Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-01-14

she was puzzle that might pm; less bashful
ones than myself al fault. Now / would fam
cy that She loved me, and then again how
could she do so, and speak so slightly of mel
Yet did she not do a thousand things for me
that she never did for others ?---and once--I
remember it WE'LL praised an exotic in Ia
dy's hair, and Lucy appeared in a day or two
with flower of the same kind. But i'll flat
tered myself from such conduct into dreaming
that she loved me, two to one but she said
something before an hour which dashed all
my hopes. 1t was in one of these happy in
.ervals that i once determined to offer her my
hand, but when came TO the point, my throat
was .-choked, and my voice became so husky
and trcmulous, while all the time my heart
kept going like sledge hammer, that could
sooner have raised the dead than said sim
gle word. She must have noticed my embar-
rassment, for she teased me most unmerciful-
ly about my bushes. 1t was the only time
she ever hurt my feelings too; for much as
She plagued one, there was such an archness
about it all, that you knew she did not dream
OF offending you. ], only piquod one. But
this time, she worried me so with her raillery,
that would gladly have seen the floor open
to swallow me. l Showed that was hurt,
perhaps, for Lucy stopped al length, and
hail thought her low tone ofvoice, during the
rest OF the evening, when conversing with me,
was meant to express her sorrow for her mo-
mentary rudeness. Yet for whole week
since had been affuid to attempt making, tho
oiler again. And Lucy, | verify believe, teas
ed me twice as much as ever.
We had been dashing on for several min
utes, side by side, at m ost tremendous pace.
making the sparks fly beneath our horses
hoois, at every stride, while the trees, houses
and fields, appeared spinning away behind us
as II they, Instead OF us, were riding steeple
chase. Never had seen Lucy ride SO before
ne beast she set on was a powerful animal,
all bone and muscle, and when once aroused.
had pace the most tremendous ever saw,
excepting that Of my own Thunderbolt; and
his mettle may be told at once when inform
the reader that he had won the cup twice at
the---races. He was now neck and neck
with l.ucy's animal, but pulled on the rein so
frlghtfuily, that nothing but the rudeness of
the act prevented me from shooting past his
competitor like an arrow.
We had been dashing on at this rate, for
several miles, along road almost as level as
a trotting course, but now the ground was be-
ginning to be more broken, and Just ahead of
us lay stream of water, the bridge over
,"@i~i'- bod bee,, carried away. L fivsiivt
bout week before, and had not since been
replaced. AS we approached it Lucy drew in
her steed, gradually slackening his pace, SO
should reach the stream. Stung, however,
by her rallery about my horsemanship kept
on, increasing ifany thing, the speed Of Thun-
derholt, determined to clear the bed of the
river, at flying leap or perish in the at
tempt. 1t was fearful venture, but nv
blood was up. The gap must have
been 20 feet at the least, and to add to the dam
ger the banks were rugged and abrupt, and
the road in the immediate neighborhood of
where the bridge had been frightfully uneven
Yet kept on, sitting firmly in my saddle,
and feeling as cool and determined as despair
could make me.
claim, as dashed ahead Of her. Blu, only
grasped the refns tighter in my hand, and fix
ed my eye on the gulfbefore me, sped on like
an arrow, putting my horse, as he sho, away,
to his topmost speed.
1t was buta moment before we reached the
edge of the abyss, but over the thunder of nv
progress, / thought heard the voice Of Lucy
now tremulous with alarm, beseechinglme to
pause, would not have drawn in m} rein,
with my then feelings, even if a gulf, wider
than that into which Curtius leaped. bad
yawned before me; and seating myself firmly
for the crisis, which had now come, blriSd
my spurs into the TANKS of my beast, aid as
shrek rung out on the air behind me, went
flying over the abyss. But the leap wa, too
great, even for Thunderbolt. He cleard it
indeed beautifully for the first half, but insead
OF alighting fairly on the opposite bank, his
forefoot struck on the loose soil at the ,ery
edge ofthe gap, and the gravel giving yay
beneathlus, we fell backward into the alEss
that yawned for more than forty feet below
My sensations in that extremity canio
describe. was not, however, for a momtnt
bewildered by my danger, but on the cortray
reasoned as coolly as had ever done befor. |
L saw that death was before me, but felt 10 |
relentng. had been stung to madnessI |
never felt before by the raillery of Lucy 3 |
galnst my Workmanship. had made des |
Perate effort to prove my daring, il had at leas
been one at which Lucy had sRewn alarm
IL iPerished she would think of one part o.
my character with admiration. A load was
taken from my heart. All this flashed
through my mind quicker than Iightning.-
But did not forget my situation. ] saw all
push growing out Of the side of the precipce |
ana WIN d sudden movement grasped it and
dropped the reins. My poor Tbunderbolt fell
crashing downward, gave a struggle OF two,
and was lifeless. My own turn came next.
he bush gave way beneath my weight, and
alter slowly descending for a space, il finally
tore itself out by the roots, and followed my
noble beast.
When recovered my senses, there was an
aching sensation in my head, and my body
was wofully bruised. lifted myself pain
FULLY and gazed around. My poor beast lay |
dead beneath me, and perhaps it was by fall |
ing on him had saved my life. My neck !
cloth was of and my brow was wet with wa
ter. How cameit so? j thought at the in
slant, heard amovement behind me. and tur-
nning quickly, though painfully around, saw
Lucy standing there, her face, buried in her
taper fingers; dyed with bushes. The truth |