Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

The Columbus Ohio State Journal relates the following incident: A good steed is a bad fix. One of our neighbors, Mr. J. L. Gill, called on us yesterday morning with an invitation to witness the exercise of certain powers of control over horses and other animals, possessed by a Mr. Fancher, now staying at the American. A fine horse, belonging to Mr. G., whose brilliant fancy had taught him to despise the meager accommodations of his narrow stall in the lower story of the stable, took it into his head that he was well fitted to whisk his tail in the upper house. Taking advantage of an early hour, without the ringing of the bell, or notice to his fellow members, he slipped his halter, made his way up a very steep and narrow pair of steps, turned a sharp corner at the top, and safely deposited himself, in complete organization, on the top of a pile of dry provisions, in the form of a mow of oats in the half story above.
The thing was to get him down again. Horses are proverbially unhandy at getting down stairs, and to throw him down and truss him up by the ordinary means, would be a matter of great difficulty and danger. Requisition was made of the services of Mr. Fancher. The horse seemed suddenly to have a violent and unaccountable fancy to that gentleman. In a few moments they were in close and intimate communication-seemingly as that of two locofocos plotting revolution. By the employment of some agent which we did not understand, and the use of a moderate amount of force, the aspiring genius soon became tractable and was safely laid over on his side preparatory to his decent. He was trussed up, slipped to the outer door of the loft, and by the aid of a few planks soon deposited safely upon terra firma.