HORSE INSTINCT

Evening Star, Issue 18668, 24 June 1924, Page 8

HORSE INSTINCT

TROTTER WHO WAIIDEEED POE THERE YEARS. In your issue of Juno 7/’ write “ The Watcher ” to the editor of t.hc Wellington ‘ Evening Post,’ “you givo some failures as lo the uncanny instinct of liore-.es getling back Lo uheir own homo or Lo .some favorites pasture or feeding-places I can givo you an instance of a wonderful character iu illustration.

“ My father owned many trotting horses when I was a hoy, and he leased cue for Circuit and fair trotting in tdio NorthStates of America. The horse left Detroit, .Michigan, worked his way west to Onuid Jtlavon, and thou was taken across Lake .Michigan to Milwaukee, Wised).sin, then. onward t.lirougli Minttosofa, Illinois, Missouri, and lowa. The last, [face he raced in was Omaha, Nebraska, lie was then lost, and was not heard of again for over t hree years. It was thought that he was stolen, a.ncl, although ho was well advertised, no word of him came, to Land until cme night, when our old cat Jerry, who was a mast, orderly animal, and a groat favorite with all hands in Lbo stable, set up a terrible row, meowing round tho house, scratching at doors and windows, showing that, ho wanted to get out. One of iho stab)omen who slept in the house got up and let Jerry out. At onco thorn was a loud wliinueying from a horso outside the gale, which was answered by r Jerry's meow. He at onco scaled tho fence and jump'd on ‘ Paddy Whack ’ {this being the stable name of tho wanderer), for it was he, sure enough. Uis sides, hocks, and legs showed that someone had made him work for his living at menial work, for tho marts of tho side chains had chafed oil all the hair, while he hauled the plough, harrow, or other farm implement while in their illegal possession. Omaha is over 950 miles as tho crow fifes from Detroit, and tho.ro aro numbers of deep rivers that were not bridged .at that date, including tho Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. What do you. think of that, Mr Editor?

“Jerry and Paddy Whack were born in the same month and year, and died during the same winter twenty-two years afterwards, and were inseparable companions, except for (die period of Paddy Whack’.? wanderings. Jerry seemed u> have lost all interest in the stables durmg the time of his old mate's absence, hut ■would now- and again go into Paddy Whack’s old stall, and when he ion ml h occupied by a stranger would sit for a few moments while looking at the intrude' then with an angry ru'd meow woul go away; but when his old chum cam bade he resumed his old air of author.! in the stables, much lo the disgust < several dogs who had to get out win Jerry came in.”