some kind word for me. One day I ventured to speak to him about his
horse, of which he was very proud, and indeed the horse was a very
fine one.

Mr. Warden, said I "that's a noble horse of yours; but he interferes
badly, and that is only be- cause he is badly shod. If you will
trust me, I can shoe him so as to prevent all that."

"Can you?" exclaimed the Warden in great surprise; "Well, if you
can, I'll give you a good piece of bread and butter, or, anything
else you want."

"I don't want your bread and butter," said I "but I will shoe your
horse as he has never been shod before."

"Well take the horse to the shop and see what you can do."

Of course, I knew that by "bread and butter" the warden meant that
if I could shoe his favorite horse so as to prevent him from
interfering, he would gladly favor me as far as he could; and I
knew, too, that I could make as good a shoe as any horse need wear.
I gladly led the horse to the shop where I had so signally failed in
pick and tool sharpening, and was received with jeers by my old
comrades who wanted to know what I was going to do to that horse."

"O, simply shoe him," I said.

This greatly increased the mirth of my former shopmates; but their
amusement speedily changed to amazement as they saw me make my
nails, turn the shoes and neatly put them on. In due time the horse