The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1847-11-12

road little way: for | must show you my
Arabian; and well not GO back to ask
mamma's PERMISSION, for we shoa!d 7 ge,
i'll .Ynu won't mind riding l,te way, +,
will you!'
or course | would have bestrided hip.
pogr'f at her bidding; and when the groom
came out, leading thorough. bred hun
ter, with apparently very elastic and
geutle action, forgot the doctor, and
mounted with great alacrity. We wake
our horses down the avenue and out a the
castle gate, followed by the groom, and
after trying little quicker pace on the
public road | pronounced old Curtal
worthy of her majesty's euogium, and her
own Saladin worthy, if horse could be
worthy, of his hurthen.
We had ridden perhaps amile, and Lady
Caroline vas giving me slight history Of
the wonderful ieats of the old veteran an
der me, when the sound Of a horn made
both horses prick up their ears, aud on
rising little acclivity, we caught sight
oi pack of hounds coming across the
fields directly towards us, followed by
some twenty red coated horsemen. Old
Cnrtal trembed aud shove ed disposition
TO fret, and observed that Lady Caroline
dexterously iers thencI her own siirrup,
aud loosened the bel, Of her riding Jress,
aad the Etx n.iLti;e tie hounds were over
the hedge, and the horsemen, leap after
leap, after them and with every success
sive jump my own steed reared and plung,
ed unmanageably.
'Ldeed cannut stand this!' cried Lady
Caroline, gatherlog up hei reiDs; 'E lis!
Sc e Mr.. Berry man home!' aud away went
lbe dying Arabian over the hedge with a
vault that left me breathless wlth aston.
lsiment One minute | made the vain
effort to control MY own horse, and turn
his head in the olher direction, but my
strength was gone. ! had never leaped a
fence in NY life on horse back, though a
tolerahle rider on the road; bu! befure |
could think how it was TO be done, or
gather myself together far the leap, Cur.
tai was over the hedge with me, aud fling
across ploughed 6eld like the wind-
SAsdin notfsr before bun. With glance
aneai | sa# taa red coats rising lnta the
air aGi disappearing over another green
nedg"; and though the field was crossed IN
twenty leaps, had time TO feel my blood
run cold wlih the prospect Of describing
auoher parabola in tile air, and to spccu,
late en- the best altitude for a prnjectilc
on hors eback. Over went Saladin like a
gre hound, but his mistress's riding cap
caught the wind al the highest point Of
the curve, and few back into my face as
Curtal rose on his baunches, and over
went again, blinded aud gidJy, and with
the cap beld flat against my bosom by the
pressure of the air, flew once more at a
tremendous pace onward My feet were
0ow plugged to the instep Ia the stirrups
and my back, too weak to support me
erect, let me down TO my horses name,
aud one by one along the skirt of rising
woodland, could see the red coats drop
ping slowly behind. Right before me,
like meteor, however, streamed back
the loosened tresses fLady Caroline, and
Curtal kept close on the track ofSaladiD,
neither loosing nor gaining an inch ap
parently, and nearer and nearer sounded
the bayng Of the hounds, aud clearer be
came ny view Of tie steady aad s!igh
waist riding so ofearlessly onward. Ofmy
borse ! had neither guidance nor control
He needed none. The hounds had crpss
ed a morass, aud we were rounding half
circle on an acclivI.y to come up with
them. and Curtal went al ii too confid lent
ly to be in error. Evenly at hand. gal.
lop Gu green sward his tremendous pace
told off; and ifbs was he ease ofmnscnlar
power, the graceful speed of the beautiful
creature moving before me seemed the
9rial buoyance Of bird Obstruction
seemed nothing. That fowisg dress and
streaming hair sailed over rocks and
ditches, and over them. like their INSOFAR
able shadow, glided /; and, except one !
horseman who still kept his distance
ahead, we seemed alone in the field. The |
c'atter Of hoofs, and the exclamations of
had ceased behind, and |
though was capable ofno exertion be-
FOND that Of keeping my seat, no longer
feared the leap nor the pace, and began
10 anticipate safe termination to my
'erlUus adventure. A slight exclamation
rom Lady Caroline reached my ear, and
look ed forward. small river was be.
ore US, and, from the opposite bank of
steep clay the rider who had precededhs
v as falling back, his horses fore feet high
n the air, and his arms already in The
water. tried TO pull my reins. shout
ID TO my horse in des esperation. And, with
he exertion, my heart seemed to give
way witnin me. Giddy and faint, aban>