SWIFTEST HORSE IN THE WORLD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 6 May 1912, Page 2

SWIFTEST HORSE IN THE WORLD.

It was a desire to outdo the teller of the tallest Web tern yarn which once led Mark Twain to draw upon his imagination for the following story: The great American humorist was dining with a number of friends one day, and asked them if they had ever heard of a fast horse he used to own in Nevada The reply was in the negative. "Well, gent'emen," continued Mark, as he blew a smoke ring and watched it, "that was a fast horse. He was a very fast horse. But he was so tough-bitted that I couldn't guide him with a bit at all." "How did you guide him?" some one asked. "Well, gentlemen, I had to guide him with electricity. I used to have wire lines, and keep a battery in the waggon all the time in order to stop him." "Why didn't you stop him by hollering 'Whoa?' " ".Stop him by hollering 'Whoa'!" exclaimed Mark. "Why, Tcouldn't holler loud enough to make that horse hear me. He travelled so fast that no sound ever reached him from behind. He went faster than the sound, sir. Holler 'Whoa' and he'd be in the next town before the sound of your voice could reach the dashboard. Travel fast?.! should say he could. Why, I once started right in front of one of the most dreadful rainstorms we ever had on the Pacific coast. Wind and rain ? Why, the wind blew eighty miles an hour, and the rain fell m sheets. I drove right before Lhe storm for three hours—just on the edge of that hurricane and rain for forty miles." "Didn't you get drenched ?" "Drenched? No, sir. Why. I tell you, I drove in front of that rainstorm. I could lean forward and let the sun shine on me, or lean backward and feel rain and catch the hailstones. When the hurricane slacked up the horse slacked up, too, and when it blew faster I just said 'G-lk!' to the horse and touched the battery, and away he went. Now, I don't want to lie about my horse, gentlemen, ,and I don't ask you to believe what I •say, but I tell you truthfully that when I got to my destination my linen was as dry as powder."