BLACK HAWK 161 



"Finally Mr. Seavey suggested to Mathes that he would accom- 

 pany him part way home, that Mathes might start ahead, and if he 

 could not pass him he would give Mathes the colt. They started, 

 and after driving a short distance met a loaded team. Mathes reined 

 to the right, but Seavey went to the left, drew up on the reins, shot 

 by Mathes before he came into the road and drove away from him, 

 but waited for him to come up, and at Mathes' urgent request let him 

 take the colt home that night, Mr. Seavey taking the mare, which he 

 returned the next day and got his colt. 



"A few days afterwards Mr. Mathes brought another mare, for 

 which and fifty dollars in cash Mr. Seavey exchanged Black Hawk. 

 Mr. Seavey saw Black Hawk once when owned by Mr. Mathes, and 

 found him suffering from a slight lameness in one hind pastern, 

 caused by driving him at speed over an uneven culvert. 



"The above statements of Messrs. Seavey and Twombly were ob- 

 tained in reply to questions, the answers to which were carefully 

 noted upon the spot. Noticing a descrepancy between the two state- 

 ments concerning the date of foaling, a letter was addressed to Mr. 

 Seavey calling his attention to the date given by Mr. Twombly, and 

 asking if that was as he remembered the matter, to which came the 

 following reply : 



"' GREENLAND, November 22, 1885. 



"'S. W. PARLIN. Dear Sir: Mr. Twombly is mistaken in re- 

 gard to the time Black Hawk was foaled. It must have been before 

 the middle of April, for I well remember there was no feed in the 

 fields or pastures. He was foaled in Durham, in 1833, and we moved 

 to this place in the fall of 1835. The following spring the colt was 

 three years old. The mane of the mare was about medium, as was 

 also her tail for length. As to her height, I told you all I knew or 

 remembered about it. You are welcome to all the information I 

 have been able to give you, and if I do not know about Black 

 Hawk's ancestors, no one does. Respectfully, 



SHABRACK SEAVEY'. 



"Thinking if the dam of Black Hawk was of pacing stock, as has 

 been lately suggested, Mr. A. R. Mathes, who is an experienced 

 horseman, must remember something to that effect, a letter was ad- 

 dressed to him, to which he replied as follows : 



"' STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, November, 20, 1885. 



" 'EDITOR OF THE " AMERICAN CULTIVATOR" : Your favor of the 

 1 9th inst. is before me and I hasten to reply. Am just recov- 

 ering from a severe sickness, but am always pleased to answer com- 



