cents, we finally compromised
on twenty-five cents. But I can assure you it was more for the money
than the fun of the thing, that I finally consented to ride him. With
great difficulty we managed to get him in a stall as we did the others,
but I no sooner landed on his back than he jumped in the manger with me
hanging to his mane. Finally the door was opened and the pole removed
and out of the barn we shot like a black cloud, around the yard we flew,
then over the garden fence. At this juncture the track hounds became
interested and promptly followed us. Over the fields we went, the horse
clearing the highest fences and other obstacles in his way with the
greatest ease. My seat on his back was not the most comfortable place in
the world, but as the horse did not evince any disposition to stop and
let me get off, I concluded to remain where I was. All the dogs of the
neighborhood were fast joining in the race and I had quite a respectable
following. After running about two miles we cleared a fence into a
pasture where there was a large number of other horses and young colts,
who promptly stampeded as we joined them, Highwayman taking the lead
with me on his back, looking very much like a toad. And all the dogs in
the country strung out in the rear. Naturally we formed a spectacle that
could not fail to attract the attention of the neighbors, who soon as
possible mounted horses and started in pursuit and vainly tried to catch
my black mount but could get nowhere near him, while I without bridle or
anything to control him could do nothing but let him run as all the
other horses bunched around us and the dogs kept up a continual din. I
simply held on and let him go. It was a question of breaking the horse
or breaking my neck. We went over everything, through everything, until
finally the killing pace told and Black Highwayman fell, a thoroughly
exhausted and completely conquered and well broken horse. As for myself,
I was none the worse for my exciting ride. But on looking for my
twenty-five cents, I found it gone. The boys had paid me in advance, as
I insisted, and I had tied the money up in a corner of my shirt tail and
during my wild ride it had come untied and worked out. This was a great
misfortune to me and for a while I was inconsolable. I asked the boys if
they would make it right, but no, they had paid me once and they refused
to give me another quarter. This riled me considerable and I told them
all right, to come