when the people came up, and I took the chances, 

 without further treatment, of driving him rapidly back to 

 town. Upon arriving at the crowd, which stood waiting, 

 I stopped him so quickly as to almost throw him upon his 

 haunches, dropped the reins, and jumped out of the wagon. 

 Being behind time, I made it an excuse for unhitching the 

 horse wjiere he stood ; but the fact was, I did not dare to 

 move him further, fearing he would kick, and thereby give 

 me away. It is worthy of remark in this case, that upon 

 trial next morning the owner found him perfectly gentle, 

 hitched him to a carriage, took in his family, drove to town 

 two miles distant, and used him afterward as a family driv- 

 ing-horse. • 



In the summer of 1864, I took into partnership Mr. E. 

 C. Dudley, of Newton Center, Mass., who remained with 

 me as business manager for four years, and who contribu- 

 ted greatly to my success. 



As driving without reins soon became so common that 

 it lost its novelty as a drawing card, I trained ponies to 

 do sensational tricks. For these exhibitions I built suit- 

 able places covered with canvas, in cities and large country 

 towns, frequently remaining several weeks in one place, 

 and having remarkable success. In Buffalo, Toledo, Cleve- 



3a 



