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Local Landmarks of the Revolution: The Bell Tavern
Electronic Publication Date: November 15, 2000

MIKE LANGDON AND HIS COLT
(by Fitch Poole)

It was the day before the ordination of  Rev. Mr. Holt and while active preparations were going forward for that event that our story begins.  Everybody in the village was busy in preparation.  The booths and tents were already erected about the meeting house for the sale of gingerbread, cake and other more solid edibles together with flip, eggnog, ale and even stronger stimulants.  The fiddler had also  been engaged for the evening ball, which in those days always followed an ordination and every thing gay promised of a great festival.  The council dinner was on course for preparation and many were the birds, beasts and creeping things that were that day slaughtered for bodily comfort of the officiating divines.

In the midst of all this preparation the committee made the discovery that the invitation addressed to one of the council, by some mistake, had not been forwarded.  This was regarded as an unfortunate omission, as the gentleman was one to whom an important part in the ordination had been assigned.  The clergyman lived in Andover,  to which place there was no regular conveyance and a special messenger must be procured as the letter must go that evening.  The question now arose, who should be this Envoy Extraordinaire?

It was decided by appointing one Mike Langdon, an old hanger on at the Bell Tavern and the proud proprietor of a spirited horse, blind of one eye, lame, viscous and as broad as he was long.  This horse, Mike imagined to be perfectly sound, and he always called him, from the power of early associations, his colt.  The two had grown up and lived together in the utmost harmony for a quarter of a century and as the discipline of the beast had been all together after the modern system of moral suasion, the colt always felt at liberty to do just as 
he pleased without regard to the will of his master.

It was late in the afternoon that Langdon mounted his charger, having first taken a strong potation with the host of the Inn.  Being inwardly refreshed, he commenced his journey with the intention of delivering his message that night and returning the next morning in season for the solemnities and festivities of the day.  He now jogged on as fast as his heavy beast was pleased to carry him.  After a few miles had been traveled, Mike began to be thirsty and was anxious to arrive in good season at the next inn, which was in Middleton.  He endeavored to coax the colt , but the beast had arrived to years of discretion, and chose not to quicken his pace.  On the contrary, seeing some nice herbage on the side of the road, he concluded, without consulting his master, to partake of it, which he did in a manner as leisurely as if the journey was of no kind of consequence.  His master, knowing it was of no use to urge him against his will, patiently dismounted and sat down to see him crop his food.  At last the beast seemed satisfied, was again mounted by his master, and they jogged on.

The colt had been so long taking his refreshment, that they arrived late at the tavern in Middleton.  The beast proceeded directly to the stable, and Langdon to the bar-room, which was of small dimensions, and low ceiling, black with smoke and smelling strong of peat and fumes of rum and tobacco smoke,  Our messenger here found companions suited to his taste, and joined them in their libations at the bar.  He kept no account of the mugs of flip which were emptied by the company in the bar-room, as his companions settled the bill with the landlord, in consideration of the intelligence he brought from the village.  At length he thought of his errand, and ordered his horse to the door.  He attempted to mount, but the horse block seemed affected with a king of St. Vitus' dance, and he found it difficult to gain the top of it.  He requested the landlord to hold it still, as unless he could reach the top of the block, he would never find his way to the back of the colt.  At last, he was safely vaulted into the saddle and once more resumed his journey.  Even before he started, he thought the colt was going with a pretty smart canter , but making no progress forward. When they were fairly on the road, he thought he had never traveled with such lightning speed.  Trees, houses and fences were all in full motion.  In one time,  he saw a farm house in full chase after a hare which,  however,  went with such speed as to keep just far in advance of its pursuer.  Trees were dashing along at a furious rate and all the fences appeared to be playing at hide and seek.  Two moons were visible in the heavens and they were dancing a jig together.  Not withstanding this rapid rate of traveling, it seemed to him that he never should arrive at the end of his journey.  Andover, he thought, must a great way off.  Still the colt, contrary to his usual custom, kept right on and never offered to stop.  Langdon thought he not only never went so fast,  but that he never traveled so easy.  There was a gentle undulating motion that was quite delightful to him.  At last he observed the same phenomenon that he noticed at the tavern in Middleton, mainly the easy canter without any onward progress.  He looked up and saw a barn, then a house, near it a signpost with something swinging like a tavern sign on the top.  A confused thought now came into his head that he had arrived at his journey's end, He then dismounted and entered the inn, full of importance, as special messenger and bearer of dispatches to the minister of  Andover.  No sooner had he entered, than he threw his missive on the table, saying it must be delivered to the minister that very night.  He then ordered his colt to be well cared for and called for a stiff mug of flip for himself. 

But, what was his surprise to see that one of his townsman arrived there before him, and he no less a personage than the landlord of the Bell Tavern, and behind the bar too.  He then looked about him and observed a wonderful resemblance to the tap room of the Bell Tavern itself.  There was the old fireplace, the same old chairs, benches and loggerheads that he had left in the tavern at home.  Then there was the landlord himself, how did he get there?  Poor Langdon was confounded, but the truth was, and our readers have before this suspected it, that the colt on leaving the tavern in Middleton, preferring his stable at home to the long road to Andover, had conveyed his unconscious master back to his starting place.  The consequence was that the Andover clergyman did not attend the ordination and the part assigned to him was given to another.

(Danvers Courier, May 10, 1845.)