Perkins method had borne fruit.

When purchasers for a four-legged hurricane could no longer be found,
Blue Blazes was sent up the lake to an obscure little port where they
have only a Tuesday and Friday steamer, and where the blue roan's record
was unknown. Horses were in demand there. In fact, Blue Blazes was sold
almost before he had been led down the gang-plank.

"Look out for him," warned the steam-boat man; "he's a wicked brute."

"Oh, I've got a little job that'll soon take the cussedness out of him,"
said the purchaser, with a laugh.

Blue Blazes was taken down into the gloomy fore-hold of a three-masted
lake schooner, harnessed securely between two long capstan bars, and set
to walking in an aimless circle while a creaking cable was wound about a
drum. At the other end of the cable were fastened, from time to time,
squared pine-logs weighing half a ton each. It was the business of Blue
Blazes to draw these timbers into the hold through a trap-door opening
in the stern. There was nothing to kick save the stout bar, and there
was no one to bite. Well out of reach stood a man who cracked a whip
and, when not swearing forcefully, shouted "Ged-a-a-ap!"

For several uneventful days he was forced to endure this exasperating
condition of affairs with but a single break in the monotony. This came
on the first evening, when they tried to unhook him. The experiment
ended with half a blue-flannel shirt in the teeth of Blue Blazes and a
badly scared lumber-shover hiding in the fore-peak. After that they put
grain and water in buckets, which they cautiously shoved within his
reach.

Of course there had to be an end to this. In due time the Ellen B. was
full of square timbers. The Captain notified the owner of Blue Blazes
that he might take his blankety-blanked horse out of the Ellen B.'s
fore-hold. The owner declined, and entrenched himself behind a pure
technicality. The Captain had hired from him the use of a horse; would
the Captain kindly deliver said horse to him, the owner, on the dock? It
was a spirited controversy, in which the horse-owner scored several
points. But the schooner captain by no means admitted defeat.

"The Ellen B. gets under way inside of a half hour," said he. "If you
want your blankety-blanked horse you've got that much time to take him
away."

"I stand on my rights," replied the horse-owner. "You sail off with my
property if you dare. Go ahead! Do it! Next time the Ellen B. puts in
here I