EPISODES 



217 



About two hours afterwards, I took my gun, mounted 

 the prairie nag, and went to the woods. I was not long 

 in finding him very sensible to the spur, and as I observed 

 that he moved with great ease, both to himself and his 

 rider, I thought of leaping over a log several feet in diam- 

 eter, to judge how far he might prove serviceable in deer- 

 driving or bear-hunting. So I gave him the reins, and 

 pressed my legs to his belly without using the spur, on 

 which, as if aware that I wished to try his mettle, he 

 bounded off, and cleared the log as lightly as an elk. I 

 turned him, and made him leap the same log several 

 times, which he did with equal ease, so that I was satis- 

 fied of his ability to clear any impediment in the woods. 

 I next determined to try his strength, for which purpose 

 I took him to a swamp, which I knew was muddy and 

 tough. He entered it with his nose close to the water, 

 as if to judge of its depth, at which I was well pleased, 

 as he thus evinced due caution. I then rode through the 

 swamp in different directions, and found him prompt, 

 decided, and unflinching. Can he swim well } thought I, 

 — for there are horses, which, although excellent, cannot 

 swim at all, but will now and then lie on their side, as if 

 contented to float with the current, when the rider must 

 either swim and drag them to the shore, or abandon them. 

 To the Ohio then I went, and rode into the water. He 

 made off obliquely against the cuirent, his head well raised 

 above the surface, his nostrils expanded, his breathing 

 free, and without any of the grunting noise emitted by 

 many horses on such occasions. I turned him down the 

 stream, then directly against it, and finding him quite to 

 my mind, I returned to the shore, on reaching which he 

 stopped of his own accord, spread his legs, and almost 

 shook me off my seat. After this, I put him to a gallop, 

 and returning home through the woods, shot from the 

 saddle a Turkey-cock, which he afterwards approached as 

 if he had been trained to the sport, and enabled me to 

 take it up without dismounting. 



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