io6 



RECREA TIOlV. 



fore his " cue " had been given, but it was 

 no go — he cut. 



To be sure it was only a curtain raiser, 

 but it was a dandy. When I left him he was 

 doing his part well. The curtain had be- 

 come hung up, some way, and I made a 

 hasty exit over Pete's tail and walked down 

 to the office, after the candy. 



The following spring, when the warm 

 spell came on and the willows and cotton- 

 woods had fuzzed up, one of those itching 

 spells came on me. For the partial allay- 

 ment of this I pulled out my fly book, rod 



taken the antidote and felt well again. How 

 I did enjoy it! The delicious air w r as like 

 champagne, just opened^ and made me feel 

 as though I could fly. The beautiful little 

 meadow, with the brook running through 

 it, singing its song of gladness because 

 grim old winter had gone, and the grand 

 mountains rising on either side, clothed 

 with spruce which mercenary vandals had 

 not reached as yet, were as a dream of 

 elysium. 



But food does not grow on trees, out that 

 way, and not being herbivorous, like my 



"HE HESITATED A MOMENT, AND CAUTIOUSLY STARTED." 



and line and went out and talked it over 

 with Pete, with whom I had become friend- 

 ly again. We came to a mutual agreement 

 that the only cure was to go over to the 

 Park and try the trout. We went — or 

 rather I went and Pete followed. I played 

 mule; he was the boat and I towed him 

 over the divide in true Erie canal style. 

 I carried the bridle over my shoulder, pull- 

 ing for all I was worth, while Pete's nose, 

 the top of his head, his back and tail formed 

 a good illustration of what a straight line 

 should be. 



We had 2 glorious days in the Park. To 

 be sure I caught but one little trout and he 

 was returned whence he came; but I had 



friend Pete, I reluctantly pulled up and 

 started for home. Pete expostulated with 

 me, the best he could, for he wanted to stay 

 and burst his sides with the fresh grass, in 

 which he had wallowed with true equine 

 delight. But I didn't see it that way. 



Poor old Pete! I wonder if he felt he was 

 starting on a long, unknown journey. I 

 don't think he did, for a more frisky old 

 horse never trod the range. As we got up 

 to the top of the range we found it had 

 been snowing and the trail was extremely 

 slippery. I walked for I knew it would 

 make better traveling for him. A more 

 careful fellow I never saw. In fact, he 

 traveled as though he had been bred in the 



