148 THE TWO-MINUTE PACERS 



"He had not been with us very long until I discovered 

 that he was a colt quite different from all the others ever 

 trained by me. He had a will of his own and was very 

 determined in carrying out what he undertook to do. And 

 yet he was kind, liked children, cats and our old dog, and 

 would spend much time with them if given a chance. But 

 he would not stand punishment nor rough treatment of any 

 kind. 



"I spent seven years on horseback on the prairie and 

 during that time rode many horses, but when William took 

 a notion he could put to flight any broncho I ever saw; could 

 jump farther and higher and show you that he had a way 

 of his own. 



"After trying to drive him to do things he did not want 

 to do he most always won and I said 'we will train your way 

 awhile and see if we will be better friends.' 



"The road running past our track at Lafayette runs east 

 and west. If William wanted to go east he went east and if 

 {le wanted to go west he went west. He did not like to go 

 over the same road often and he has been over every road 

 and by-road near his home. I also discovered that there were 

 very few men about the barn he cared for. But there was a 

 young man by the name of Frank Mackessy who said to me 

 one day: 'I like this colt.' I found him much around the 

 colt and one day, after watching them I said to Frank: 'He 

 seems to like you. I believe he will be a great horse some 

 day if we manage him the proper way. You take him.' 

 So Frank cared for William and I trained him. For three 

 years no one else was ever up behind him except Mr. W. J. 

 Andrews whom I asked to train him a mile for me one day 

 at North Randall so that I might see him while he was going 

 fast. Mr. Andrews said he would be pleased to drive the 

 mile and asked how fast he should go. I told him a mile in 

 2:07 or near it would do. They went the mile in 2:05 and as 

 Mr. Andrews gave me back the lines he remarked: 'He 

 slips away from you. I had no idea he was going that 

 fast. He is the best hitched, most perfectly balanced horse 

 I ever drove.' From that casual remark I felt that I was 

 getting some place with William. 



