236 THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 



I dressed up this old mare a little for this surprise. 

 She was fat and clean : not a stain on her. I kept her 

 so all of the time. She did not stand m the stable to 

 do this, she had been driven nights, not to deaib, 

 then half starved. She had the best of care all of this 

 time in all ways. I had been in this barn with her 

 nights for nearly six months, more than half of my 

 time. Of course I was not always to work on her. 

 Looking at her I cannot tell why I did this, only I was 

 pleased with the result. It was a big thing. She 

 looked young around her head. Her eyes are large, 

 bright, and full now. The skin is filled out plump 

 with flesh. She shows no wrinkles around the nose; 

 she never did much, like some horses. She is full of 

 life , she looks a little wild out of her eyes. I cleaned 

 and combed her tail. She had a long tail that almost 

 touched the floor. Her mane had grown, though it 

 looked a little ragged where the collar had chawed it 

 before I got her. I drove her in breast collar. I 

 wanted to give her neck a chance to fill up. I was 

 doing my best on this old mare to please myself, and 

 at my own expense, and it was no business of any 

 man. I combed and parted her foretop, braided it to 

 keep it out of her eyes, and braided ribbons in so as 

 to make tassels. This I always do on my horses in 

 hot weather. I do not want my hair hanging in and 

 over my eyes. I cannot see as well. Besides, it will 

 annoy a horse, and cause him to toss his head when he 

 gets sweaty. I put on a new harness, hitched to a 

 light buggy, and sailed out. After driving a while on 

 the ourskirts of the town I sailed down Main street. 

 It so happened there was a band of musicians blowing 



