Old Nick. . [For The Free Lance ]

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 169, 26 September 1903, Page 17

Old Nick. . [For The Free Lance ]

WE hasten to explain, lest our tit'e should shock ?:iy sensitive leader. Old Nick was a hois.c. In his jounger and more \irtuous c'a\s, he had been known as Dick, but, as psssmg yeais say. him leaving the paths of equine \irtuc, and wdiiclermg leather and further into w rongdoinc. the initial D had. peitorce, to give way to N. In the twe:ity-fnst jeai of his lite the said Old Nick was the subject ot the following advertisement, which appeared i-i the '"Observer ot Febiuaiy 21st, 1902 —"Wanted to sell, chestnut gelding, quiet and reliable splendid lady's hack " Now", it so happened that, a few miles from this same countiy town, there had lately come to settle a retired Wellington storekeeper. Tins ge-itlcman had become so impressed with the giowmg importance of poultryfanning that he had given, up his business and come into the country to rear Bufr Orpingtons aud What© MuioTcas. As, his eye rested on the above advertisement, the conviction had been borne in upon him that, now he had left the busy whirl cf town life, and had come to live the glorious free lite of the country, he should, m the natural order of things, invest in a hoise. Mr. Thomas Felwick, being up to the present engaged all day m handing sugar, treacle. Quaker oats, etc., over the counter, had never had muc.i to do wxth horses Still, he had little doubt that the process of learning to ride would be an easy one. ''This will be just what I want," he thought, as he read the advertisement. '-Something eas-^ to start on. A splendid lady s haek 1 It goes without saving that 1 shall be able to manage a woman's hoise. I must go down to-morrow, and see the animal." Acordmglv, on the morrow he went to see. He say,. He was delighted. The owner was leaving the district, and was very sorry to part with the animal. In fact, he would not sell him to anyone who would not be a kind master. Mr. Felwick assured him of his love for all dumb creatures. He had paid a subseuption yearly to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. On his pait. though he felt it entirely unnecessary, vet, for mere appeal ance sake, he asked a few questions. What was its age? Well, the ow nor was not sure. Anyhow with good treatment the horse had years of work in him vet. Easy to catch 9 Oh, yes He Veiv rarely gave trouble in that diiection. Afterwards, Mr. Felwick had cause to wonder if this man had a ri^ht conception of the meaning of "rarely.' Pnce 5 Well, he was prepared to make a sacrifice. Of course, allhoises weie then clear, on account of the number sent to South Africa. Nick was worth at least £10. However, he would let him go for £8. Mr Felwick agreed. Indeed, he paid the money down on the spot. Fiu therm ore. he at once proceeded to a saddler's, and spent another £4 on a saddle and bridle. He was half inclined to mount straight away so jubilant did he feel over his morning's work. His wiser judgment, howevei, decided that discretion was the better part of valour, so he led his steed home. On arriving theie, he called his wife to admire his purchase. He explained the many good points, leal and imaginary, with the air of a trainer. He even graciously remarked that, after a time, he would buy lv r a side-saddle, and allow her to share the pleasures of riding. 'To-morrow," he said, "I must make a beginning. I anticipate very little tiouble. The horse is as quiet as a lamb, and veiy easy." Mr. Felwick was a most blissfully ti listing kind of a man He had made up Ins mind that he had got a good bargain, and the conviction was so strong that it over-iuled all the subsequent little happenings that seemed to point to the contrary He had always been an optimist, and it was wonderful, as the days went by. revealing Old Nick more and more in his true light, what excuses he invented for the horse's misdeeds. He rose early the next morning, his mind full of the delights of invigorating exercise in the baJmy country air. W nat an appet'te he would have for breakfast. "Now r , Nick, old boy." he exclaimed as he went out the back-door, "we'll make a beginning." Halloa' gracious me' Wheie in the name of goodness can the horse be 9 Well, I'm bothered, if the gate isn't unhooked. It looks very suspicious. Some scoundrel, who knows a good horse must have got away with him in the night. Hum' I must say this is most provoking. Yes, there's the road gate undone, too' Clearly a case of stealing. I must have the matter put into the hands of the police."

(By W. D.)

