FOUNDER OF HIS RACE 3; 



his back, rubbed himself against his master's leg and 

 purred with sympathy. 



In spite of a certain sadness, True himself felt no little 

 excitement — anticipating adventure, as is the manner of 

 youth first starting out into the great world. He did 

 not then know the horrors of homesickness from which 

 affectionate horses suffer so keenly — suft'ering that neither 

 sugar nor salt can assuage. 



Master Whitman had always made play and pleasure 

 of training, and had never given True a task he could 

 not perform. For this reason the horse accepted every 

 order unhesitatingly, with the confidence of absolute 

 trust. They had become so endeared to one another for 

 these and sundry other causes that the idea of a parting 

 was inexpressibly saddening to both. 



When, a half hour later. True w^as hitched to the 

 "shay" — which he now pulled with such ease and pleasure 

 — he fared forth, sad at heart, but eager and brisk in 

 gait, as usual. The day had advanced and, as they trav- 

 elled, the river glinted gold in the light which the morn- 

 ing sun threw over the fringe of trees, along its banks. 

 Very soon they arrived at the tavern where already 

 several teams stood waiting. 



Throwing the reins loosely on the horse's back — for he 

 had been trained to stand without hitching — Silas Wliit- 

 man sprang from the ''shay" and entered the tavern. 



He was gone the best part of an hour, and when he 

 returned he was not alone. A tall, slender stranger 

 walked beside him, and as they drew near the colt per- 

 ceived from the odor of this man that he was a pleasant- 

 tempered person and friendly to animals. 



Indeed, True liked him at once, and 'twas well, for the 

 pale, scholarly looking man whose name he would one 

 day bear, was none other than Justin Morgan, who had 



