in remarked as she swung of ban it s an outrage both to horse and woman to ride in a you look like a young the man said his eyes passing tenderly over the girl as she swung the horse around are you ready she asked all ready to the old mill she called as the horses sprang forward that s less than a mile to a finish he demanded she nodded and the horses feeling the urge of the reins caught the spirit of the race the dust rose in clouds behind as they tore along the level road they swung around the bend horses and at sharp angles to the ground and more than once the low to escape the branches of and overhanging trees they over the small plank bridges and thundered over the larger iron ones to an ominous of loose rods they rode side by side saving the animals for the rush at the finish yet putting them at a pace that drew upon vitality and staying power around a of white oaks the road straightened out before them for several hundred yards at the end of which they could see the ruined mill now for it the girl cried she urged the horse by suddenly leaning forward with her body at the same time for an instant letting the rein slack and touching the neck with her bridle hand she began to draw away from the man touch her on the neck she cried to him with this the mare pulled alongside and began gradually to pass the girl and looked at each other for a moment the mare still drawing ahead so that was compelled slowly to turn his head the mill was a hundred yards away shall i give him the spurs shouted the man nodded and the girl drove the spurs in sharply and quickly calling upon the horse for its utmost but watched her own horse slowly ahead of her beaten by three beamed triumphantly as they pulled into a walk confess sir confess you didn t think the old mare had it in her leaned to the side and rested her hand for a moment on s wet neck ban s a alongside of her affirmed s all right if she is in her indian summer nodded approval that s a sweet way of putting it � indian summer it just describes her but she s not lazy she has all the fire and none of the folly she is very wise what of her years that accounts for it her folly passed with her youth many s the lively time she s given you io no answered i never knew her really to cut up i think the only trouble she ever gave me was when i was training her to open gates she was afraid when they swung back upon her � the animal s fear of the trap perhaps but she bravely got over it and she never was vicious she never bolted nor nor cut up in all her life � never not once the horses went on at a walk still breathing heavily from their run the road wound along the bottom of the valley now and again crossing the stream from either side rose the drowsy of machines by occasional sharp cries of the men who were gathering the on the western side of the valley the hills rose green and dark but the eastern side was already burned brown and tan by the sun there is summer here is spring said oh beautiful valley her eyes were glistening and her face was radiant with love of the land her gaze wandered on across orchard patches and sweeping stretches seeking out the purple which seemed to hang like a dim smoke in the wrinkles of the hills and in the more distant far up among the more rugged where the steep slopes were covered with she caught a glimpse of a clear space where the wild grass had not yet lost its green have you ever heard of the secret pasture she asked her eyes still fixed on the remote green a of fear brought her eyes back to the man beside her with nostrils and wild eyes was the air madly with her fore legs threw himself forward against her neck to keep her from falling backward and at the same time touched her with the spurs to compel her to drop her fore feet to the ground in order to obey the go ahead impulse of the spurs why this is most remarkable began but to her surprise the mare threw her head down arched her back as she went up in the air and returning struck the ground stiff legged and a genuine buck called out and the next moment the mare was rising under him in a second buck looked on astounded at the na conduct of her mare and admiring her lover s he was quite cool and was himself evidently enjoying the performance again and again half a dozen times arched herself into the air and struck stiffly then she threw her head straight up and rose on her hind legs about and striking with her fore feet whirled into safety the horse she was riding and as she did so caught a glimpse of s eyes with the look in them of blind brute madness until it seemed they must burst from her head the faint pink in the white of the eyes was gone replaced by a white that was like dull marble and that yet flashed as from some inner fire a faint cry of fear suppressed in the instant of utterance slipped past s lips one hind leg of the mare seemed to and for a moment the whole quivering body and perpendicular swayed back and forth and there was uncertainty as to whether it would fall forward or backward the man half 