HORSE INSTINCT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 146, 21 June 1924, Page 16

HORSE INSTINCT

A TROTTER WHO WANDERED FOR

THESE YEARS.

"In your issue of 7th June," writes "The Watcher 11 to the editor of the "Evening Post," "you give some features as. to the uncanny instinct of horses getting buck tp their own home or to some favourite pasture or feeding-place. I oan giye you an instance of a wonderful character in illustration!

"My father owned many trotting horses when I was a boy, and ho leased one for circuit and fair trotting in the North-western States pf America. Th© horse left Detroit, Michigan, worked his way west to Grand Haven, and then w;is taken across Lake jNlichigan, tip Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then onward through Minnesota. Illinois, Missouri, and lowa. The last place ( he raced in was Omaha, Nebraska. He was then lost, and was not heard of again for over three years. It _w;a thought that he was stolen, and, alt|irmgh ho was well advertised, no word of him came to hand until one night when our old cat Jerry, who was a most orderly animal, and a great favourite with all hands in tho stable, including the horses and cows, set up a. terrible row, meowing round the house, scratching at doors and windows, showin" that lie wanted to get out. One of the stable-, men who slept in the house jot up and let Jerry out. At. once there "was a loud wmnneying from a horse outside the gate, which was answered by Jerry's meow. He at once scaled the 'fence and jumped on 'Paddy Whack' (this bcini; the stable najne of the wanderer), for it was he sure enough; his sides, hocks, and legs showed that someone had made him work for his living at menial work, tor tho marls of tho side chains had chafed off all the hair, while he hauled the plough, harrow, or other farm implement, while in their iilegal possession. Omaha is over 950 miles as the/ crow flics from Detroit, and there are numbers of deep m-ers that were not bridged at that date, includine the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. What do you tfiiiik of that, Mr. Editor? " '

'Jerry and Paddy Whack were born in the same month and year, and died during the same winter 22 years afterwards, and were inseparable companions except for the period of Paddy Whack's wanderings. Jerry seemed to" have lost alt interest m the stables durino- the time of his old mate's absence, but would now and again fro into Paddy Whack's old stall, and when he found'it occupied by a stranger, would sit for a few moments while looking at the intruder, then with an angry spit and meow would so away but when his old chum came "back he resumed his qld air of authority in the stables much to the disgust of several does, who, had to get out when Jerry came 10. ' '