and called out in his childish way: "Fick it again, fick it again."

The wondering villagers, we are credibly informed, detected the future warrior in the marvelous composure which young Grant exhibited on this, his first experience "under fire."

General Grant's Early Love for Horses-His Experience in "Breaking In" a Colt-He Masters "The Ribbons "

in His Ninth Year.

From General Grant's father we learn that young Ulysses first and "ruling passion," almost from the time he could "go alone," was for horses.

When only seven and a half years old, on a certain occasion, he took advantage of his father's absence from home for a day, to harness up a three-year old colt, which though accustomed to the saddle, had never before had a "collar on!" Young Ulysses not only succeeded in harnessing the vigorous little horse, but he hitched him up in first-class

style to a sled which was on the premises, and spent the whole delightful day in hauling brush. This was a wonderful feat for so small a boy.

By the time he was eight, he could ride a horse at full speed bare-back and standing on one foot; at eight and a half years, he was a regular "driver" in all senses of that word, hauling wood for his father and making himself generally useful; and at ten years of age we find him in charge of a "spanking pair" of horses which, on a certain occasion, he drove forty miles down to Cincinnati, all alone, returning with a full load of cash-paying customers!

In the words of his father, "Whatever he undertook to ride he rode,” and nothing could shake him off. He early began to break horses himself and developed a wonderful faculty for teaching them to "pace"—a knack which would have given him plenty of work from the neighbors, if he had not considered it rather degrading to do it for money and accordingly he refused to accommodate them.

Young Grant's First Victory-He Accepts a Ring-master's Challenge to Ride the "Circus Pony "-An Exciting

Occasion to Everybody but Grant.

An anecdote is dropped by the paternal gossip, which deserves to be preserved as a graphic description of a scene through which many smart lads have passed, and as indicating in this particular instance some of that pluck, and tenacity of will, which distinguished the Wilderness campaign.

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Once, when he was a boy, a show came along, in which there was a mischievous pony, trained to go round the ring like lightning; and he was expected to throw any boy that attempted to ride him.

"Will any boy come forward and ride this pony?' shouted the ring-master.

"Ulysses stepped forward, and mounted the pony.

"The performance began. Round and round and round the ring went the pony, faster and faster, making the greatest effort to dismount the rider; but Ulysses sat as steady as if he had grown to the pony's back.

Presently out came a large monkey, and sprang up behind Ulysses. The people set up a great shout of laughter, and on the pony ran; but it all produced no effect on the rider.

“Then the ring-master made the monkey jump up on to Ulysses' shoulders, standing with his feet on his shoulders, and with his hands holding on to his hair.

"At this, there was another and a still louder shout; but not a muscle of Ulysses' face moved; there was not a tremor of his nerves.

"A few more rounds, and the ring-master gave it up; he had come across a boy that the pony and the monkey both could not dismount."

Young Grant dismounted amid the deafening plaudits of the multitude calm, cool and conscious of victory!

General Grant at School-How He Mastered His Lessons-The Young Leader-His Early Character.

Young Grant at school supplied his want of quickness by a dogged diligence which demanded, in every case, the "unconditional surrender" of his tasks. He always attacked a knotty question with "slow, but sure," approaches. When temporarily thwarted always "fought it out on that line," until he eventually won.

It is said on good authority, that he told his teacher one day-in view no doubt of some stupendous undertakingthat the word "can't" was not in his dictionary.

He frequently committed to memory whole pages which he did not understand, with the comfortable assurance that they would not be wasted upon his maturer intellect. In fact, the genuine manliness of his feelings, and the dignity of his deportment, when a boy at school, prognosticated the sterling characteristics which the man veils under a charitable spirit and an unpretending demeanor.

It is said that an astounded phrenologist, who, during these early days, on a certain occasion, while manipulating the young General's cranium, exclaimed with prophetic emphasis: "You need not be surprised, if at some day this boy fills the Presidential chair."

As a boy "out of school" young Grant seems to have been as modest, retiring, and reticent as he has been in his subsequent career; yet he always manifested a proper amount of confidence in his ability to do any thing which was to be expected of a boy of his size and years. Among boys he was regarded as a leader; yet, without forwardness, he rather sought the company of older.persons.

His disposition was peaceable, yet would stand no imposition upon what he considered his rights; and when forced into a corner could fight as well as any one. The current story of his "flogging a captain" is, on his own

authority, untrue; and it is said by those who know him well, that he never had a personal controversy in his life. Profanity was a vice which he was peculiarly free from, both in boyhood and in his subsequent military career.

A Remarkable Incident of Young Grant's Integrity-He Buys a Horse for His Father-All About the Bargain.

A popular story which was current among young Grant's companions, and which to a remarkable degree illustrates his honesty, was concerning a horse trade in which he was engaged.

It appears that when he was about twelve years of age, his father sent him to purchase a horse of a farmer, named Ralston, who resided some short distance in the country. The elder Grant wanted the horse, but still desired to get it as cheaply as possible. Before starting, the old gentleman impressed upon young Grant's mind that fact in these

words:

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"Ulysses, when you see Mr. Ralston, tell him have sent you to buy his horse, and offer him fifty dollars for it. If he will not take that, offer him fifty-five dollars; and rather than you should come away without the horse, you had better give him sixty dollars."

Off started the boy, and in due course of time arrived at Ralston's farm-house. He had carefully studied over in his mind his father's instructions, and of course intended. to do as his parent had told him. Mr. Ralston, however, threw him off his balance, by putting the following direct but natural question to him:

"How much did your father tell you to give for him?” Young Ulysses had always had it impressed upon his mind by his mother, that the truth must be spoken at all times, and therefore he replied :