With dire vengeance flashing forth from his indignant eye, Felw lck set oft directly after bieakfast to mtei view the police. On his way, he met the foime.r omiei, and into his oai pouied forth his tale of woe. Dear me ! dear me ! But, no, I don't think he's stoLen. There's one httle detail about the horse I omitted to tell you. He is remarkably clever ax, opening gates. Undoubted!- you will find him on his way towards my place in Puken&ki-road. Before many days had elapsed, Mr. Felwick discovered that vanous other little details in Nick's character had not been told him — all slight omissions, of course. Anyhow, on the present occasion he set off and discovered the animal three miles away from his house quietly grazing. Old Nick turned, and gave him a look of inspection as he drew near, then he went on feeding. 'Ha, ha ' he knows me already. He's gonif to allow me to catch him." "Oh, no' "not at all!" quoth Nick. Within six yards he approached, and then Nick considered it advisable to move on a little way. "Whoa! whoa! Nick, old boy!" Nick's only response was to quicken his steps. "Bother it' I suppose he thinks I want to drive him further on in this direction." Of course, Nick wouLd never have dreamt of continuing in this direction if he knew lus new master wanted him to go in the other ' Felwick tried to run past him. Nick began to jig-jog. Felwick made a big spurt. Niok began to canter. Felwick, unfortunately tripped and fell in an undignified position m the mud. When he had managed to right himself again, Old Nick was just disappearing round a corner half-a-mile aw ay at full gallop. "How stupid of me to f lighten him like that'" thought the unfortunate Felwick. We must not linger over the day's adventures. Nick and his master arrived home at half-past four in the afternoon, and, as Mr. Felwick remarked, he had seen a good bit of the country, anyhow. The ' next day he made another attempt to learn to ride. Nick was secure enough this time, in a three-acie paddock, and his owner appioached him confidently, but, somehow, the horse was again unwilling to be obliging. ' His strange surroundings must have somewhat disturbed him," reasoned Felwick. After getting him several times in each of the four corners of the paddock and also seeing him co out of them, he bethought himself that he had heard that horses were very fond of carrots. Accordingly, he set off and obtained a bunch. In less than half-an-hour, Nick had eaten the carrots, but was still uncaught. However, being rather curious to know w hat this strange man would do next, he at length allowed himself to be captured. He made no demur while Felwick took two or three turns lound the paddock on him. So pleased was the rider that he determined to take a little trip down the road, iust to show himself. Even then Nick behaved most kindly. The only little drawback was that he persisted in ug-iogging when Felwack tried to make him walk fast, whereat the rider felt considerably shaken up inside. Things went on passably till the rider and horse came to a disagreement over a certain turning m the road. Felwick wanted to turn back, and go home. Nick had a mind to visit his old home. As fast as Felwick pulled him round, round he went again. If ho walked ten paces his master's way, he quickly retaliated by suddenly turning and cantering fifty his own, before the terrified rider, expecting every minute to go off, could pull him in. When Felwick ventured to hit him, he vented his ire with so forcible a lurch from the stern tow ards the stem that the iockey was disinclined to try another. Just as the poor man was considering the advisability of getting off and leading him, Nick decided the question by insisting on going to have a drink from a little pond by the side of the road. It was some yards below the road, and Mr. Felwick didn't at aIL like the idea of riding down the steep path leading to it, but Nick gave him no time to consider. So that, what with not being able to stick on and also trying to get off hurriedly, he came off fairly suddenly just at the bottom, and as anyone with a knowledge of the law of inertia would expect, he rolled over the bank into the water. An impudent rustic feelingly enquired if "you townies ginnorlv bathe in yer Sundy " clothes ?" whereat Old Nick tried not to smile. Felwick walked home, and led his horse. Of course, as he explained to his wife, it was just to keep warm after unfortunately losing his footiner as he was getting off to tighten. tfoe> girth.

In the couise of time, he< learned to ride, and, though Niok did not always bcha\ c in a model manner, there was always a good excuse. "He hasn't quite got into my ways yet," he would say One day, after Nick had put lum oft, and come home without him, he told his wife that the horse was so strong that he didn't know whether anyone were on his back or no, and had not known that his master was not on. But, if Mr. Felwick believed this, his wife didn't. The joke of the neighbourhood was the way in which Felwick used to ride Niok to church on Sundays. Seivice was held in the State school, a little building standing all by itself about four miles from where he lived. The horses belonging to the other churchgoers w ere always tied to the fence, but Mr. Felton soon showed that he and his horse w ere superior to such arrangements. Why not leave the horse on the road, where on either side there was abundance of good grass ? Go home? Not he! Nick wouldn't think of such a thing. So every Sunday during service-time Niok was allowed his freedom on the road. The first Sunday Felwick sat at the back, and looked out once or twice, but, strange to say, Nick did not go home. Felwick knew he wouldn't. The next Sundae, he looked out but once, just towards the end of the service. Yes there was the horse, feeding away contentedly enough. Five minutes afterwards when church came out. he was just disappearing down the hill, two hundred yards away, and Felw lck had the pleasure of seeing his horse set him an example of how r to walk all the way home m a most Sundayfied manner. Nick, however, took good care his master should learn from a respectable distance. Felwick at first felt angry. Then, he recollected that the service had been slightly longer than before. That, of couise, explained why the horse did not wait. He tried him again the follow ing Sunday, and Nick waited quite patiently. He even wajked up to the gate so as not to give his master unnecessary trouble. Then, for two Sundays running he w r alked home by himself. Felwick w ondered w nether, perhaps, the w lse old fellow reckoned his master could better reflect on the sermon w alking than he could riding, and so had given him the opportunity of so doing. He was not quite certain on this point. Before long it grew to be quite a well-known sight m the neighbouihood, horse and master going home in smgle file, twenty yards distant, but Nick by behaving well now and then, still kept his privilege. To tell of all Old Nick's misdeeds wouLd fill a volume. One bright moonlight night he spent m admixing the chrysanthemums in Mrs. Felwiek's garden, and, considering awhile, he resolved that a good pruning would impiove them. Needless to lemark, Mrs. Felwick passed some uncomplimentary remarks on his knowledge of gardening. Then, to spread his favours somewhat, the next night he opened the gate of the small paddock where Mr. Felwick had his brooders. He spent the night in investigating how they were made, much to their detriment and also that of the chicks therein. To crown all, he was so angered when his master reproached him for this last adventure that he resolved to show his dignity was not to be insulted, and w hen Felwick was fastening the back straps of his newly-bought rug, he attempted to emulate goal-kicker Wallace, and let fly with such vigour that for some time Felwick had to confine his means of locomotion to a process of hopping. At this even the long-suffering Felwick had had enough, and thus it was that the following advertisement appeared in the "Observer" the next day "Wanted to sell, chestnut horse, cost £10. Owner, finding him unnecessary, will sell horse and rag for 305."