He could also "doctor" a sick cow or dog, and was
even known to have successfully set the broken leg of an old and
combative rooster.
His mechanical turn of mind was continually leading him to the
construction of the most wonderful arrangements of wood and iron ever
seen. In fact, his operations in this direction were only held in check
by one want, but that a great one, namely, the want of a sufficiency of
cash.
[Sidenote: A Mystery]
Now for the greater part of one spring Ramrod had shut himself up in his
woodshed, and there he was heard busy with hammer and saw all day long,
except when called forth by the tinkle of the little bell attached to
the door of his shop, where almost anything might have been purchased.
Many were the guesses as to "what can Ramrod be up to now?" And often
did we boys try to catch a glimpse of what was going on within that
mysterious shed; but in vain. Ramrod seemed to be always on the alert,
and the instant an intrusive boy's head appeared above the first dusty
pane of the small window by which the shed was lighted, it was greeted
with a fierce and harsh gar-r-ar-r-r, often accompanied with a dash of
cold water, which the old fellow always seemed to have in readiness.
But one day as a lot of youngsters were down on the river bank preparing
for an early swim they were startled by the advent of another lad, who,
with scared looks and awful voice, declared that Ramrod was "making his
own coffin," and that he, the boy, had seen it with his own eyes.
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