The Trotting Horse.
I was always well mounted; I am fond of a horse, and
always piqued myself on having the fastest trotter in
the Province. I have made no great progress in the world,
I feel doubly, therefore, the pleasure of not being
surpassed on the road. I never feel so well or so cheerful
as on horseback, for there is something exhilirating in
quick motion; and, old as I am, I feel a pleasure in
making any person whom I meet on the way put his horse
to the full gallop, to keep pace with my trotter. Poor
Ethiope! you recollect him, how he was wont to lay back
his ears on his arched neck, and push away from all
competition. He is done, poor fellow! the spavin spoiled
his speed, and he now roams at large upon 'my farm at
Truro.' Mohawk never failed me till this summer, I pride
myself (you may laugh at such childish weakness in a man
of my age,) but still, I pride myself in taking the
concert out of coxcombs I meet on the road, and on the
ease with which I can leave a fool behind, whose nonsense
disturbs my solitary musings, On my last journey to Fort
Lawrence, as the beautiful view of Colchester had just
opened upon me, and as I was contemplating its richness
and exquisite scenery, a tall thin man, with hollow cheeks
and bright twinkling black eyes, on a good bay horse,
somewhat out of condition, overtook me; and drawing up,
said, I guess you started early this morning, Sir? I did,
Sir, I replied. You did not come from Halifax, I presume,
Sir, did you? in a dialect too rich to be mistaken as
genuine Yankee. And which way may you be travelling?
asked my inquisitive companion. To Fort Lawrence. Ah!
said he, so am I, it is IN MY CIRCUIT. The word CIRCUIT
sounded so professional, I looked again at him, to
ascertain whether I had ever seen him before, or whether
I had met with one of those nameless, but innumerable
limbs of the law, who now flourish in every district of
the Province. There was a keenness about his eye, and an
acuteness of expression, much in favor of the law; but
the dress, and general bearing of the man, made against
the supposition. His was not the coat of a man who can
afford to wear an old coat, nor was it one of 'Tempest
& More's,' that distinguish country lawyers from country
boobies. His clothes were well made, and of good materials,
but looked as if their owner had shrunk a little since
they were made for him; they hung somewhat loose on him.
A large brooch, and some superfluous seals and gold keys,
which ornamented his outward man, looked 'New England'
like. A visit to the States, had perhaps, I thought,
turned this Colchester beau into a Yankee fop. Of what
consequence was it to me who he was--in either case I
had nothing to do with him, and I desired neither his
acquaintance nor his company--still I could not but ask
myself who can this man be? I am not aware, said I,
that there is a court sitting at this time at Cumberland?
Nor am I, said my friend. What then could he have to do
with the circuit? It occurred to me he must be a Methodist
preacher. I looked again, but his appearance again puzzled
me. His attire might do--the colour might be suitable--the
broad brim not out of place; but there was a want of that
staidness of look, that seriousness of countenance, that
expression, in short, so characteristic of the clergy.
I could not account for my idle curiosity--a curiosity
which, in him, I had the moment before viewed both with
suspicion and disgust; but so it was--I felt a desire to
know who he could be who was neither lawyer nor preacher,
and yet talked of his circuit with the gravity of both.
How ridiculous, I thought to myself is this; I will leave
him. Turning towards him, I said, I feared I should be
late for breakfast, and must therefore bid him good
morning. Mohawk felt the pressure of my knees, and away
we went at a slapping pace. I congratulated myself on
conquering my own curiosity, and on avoiding that of my
travelling companion. This, I said to myself, this is
the value of a good horse; I patted his neck--I felt
proud of him. Presently I heard the steps of the unknown's
horse--the clatter increased. Ah, my friend, thought I,
it won't do; you should be well mounted if you desire my
company; I pushed Mohawk faster, faster, faster--to his
best. He outdid himself; he had never trotted so
handsomely--so easily--so well.
I guess that is a pretty considerable smart horse, said
the stranger, as he came beside me, and apparently reined
in, to prevent his horse passing me; there is not, I
reckon, so spry a one on MY CIRCUIT.
