164 THE horse's rescue. 



blistered, seatoned, and roweled, and she ran out two 

 years. It did not seem to lielp her." 



" Cap./' said I, " what will you take for this mare?" 



•' Had I better sell her, Marshal ?'' said he. 



" Let him have her if he wants her,'' replied Mar- 

 shal. 



"You may have her," said the owner to me, "for 

 fifty dollars." 



"Here are four ten-dollar bills," said I. "I will 

 give them to you for her." 



" If you will let me keep her one week — that will 

 finish up my fall's work — I will do it. I will bring her 

 down." 



He came as he agreed. That was the biggest horse 

 sale that had been made in that town, and it would 

 have gone hard with me if they had hauled me up for 

 lunacy. Paying so much for such a horse as that, in 

 the fall, did show some symptoms of insanity ; but, 

 said I, I will risk it. I wuU kick up a bigger racket if 

 they do not take better care of their horses. After 

 clearing my shop of some work I had on hand, I led 

 this old mare into the most public places, and com- 

 menced talking horse in order to attract attention. 

 After the crowd had gathered I told them the object 

 I had in doing this was to get their opinion on this 

 horse. ' Many of you," I told them, "know her. I 

 want you to say, in your judgment, if you call this 

 horse foundered of long standing. Marshal says she 

 was stiffened fifteen years ago." They stared at me, 

 and looked at each other. Finally I got some of 

 them to pronounce her foundered of long standing. I 

 told them they had better put some private mark on 



