268 THE horse's rescue. 



good workers on tbe horse's feet. I am going to en- 

 list them in this horse fight. That will be easy 

 enough to do, for thej have been and are now trj'ing 

 to solve this mystery. I sailed for Auburn. On my 

 way I stopped at my brother Oliver's place of busi- 

 ness. He was located in a small inland town at that 

 time surrounded with a beautiful country and well-to- 

 do farmers. I walked into his shop. He was seated 

 on a saw-horse. I shall never forget how he looked, 

 tired and sick, thin in flesh, cheeks sunken, eyes the 

 same. "What's the matter, Ob?" said I. 



'• Well, the fact is," said he, "I am about used up. 

 I am nearly ridden to death with so many crippled 

 and stiff liorses. They come pouring in on me from 

 mnnj^ miles away. They keep me nearly all of my 

 time holding them up. I can fix them up, and do, 

 some that are very bad, but it is killing business for 

 me, and small pay. I can hardly live out of it." 



I said : " I have got something I want to show j^'on. 

 I have come on purpose to do this. It solves the 

 whole mystery we have so long been trying to find 

 out. I can tell you how you can cure all of these 

 stiff horses." 



I took out of my satchel my pasteboard hoof, and 

 explained the principles it was done on. He saw 

 it all at a glance. 



''That will do it, I know," said he. 



In a few words it was all made clear to him. He 

 could do it as well as I could. His long experience 

 and the progression he had made enabled him to grasp 

 this new discovery instantly. It was what he had 

 been many years reaching after. 



