ing hoofs. We waited a while until she got more still, and then care- fully got her by the mane and helped her on her legs. She was a laugh- able looking sight after she got out of the red mud. She was like the hull of a vessel, painted red above and white below the water line. My little brother was more amused at my calling “Whoa, whoa,” as I flew through the air, than he was with Bloss’s somersault.

Another day my brother was riding on her back carrying a pitch- er of water; some of the water splashed on her and she ran away; he had no bridle on her, and could not stop her; the more she plunged the worse the water splashed. It was hard for him to keep on her bare back and hold the pitcher. After a wild race he emptied all the water out and when it stopped splashing she stopped running. There are a good many dangers and exciting times on a farm. Where there are plenty of boys and girls it makes an interesting and happy life with some bruises and broken bones.

Johnny and Old Tom

When my brother Johnny got able to go about after his hurt in the threshing mill, he had to use a crutch to enable him to walk; he soon got accustomed to it and could walk very nimbly. One night he got a scare with what he thought was a wild cat. We had an old tom- cat we wanted to get rid of; we did not want to kill it; no one would take the job. We thought it would be more merciful to take it away and let it go and provide for itself. We put it in a bag and carried it away about a mile and let it go in the woods. We heard no more of it for some time. One night Johnny was coming through the woods alone. He was scared enough, as he could not run if danger arose. Near the middle of the woods he was startled by a long drawn out deep toned mew of, what he was sure, was a wild cat. It was only a few yards away. He stopped and again the weird mew came through the darkness. He thought his hair stood on end, he was so scared. He looked in the direction of the sound, and saw a form approaching him; it was low on the ground, as if about to spring on him, it stopped a few yards from him and he expected to feel its sharp claws in his flesh any moment. There was nothing he could do but face it and fight for his life; his crutch was all the weapon he had. He made

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