wagon, so they were secure from personal violence, but I have
a vague impression of some "pet names" flying wildly about in
the air in that vicinity. Then we trundled safely down the
lane. We were to go in the direction leading away from home,--
the horse's. I don't think he perceived it at first, but as
soon he did snuff the fact, which happened when he had gone
perhaps three rods, he quietly turned around and headed the
other way, paying no more attention to my reins or my terrific
"whoas!" than if I were a sleeping babe. A horse is none of
your woman's-rights men. He is Pauline. He suffers not the
woman to usurp authority over him. He never says anything nor
votes anything, but declares himself unequivocally by taking
things into his own hands, whenever he knows there is nobody
but a woman behind him,--and somehow he always does know.
After Halicarnassus had turned him back and set him going the
right way, I took on a gruff, manny voice, to deceive.
Nonsense! I could almost see him snap his fingers at me. He
minded my whip no more than he did a fly,--not so much as he
did some flies. Grande said she supposed his back was all
callous. I acted upon the suggestion, knelt down in the bottom
of the wagon, and leaned over the dasher to whip him on his
belly, then climbed out on the shafts and snapped about his
ears; but he stood it much better than I. Finally I found that
by taking the small end of the wooden whip-handle, and sticking
it into him, I could elicit a faint flash of light; so I did
it with assiduity, but the moderate trot which even that
produced was not enough to accomplish my design, which was to
outstrip the two men and make them run or beg. The opposing
forces arrived at the pump about the same time.