366 CHAMP. 



"That night as we sat by the stable door he told 

 me all about Champ and his peculiarities, and he had 

 a few of them. I learned that Champ would stand 

 anywhere without hitching until meal time, when, if 

 you did not watch him, he would start for the stable. 

 If you hitched him in the street he would break the 

 halter, and if he could not, he would throw himself. 

 In the stable, if you did not keep him in a box stall, 

 all you had to do was to turn him loose in a tie stall. 

 If you tied him he would never stop until he broke 

 something. He would not go with a blind bridle, 

 and if you had a whip in the wagon he would refuse 

 to start until it was taken out or put where he could 

 not see it. What he would have done if struck is 

 something I never wanted to find out, and I drove 

 him for over fifteen years. All you had to do was to 

 speak to him and he was off, and he would keep 

 going until you took him back. Up hill and down 

 hill, it was all the same to Champ. He was as near a 

 machine as flesh and blood can get, and for me just 

 as easy to control. This was the horse that caused 

 the trouble between the late Lemuel Jenkins and your 

 Uncle Si. 



"There was some peeking and craning of necks the 

 first time I stepped Champ through the main street of 

 the village. I timed myself so that I arrived home 

 Friday evening, and on the following afternoon, when 

 all of the country people were in doing their shopping, 

 I hitched him to my light road wagon and let him 

 parade. Champ had brought all of his city airs with 

 him, and it seemed to do him good as he lorded it over 

 the farm horses and workers tied around the square. 

 When I returned to the stable there was a bunch of 



