Courting Buggy: Nurse Hal Among The Amish Read Online Free PDF Page B

to
finish looking before the livestock sale begins.” John waved at
Enos. “See you at the next Sunday meeting.”
    When they were out of earshot from Enos, Jim
stopped short. “I want to buy that courting buggy.”
    John's mouth flew open. Finally, he got one
word out. “Why?”
    “I can use it to get around in here. With the
high price gas is these days, it will save me money. Can't you see
my neighbors eyeballs pop out when I drive by at home.” Jim laughed
as he pictured it.”
    “You have a car,” John said bluntly.
    “Sure I do. If we want to go any distance
from home, I'll be glad to drive us, but that buggy looks like fun
to ride to the Sunday meetings in. Nora and I could take it. That
way your buggy wouldn't be so crowded.”
    “That is not a problem. We have the open
carriage. The older children use it,” John insisted.
    Jim frowned. “Are you trying to talk me out
of buying that buggy?”
    John worried, “It just seems like something
that could get both of us in trouble when you come home with that
buggy. What is Nora going to say?”
    “Don't know and don't care.” John raised an
eyebrow. “All right, I do care. Once I have the buggy bought and
back to your place, I'll worry about getting Nora talked into
liking it,” Jim insisted.
    “All recht. It is your money. We better go
back and take another look at that horse. I know the buggy is
practically new. The boy who owned it used to date Emma,” John
informed him.
    “I noticed that man seemed upset at the
mention of his son's name. Did the boy die?”
    “Might as well have as far as the Yutzy
family and the Plain community is concerned. Eli Yutzy left the
Plain faith and is shunned by all of us. He will never be coming
back,” John shared.
    “That's too bad. Well, I don't know much
about carriage horses so you might be able to help me out,” Jim
agreed.
    Enos Yutzy was talking to a very tall, thin
man. When John and Jim approached, the man looked down his nose at
Jim disdainfully and walked away
    John said, “Enos, we want to know more about
the courting buggy and horse.”
    Enos nodded at the tall man that stopped a
few yards away. He had his back to them, but he was close enough to
hear the conversation. “You should know, Laverne Rapp, is going to
bid on the buggy for his boy, Jake.”
    “Denki for telling us,” John said.
    Jim eyed the man that was now watching them.
“That man sure is tree tall.”
    “You will find that his bark is as rough as
hickory. The man can be a bear if he does not get what he wants,”
John replied softly as he ran his hand along the spine to the back
end of the horse. He moved his hand from the rump down the back leg
and picked up the horse's hoof. After he felt of the hock, he
placed the hoof gently on the ground and moved to the front leg and
hoof. He opened the horse's mouth and checked the teeth. “How old
is the horse?” He asked Enos.
    “He is a strong five years old gelding.”
    John checked the other two legs and tapped
the horse's rib cage, listening to the sound of the thumps. He
turned to Enos again. “ Is this horse a pacer or a trotter?”
    “This one is a trotter.”
    “What's his name?” Jim asked, knowing that
wasn't a very important question, but he wanted to ask
something.
    “Mike,” Enos said.
    “Jim, me and you should talk about this some
more.” John took him by the arm.
    “The sale has started,” Jim said anxiously.
“See the auctioneer on the other end of the row coming this
way.”
    John pulled Jim along until they were out of
Enos's hearing. “We need to discuss this.”
    “What did you think of the horse?” Jim asked
anxiously.
    “He seemed sound enough, and he is young.
Would last a gute long while,” John surmised.
    “What's the difference between a trotter and
a pacer?” Jim quizzed.
    “The gait. Pacers sway from side to
side as they go down the road. Trotters hold their heads up high
and put one foot in front of the other in a prance. If you