In answer to some inquiries, one
of the lads gave him an account of their trip and its various
incidents.
As he drew near the end of his story, he exclaimed: "Oh, sir!
there was one thing I had almost forgotten. As we were coming
home, we saw ahead of us a queer-looking affair in the road. It
proved to be a rusty old sleigh, fastened behind a covered wagon,
proceeding at a very slow rate, and taking up the whole road.
"Finding that the owner was not disposed to turn out, we
determined upon a volley of snowballs and a good hurrah. They
produced the right effect, for the crazy machine turned out into
the deep snow, and the skinny old pony started on a full trot.
"As we passed, some one gave the horse a good crack, which made
him run faster than he ever did before, I'll warrant.
"With that, an old fellow in the wagon, who was buried up under
an old hat, bawled out, 'Why do you frighten my horse?' 'Why
don't you turn out, then?' says the driver. So we gave him three
rousing cheers more. His horse was frightened again, and ran up
against a loaded wagon, and, I believe, almost capsized the old
creature--and so we left him.
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