THE MORGAN HORSE. 75 



learned that a stage would leave for St. Johnsbury the next 

 morning on its last trip for the season, it being then late in the 

 month of September. This being the route our party preferred 

 taking they engaged passage at once. Consequently the next 

 morning, six good-sized individuals, besides the driver, with 

 about an ordinary horse-load of baggage were stowed away in 

 the rugged looking stage-wagon to which was attached a pair 

 of medium-sized horses, as follows : The near one, a gelding of 

 a dark chestnut color, about fourteen and one-half hands high,, 

 very closely and compactly built, with a clean, small head 

 and exceedingly small ears set wide apart and very lively and 

 active. The other was a gray mare somewhat heavier and 

 considerably taller. She had a fine, long hip, well-shaped 

 shoulders, and was, on the whole, a very fine animal. 



" The party all objected to starting out with so small a 

 team which they deemed quite unable for such a load to bo 

 drawn over such a mountainous and hilly road ; but as re- 

 monstrances prevailed nothing the passengers fell to discussing 

 the chances of getting on with their infant team, as they fa- 

 cetiously called it, and, from this, to discussing the relative 

 merits of their two nags. 



" One of the party whose fancy had been taken by the 

 brilliant but pleasant eye that stood out large and free, the 

 ever restless ears, and the strong, muscular loins and quarters 

 of the chestnut, proposed to back the horse, much to the 

 amusement of most of the party. 



" "When, at length, the driver gathered up the ribbons and 

 gave the word, the mare dashed ahead as if determined to drag 

 the driver off the seat. The horse struck a short, nervous trot, 

 without fretting, and kept steady at it. The mare took the 

 whole thing for the first half mile almost entirely by the bit, 

 and the travelers had a hearty laugh at the judgment of my 

 Rhode Island friend who had 'backed' the chestnut horse. 



"A half hour passed and with it a good five miles of the 

 road; by this time 'bets were not so freely offered on the 

 mare ;' she had commenced to slacken her pace, perspired freely. 



