the side of the carriage, and, lifting
my hat, said to the man: 'Excuse me, sir, but that horse standing here
next to the sidewalk is my animal, named Velox. He was stolen from my
father's barn up country a few weeks ago by two desperate thieves. My
name is George LeMonde, son of Judge William LeMonde, of 'Mount
Pisgah.''

"The gentleman addressed expressed great surprise at this announcement,
saying:

"'This is a very strange statement. For a long time I wanted a mate for
my bay horse Hamlet and instructed my groom to visit the livery stables
and other places where horses are kept for sale. He tried for weeks to
find a suitable match, but without success. At last, going to one of
the largest and most reputable stables in Paducah, he saw this animal
you claim, and paying a large price for the same, brought him to my
plantation just outside of the city.'

"'Probably,' I said, 'the man who brought Velox to the city gave him
into the hands of a party who may have sold him to an honest and
upright stable keeper from whom you bought the horse.'

"'But how do I know your story is true, that you own this horse?' the
planter asked.

"I told him if his servant would drive the carriage into the warehouse
and unharness the near horse, that I would convince him that he was my
animal.

"The planter consented, and soon Velox was standing before us entirely
free from his harness. I moved away from him about ten feet. Stretching
out my right hand open toward him, I said in a quiet tone of voice:
'Come Velox, come to your master.' Instantly the horse walked up to me
and touched my hand with his lips. I put my soft felt hat on my head,
and spoke to the horse again: 'Come, Velox, and lift my hat off my
head.' He walked up to me the second time and, seizing my hat between
his teeth, gently raised it from my head.

"This not only surprised the planter and the rest, but was satisfactory
proof to him that the bay was my horse.

"Mr. Harcourt, for that was the planter's name, remarked: 'These tricks
seem to demonstrate that what you claim is true, but I paid a fancy
price for this animal, $500, and I do not feel like losing such a sum.'

"'Neither shall you lose it, sir,' said I. 'This very day I will write
you a check for the amount, if you will give my Velox to me.'

"To this Mr. Harcourt agreed. The pair were driven back to his
plantation, and that afternoon Sambo brought him to me. I handed him
the check to give to his master