116 THE HOBSES RESCUE, 



on the horse's foot gave me a good run of business; 

 more than I wanted. Many thought I could cure 

 their horses by shoeing, for this reason — they did not 

 limp. That was all they knew, or could be taught 

 about it. They would come pouring in from a dis- 

 tance, sometimes thirty miles, and ofttimes more. 

 Some I could help, some were out of my reach, and 

 I could not help them by shoeing; but I could get 

 them out of their trouble, if I could have them in my 

 care a short time. 



" What will you charge me," they would ask, " to 

 cure m}' horse?" 



" Well, it is worth from ten to fifty dollars to do it. 

 It depends something on what ails the horse, and what 

 condition he is in when I commence on him." About 

 nine out of ten would rail out on me in this way: 



" When you get ten dollars out of me for shoeing a 

 horse you can consider yourself damned smart;" or, 

 " When you fool me you will have to be smarter than 

 T take you to be." 



That kind of talk I have heard daily, and many 

 times a day, in the past ten years. Before I get 

 throuo-h this work I will show you these smart men 

 could be fooled badly. I experimented on the horses 

 a little, just to see if I could fool them. I did not 

 take any of their money. 



Mike has come around again to be shod. He has 

 done some traveling. His shoes are nearly all worn 

 off his feet These shoes were flat all around, and 

 were nearly worn in two at the toe. Their wearing 

 off saved Mike's cords some. His forward shoes has 

 been on seven weeks, his hind shoes four weeks. He 



