380 CHAMP. 



me. Finally I told him that if he wanted to plead the 

 'baby act' I would then and there trade back. 



"As I said this I could see a flush creep over his 

 face, while a wicked look came into his eye. Then, 

 when I asked him why he had not acted like a man 

 and taken up the note, he grabbed the whalebone 

 whip out of my buggy and raised it over his head as 

 though he were going to strike me. Champ also saw 

 it and, I suppose, thinking the blow was intended for 

 him, wheeled like a flash and upset the wagon. As 

 it went over the bank the king bolt snapped and 

 Champ started for the village on a gallop with the 

 front wheels behind him and the reins flying. 



"It was all over in an instant, and before I could 

 get my wits together, Champ had whisked around the 

 corner at the foot of the hill, while the balance of the 

 wagon was lying bottom side up about half way down 

 the bank. As I looked at it, I felt like following the 

 horse and leaving Lem to get out of it the best way he 

 could. I spoke to my horse and was moving off when 

 the thought of him being dead flashed through my 

 brain. With it came the dread that people would 

 say I killed him. The mere idea made my blood run 

 cold, as in its wake came such details as an inquest, a 

 jury trial and possibly worse. 



"Nature finally got the better of my anger, and 

 after tying my horse to the fence I tipped Lem's 

 wagon over and laid him on the grass. He was in- 

 sensible, dead for all I knew, while I could see a cut 

 on the side of his head, and that his right arm seemed 

 loose, as though it were broken. What to do I did 

 not know. There is a little spring near the place, and 

 getting some water in my hat I bathed his face with 



