THE STUMP TAILED COW.
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A good many years ago, man stole cow from
Morristown, N. ]. and drove her to Philadelphia
for sale. She was common COW enough, except
that she had lost her tail but about six inches.
The thief, fearing that by the shortness of her
tail he might be traced, had procured in some
way, probably from slaughter house, another
cows tail, which he fastened SO ingeniously to
the short tail, that it was not to be known that it


had not regularly grown there.


AS soon as the Jerseyman missed his COW, he


set off for Philadelphia, thinking she would pro-
baby be carried there for sale; and it happened
that when he came to the ferry, he got into the
same boat that was carrying over his cow and
the fellow who stole her. AS it was natural that


he should have his thoughts very much upon
cows, he soon began to look at this one with
great attention. She was, indeed, pery mach
like his COW, he thought. Her marks agreed
wonderfully, and she had exactly the same ex-
preston Of face, but then the expression of her
tail was so different. It must be supposed that


the new owner Of the COW felt rather uncomforta-


bic during this examination, for he soon saw that


this was the person whose property he had stolen,
and he was very uneasy lest he should take hold
of the tail, which he looked at so continually.


Upon the whole, he thought it best to divert his
attention, in some way, if possible, and therefore
steps up to him, and says, .neighbor, that is fine
COW of mine, wont you buy her! You seem to
know what a good COW is.'' sOh, dear me-
says the other I've just had COW stolen from
me- 'Well,' says the thief I'm sorry to hear
they've gotto stealing catte but I'll sell off, and
you cannot better replace your loss than by buy
ing this COW; Ill warrant she's as good as yours
Why says the Jerseyman, she was exactly like
this one; only that she had no tail to speak of,
and if this one had not such long tail, I'd swear
it was my cow Every now began to look
at the cows TAIL but the thief stood nearer to it
than any body, and taking hold Of it so as just to
cover the splicing with his left hand and with
jack knife in his right pointing to the tail, he said,
so, if this cows tail were only this long, you'd
swear she was your's---sThat would says the
other, who began to be very much confused at the
perfect resemblance to his cow, except in thus one
particular, when the thief, with a sudden cut of
his knife, took off the tail, just about one inch
above the splicing, and throwing it overheard,
bloody as it was, turned to the other and said,
now swear it's your cow? The bewilderment
of the poor man was now complete; but as he
had seen the tail cut off, and saw the blood trick
ling from it, he could, of course lay no claim to
the animal from the shortness of her tail; indeed
here was proof positive that this was not his
COW, SO the thief, going over with him, sold the
COW, without any further fear Of detection.--
r. Herald. M