THE horse's rescue. 301 



shoes. In the winter I put in what are called frost 

 nails. The heads stuck up along the shoe on the 

 sides ; none in the toe. When they wore off I drew them 

 and put in more ; beveled the toe of shoe off to save 

 the leverage. In this way I could sail him sixty miles 

 in ten hours, and be would be no worse for doing it. 

 I mean after I bad spread his feet, got the structure of 

 his feet all in harmony and kept them so. He was a 

 good horse and a hard one to follow. He was a nice- 

 coated dapple-brown, in fine condition when I let him 

 go to rescue another that was about dead, caused by 

 abuse, night and day drives, and poor care. I must 

 give you a description of this animal as she stood tied 

 to a post. Hooked her over, that is, her bones, for I 

 could see some of them in many places. As for flesh 

 she had none ou, and the hide was off and worn 



* 



through to the bones with the harness. Her hair was 

 faded and dead ; the hide on her ribs was set ; no stir- 

 ring that ; blood, scabs, and sores on every ankle. She 

 stood with her head down. She was sick. She rattled 

 badly in her throat at every breath. I saw she had a 

 fine, clean, cordy deer leg, and points about her, if she 

 had good care, that would make a good sailer. I made 

 up my mind to rescue her. She was only six years 

 old. While I was looking this mare over the owner 

 came out of the hotel. I asked him if he ever traded 

 horses. 

 "Yes." 



''I have a horse that I will trade for that mare." 

 After looking mine over he said he v>/ould trade 

 even. I told him all right. We changed horses in 

 front of the hotel. There were quite a number stand- 