CIRCUIT, OR NO CIRCUIT, one thing was settled in my mind;
he was a Yankee, and a very impertinent Yankee, too. I
felt humbled, my pride was hurt, and Mohawk was beaten.
To continue this trotting contest was humiliating; I
yielded, therefore, before the victory was palpable, and
pulled up. Yes, continued he, a horse of pretty considerable
good action, and a pretty fair trotter, too, I guess.
Pride must have a fall--I confess mine was prostrate in
the dust. These words cut me to the heart. What! is it
come to this, poor Mohawk, that you, the admiration of
all but the envious, the great Mohawk, the standard by
which all other horses are measured--trots next to Mohawk,
only yields to Mohawk, looks like Mohawk--that you are,
after all, only a counterfeit, and pronounced by a
straggling Yankee to be merely 'a pretty fair trotter!'
If he was trained, I guess that he might be made do a
little more. Excuse me, but if you divide your weight
between the knee and the stirrup, rather most on the
knee, and rise forward on the saddle, so as to leave a
little daylight between you and it, I hope I may never
ride THIS CIRCUIT AGAIN, if you don't get a mile more an
hour out of him. What! not enough, I mentally groaned,
to have my horse beaten, but I must be told that I don't
know how to ride him; and that, too, by a Yankee--Aye,
there's the rub--a Yankee what? Perhaps a half-bred puppy,
half Yankee, half Blue Nose. As there is no escape, I'll
try to make out my riding master. YOUR CIRCUIT, said I,
my looks expressing all the surprise they were capable
of--your circuit, pray what may that be? Oh, said he,
the eastern circuit--I am on the eastern circuit, sir.
I have heard, said I, feeling that I now had a lawyer to
deal with, that there is a great deal of business on this
circuit--pray, are there many cases of importance? There
is a pretty fair business to be done, at least there has
been, but the cases are of no great value--we do not make
much out of them, we get them up very easy, but they
don't bring much profit. What a beast, thought I, is
this; and what a curse to a country, to have such an
unfeeling pettifogging rascal practising in it--a horse
jockey, too--what a finished character! I'll try him on
that branch of his business.
That is a superior animal you are mounted on, said I--I
seldom meet one that can travel with mine. Yes, said he
coolly, a considerable fair traveller, and most particular
good bottom. I hesitated, this man who talks with such
unblushing effrontery of getting up cases, and making
profit out of them, cannot be offended at the question
--yes, I will put it to him. Do you feel an inclination
to part with him? I never part with a horse sir, that
suits me, said he--I am fond of a horse--I don't like to
ride in the dust after every one I meet, and I allow no
man to pass me but when I choose. Is it possible, I
thought, that he can know me; that he has heard of my
foible, and is quizzing me, or have I this feeling in
common with him. But, continued I, you might supply
yourself again. Not on THIS CIRCUIT, I guess, said he,
nor yet in Campbell's circuit. Campbell's circuit--pray,
sir, what is that? That, said he, is the western--and
Lampton rides the shore circuit; and as for the people
on the shore, they know so little of horses, that Lampton
tells me, a man from Aylesford once sold a hornless ox
there, whose tail he had cut and nicked for a horse of
the Goliath breed. I should think, said I, that Mr.
Lampton must have no lack of cases among such enlightened
clients. Clients, sir, said my friend, Mr. Lampton is
not a lawyer. I beg pardon, I thought you said he rode
the CIRCUIT. We call it a circuit, said the stranger,
who seemed by no means flattered by the mistake--we divide
the Province, as in the Almanack, into circuits, in each
of which we separately carry on our business of
manufacturing and selling clocks. There are few, I guess,
said the Clockmaker, who go upon TICK as much as we do,
who have so little use for lawyers; if attornies could
wind a MAN UP AGAIN, after he has been fairly RUN DOWN,
I guess they'd be a pretty harmless sort of folks. This
explanation restored my good humour, and as I could not
quit my companion, and he did not feel disposed to leave
me, I made up my mind to travel with him to Fort Lawrence,
the limit of HIS CIRCUIT.