FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  
d cannot be forcibly ejected,--a sort of terre-tenant; such title as he has must be respected. After wrestling with an unusually notional beast, to the great disorder of clothing and temper, the Professor said,-- "The brain of the horse is small; it is an animal of little sense and great timidity, but it knows more than most people who attempt to drive." In reality horses are seldom driven; they generally go as they please, with now and then a hint as to which corner to turn. Nine times out of ten it is the driven horse that makes trouble for owners of automobiles. The drunken driver never has any trouble; his horses do not stop, turn about, or shy into the ditch; the man asleep on the box is perfectly safe; his horse ambles on, minding its own business, giving a full half of the road to the approaching machine. It is the man, who, on catching sight of the automobile, nervously gathers up his reins, grabs his whip, and pulls and jerks, who makes his own troubles; he is searching for trouble, expects it, and is disappointed if he gets by without it. Nine times out of ten it is the driver who really frightens the horse. A country plug, jogging quietly along, quite unterrified, may be roused to unwonted capers by the person behind. Some take the antics of their horses quite philosophically. One old farmer, whose wheezy nag tried to climb the fence, called out,-- "Gee whiz! I wish you fellers would come this way every day; the old hoss hasn't showed so much ginger for ten year." Another, carrying just a little more of the wine of the country than his legs could bear, stood up unsteadily in his wagon and shouted,-- "If you (hic) come around these pa-arts again with that thres-in' ma-a-chine, I'll have the law on you,--d'ye hear?" The personal equation is everything on the road, as elsewhere. It is quite idle to expect skill, courage, or common sense from the great majority of drivers. They get along very well so long as nothing happens, but in emergencies they are helpless, because they have never had experience in emergencies. The man who has driven horses all his life is frequently as helpless under unusual conditions as the novice. Few drivers know when and how to use the whip to prevent a runaway or a smash-up. With the exception of professional and a few amateur whips, no one is ever taught how to drive. Most persons who ride--even country boys--are given many useful hints, lessons, and demonstra
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
horses
 

trouble

 

driven

 

country

 

helpless

 

emergencies

 
driver
 

drivers

 

personal

 

equation


fellers

 

showed

 

unsteadily

 

ginger

 
Another
 

carrying

 

shouted

 

professional

 

amateur

 

exception


prevent
 

runaway

 

lessons

 
demonstra
 
taught
 

persons

 

majority

 

common

 

expect

 

courage


frequently

 

unusual

 

conditions

 

novice

 

experience

 

antics

 

drunken

 
tenant
 

automobiles

 

owners


corner

 

ejected

 
perfectly
 
ambles
 

asleep

 

unusually

 
animal
 

timidity

 
notional
 

temper