THE COUNTRY BOY 171 



In some trade he once got a gib bay horse 

 with peculiarly heavy feet. He was about the 

 finest looking horse anybody ever saw. He 

 was sixteen and a half hands high, and as well 

 made as they could be put up. But there was 

 one mistake about him, — he evidently wasn't 

 intended to work, and if you got him to move 

 after you put a collar on him, you would have 

 to haul him. 



It was a lucky thing for Ben Davenport that 

 he got hold of the bay horse, as most all of the 

 property that he accumulated afterward was 

 directly or indirectly due to the big bay horse. 

 Everybody that came into that part of the 

 country owned him at least a day, and he put 

 several gypsy camps out of business. When- 

 ever a stranger came over the road, Uncle Ben 

 had occasion to go out with the big bay; and 

 unless the man knew the horse he couldn't re- 

 sist giving everything he had for him, and a 

 little to boot. After he was traded off. Uncle 

 always came to the family with a smile and 

 said: "Well, I have done great business to- 

 day. I've got rid of old Broadfoot." All of 

 our family would plead with him to stay rid 

 of him. He'd promise never to get him back 



