MARK TWAIN AS A HORSE-BUYER

Otago Witness, Issue 1319, 10 March 1877, Page 21

MARK TWAIN AS A HORSE-BUYER

At a lecture in New York, Mark Twain related an anecdote in relation to buying a horse, which he told as follows: "I bought the horse at auction ; they called it a Mexican plug. I did not know what that was, but supposed it was all right! The brother-in-law of the auctioneer took me on one side, and said, ' Now, that horse is a genuine Mexican plug, andj besides, he can out-buck anything in the country.' I did not know what 'bucking' was, but I wanted a horse that could excel in something, so I bought him. . The next afternoon I thought I would ride him, so brought him out, and two men held his head and another held him down 'to the ground by the tail, and I mounted ;, and just a3 soon as they let go, that horse brought all hia feet together in, a bunch and lowered his back and then suddenly elevated it, throwing me some feet into the air, I vent straight' up and came

straight downed- lit on the saddle ; and up I went ag'ainj an^still again. This time I lit on the. neck of the animal, and hung fast. Then he rose on his hind -feet ,aud ( went' through all the gymnastic performances ,he knew' of, and.,, finally ended by throwing me' up again, and while Irwasup, ,in the air. I heard some one, say, , « Ah, how he ' bucks' !? So that was bucking. , Before I got . dowji, . some one : hit that horae,' .andjWhen I gotjdown he was not- there. ; Plenty friends gathered- around, to offer/ me sympathy ; they'alway3ido<,when--you want:. to bo alone, I wanted to sit down/ and I did sit down ; and I was so sorfe and bruised I and' shaken, I put one hand to ! my head, the other J to ( my stbmach-^and'-if I had had sixteen .hands' 1 ! could have found places'fpr then£ One. friend said,' Why, yp£ ,- mi ght. have known' fre .'was • nothing hjit.a.Mexican.plug.' ' Yes, ,l' did^ know it. /Another, '.Why, you ;could?'see that animal bucked.' Yes, that .was what I bought him: fori'' ; ; -. .