"Father said: 'That's a handsome horse you're driving. I should like to own him myself.'
"'What will you give for him?' said the man.
"'Do you want to sell?' says father.
"'Yes, I do; and I'll sell cheap, too,' says he.
"'Oh, well,' says father, 'it's no use talking; for I haven't the money to buy with.'
"'Make an offer,' said he.
"'Well, just to put an end to the talk,' father says, 'I'll give you seventy-five dollars.'
"'You may have him,' says the man; 'but you'll repent of your bargain in a week.'
"'Why, what ails the horse?' says father.
"'Ails him? If he has a will to go, he'll go; but, if he takes a notion to stop, you can't start him. I've stood and beat that horse till the sweat ran off of me in streams; I've fired a gun close to his ears; I've burned shavings under him. But he wouldn't budge an inch.'