avery's own farrier. 225 



and control them all, and when he sees the most fero- 

 cious beasts flee at his approach? As I stated above, 

 the domeslicated horse loves man, and I very much doubt 

 whether there is another creature on earth that is so 

 universally beloved by man as the horse. They look 

 upon him as their friend, and when in trouble will run 

 to him for help and protection. As an evidence of this 

 fact I need only relate one circumstance that I witnessed 

 with my friend and neighbor, Casler, and others. I had 

 a mare that owned a colt about a week old running in a 

 field wherein was an old well fourteen feet deep, which 

 had been covered with plank, which by some means had 

 got off, so that the colt fell into the well. This happened 

 about the break of day, and before I had got out of bed 

 I heard the noise and clatter of a horse's hoofs which 

 awoke me. This was followed by a loud neigh of a 

 horse at my door. I scrambled out of bed and went to 

 the door just in time to see the old mare returning 

 towards the well that was some forty rods distant. See- 

 ing her look down into the well and then start for the 

 house again, I anticipated the trouble she was in. I 

 summoned help and started for the well, but not without 

 being met several times by the old mare (who seemed to 

 be almost frantic) as if to hurry us on to the place of 

 disaster. When we arrived, the colt was splashing in 

 the water at the bottom. We immediately got him out 

 with the help of ropes that we took along with us, when 

 they both followed us back to the house; and whenever 

 we stopped, the mare would stand by us, and even lick 

 our hands, as well as the colt, in thankfulness for the 

 assistance we h;ul rendered her in rescuing her colt. 



