THE horse's rescue. 47 



them Jill while they are warm ; there are so many. 

 Some must wait. "Stand around here!" Thunder! 

 how he straddles !" " Back !" How he raises up his 

 feet! and he drags them before they leave the floor. 

 They do not go up very quicfk ; if they did I should 

 think he had spring-halt. There is not much 

 "spring " motion about it. I have a mind to leave 

 him with the other I left in this book until I come 

 around again. I can't help him much. I do not 

 think he can stand on three legs ; and, worse than all^ 

 he has got two sets of feet on him. for they were not hal I 

 cut down when they were shod last, which was six 

 months ago, and they are hard as a stone. I won't 

 back out; that's not my name. I think we had better 

 shoe him on his forward feet first. He can't stand un- 

 til we do, he is so changed from natural, and all is so 

 out of liarmony. 



" How old is this horse ?" 



" He is nineteen years old." 



" How long have you owned him?'* 



"I raised him from a colt." 



" Have you ever doctored him ?" 



" Oh, yes; I have tried everything most." 



" His chest has fallen in some ; that looks like chest 

 founder." 



" It is not that. I have always taken care of my 

 horses myself, and never feed them when they are 

 warm ; and no man drives my horses, they don't." 



"Has one man shod them all of the time ?" 



"No, since be got stiff I have been to a good many 

 shoers." 



" They help him any ?" 



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