THE COUNTRY BOY 31 



he was not mean ; he didn't hke state fairs, that 

 was all. He and I stayed at Grandma's until 

 just before I left to go to Silverton. Old John 

 had been turned out on what we called "The 

 Snake Hill Pasture," and there he and Old 

 Charley were spending their last days. He 

 was past twenty, as sound as a dollar, his only 

 fault being that he was a little too fat and lazy. 

 Grandfather had been over to the pasture to 

 put out some squirrel poison ; it was on Sunday, 

 the last Smiday. I was to go to Silverton that 

 afternoon. At the dinner table Grandfather 

 spoke of the queer actions of Old John; said 

 that he acted strange, that he first noticed him 

 whinnying long and loud; then he would stop 

 and listen, first with one ear forward, then with 

 the other. His eye had a sparkle that it never 

 had, except at a state fair, and he seemed 

 nervous. "He came to me and nosed at all 

 my pockets, to see if I had salt for him; then 

 he would try to play ; colthood seemed to return 

 to him, but in the midst of his play he would 

 stop and call ; he would even try to look at the 

 sun, and when I came to the bars to come 

 away," said Grandfather, "he came along and 

 didn't want to be left. When I looked back 



