I remained in the city three months, not knowing what to do or where to go.  During this time I spent much of it in training Black Bess, as I found her to be a very intelligent animal, and she would follow me like a dog wherever I would go when she had the saddle on, and during that winter I taught her to perform many tricks, such as to lie down, kneel down, count ten, and tell her age.  I could throw my gloves or handkerchief down and leave her for hours without tying her and she would stand there until I would return, and no one could come near them or take them away, nor would she allow a stranger to put his hand on her.  One day I came to the barn and Mr. Kinnear asked what I would take to saddle Black Bess up and let her follow me to Wells, Fargo & Co.’s express office and back to the stable again without touching her on the way.

I said:  “Mr. Kinnear, if it will be any accommodation to you I will have her follow me up there and back and it will not cost you anything.”

“All right,” he said, “about one o’clock come to the stable, for I have made a bet of fifty dollars with a man from the country, that you could make her follow you from the stable to Wells, Fargo & Co.’s express office and back to the stable and not touch her.”

Wells, Fargo & Co.’s express office was a distance of eight blocks from the stable, and on my return I found quite a crowd there waiting to see the performance.  I threw the saddle on the mare, put the bridle on her just as though I was going to ride, took my whip in my hand, and started down the sidewalk and the mare walked down the street.  Montgomery street was always full of teams at this time of the day, and also the sidewalk crowded with people, but I walked near the outer edge.  She would pick her way along the street among those teams as well, apparently as though I was on her back and at the same time would keep her eyes on me all the time.  On arriving at the place mentioned, I took my handkerchief from my pocket and threw it down at the edge of the sidewalk, walked into the office and remained five minutes or more, and when I came out she was still standing with her head over the handkerchief as though she was tied.  I picked the handkerchief up, started back down the sidewalk, and she took the street, keeping her eyes on me all the time until we reached the stable.  The farmer was somewhat wiser, but about fifty dollars short in actual cash, but vowed he would not bet again on a man’s own game.

On my return several different men asked me what I would take for her, but I informed them money would not buy her from me.  Before putting her in the stable I had her perform several tricks, and then bow to the crowd, which by this time had grown to more than a hundred people.