"'Pends on the man," she answered, shifting from one foot to the other, and addressing herself to the home horses. "They abused me dreffle when I was young. I guess I was sperrity an' nervous some, but they didn't allow for that.'Twas in Monroe County, Noo York, an' sence then till I come here, I've run away with more men than 'u'd fill a boardin'-house. Why, the man that sold me here he says to the boss, s' he: 'Mind, now, I've warned you. 'Twon't be none of my fault if she sheds you daown the road. Don't you drive her in a top-buggy, ner 'thout winkers,' s' he, 'ner 'thought this bit ef you look to come home behind her.' 'N' the fust thing the boss did was to git the top-buggy. "Can't say as I like top-buggies," said Rick; "they don't balance good." "Suit me to a ha'ar," said Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. "Top-buggy means the baby's in behind, an' I kin stop while she gathers the pretty flowers - yes, an' pick a maouthful, too. The women-folk all say I hev to be humoured, an' -I don't kerry things to the sweatin'-point." "'Course I've no prejudice against a top-buggy s' long 's I can see it," Tedda went on quickly. "It's ha'f-seein' the pesky thing bobbin' an' balancn' behind the winkers gits on my nerves. Then the boss looked at the bit they'd sold with me, an' s' he: 'Jiminy Christmas! This 'u'd make a clothes-horse Stan' 'n end!' Then he gave me a plain bar bit, an' fitted it 's if there was some feelin' to my maouth." "Hain't ye got any, Miss Tedda?" said Tuck, who has a mouth like velvet, and knows it. "Might 'a' had, Miss Tuck, but I've forgot. Then he give me an open bridle,- my style's an open bridle - an' - I dunno as I ought to tell this by rights -he -give - me - a kiss." "My!" said Tuck, "I can't tell fer the shoes o' me what makes some men so fresh." "Pshaw, sis," said Nip, "what's the sense in actin' so? You git a kiss reg'lar 's hitchin'-up time." "Well, you needn't tell, smarty," said Tuck, with a squeal and a kick. "I'd heard o' kisses, o' course," Tedda went on, "but they hadn't come my way specially. I don't mind tellin' I was that took aback at that man's doin's he might ha' lit fire-crackers on my saddle. Then we went out jest 's if a kiss was nothin', an' I wasn't three strides into my gait 'fore I felt the boss knoo his business, an' was trustin' me. So I studied to please him, an' whenever took the whip from the dash - a whip drives me plumb distracted - an' the upshot was that - waal, I've come up the Back Pasture to-day, an' the coupe's tipped clear over twice, an' I've waited till 'twuz fixed each time. You kin judge for yourselves. I don't set up to be no better than my neighbours,- specially with my tail snipped off the way 'tis,- but I want you all to know Tedda's quit fightin' in harness or out of it, 'cep' when there's a born fool in the pasture, stuffin' his stummick with board that ain't rightly hisn, 'cause he hain't earned it." "Meanin' me, madam?" said the yellow horse.