The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-11-24

and in the middle of the picture, aroused by
the shouts ia his rear, and aware OF the pres
ence of his fresh pursuers,. the noble stag, with
bis neck far stretched out and his noble ant
lers pressed close along his back, straining
every nerve, and literally seeming to fly over
tho level sward while the snow-white alans,
with their fierce black eyes glowing like Goals
of fire, and their blood-red tongues lolling from
their open jaws, breathless and mute, but
stanch "a yindictive fends, hung hard upon
his traces
At first, the hunted stag laid his course up.
ward, dagonally, aiming for the forest land on
the hillside; and although, at first he had
scarce thirty yards of law, and was, moreover,
50 nearly matched in speed by his relentless
enemies, that for many hundred yards he
neither gained nor lost yards distance, grad
ually gathering way, as yards fell into furlongs
furlOngs into miles, drew ahead slowly, but
surely, until It appeared almost certain that he
must soon gain the shelter of the tall timber
where the keen eyes of the alans, impotent Of
scent would be worthless in pursuit, and where
he must again be dslodged by slow hounds, or
the chase abandoned
Just as he was within fifty yards, however, Of
the desired covert's edge, Sir Alberto de Morte-
mar-for he it was who rode the foremost
raised his buge to his lips and sounded it long
and shrill, in most peculiar strain; to which
a whoop responded, almost from the point for
which the stag was making, and at the same
time, a second brace of alans-one a jet black,
and the other deep-brindled fawn color
darted out, and flew down the gentle slope,
right at the head of the yet unwearied quarry.
Springing high into air he instantly made a
perfect demi-vola, with an angry toss OF his
anters, and shot with redoubled efforts, in the
contrary direction, cutting across the very
noses Of bis original pursuers, which, when they
had turned likewise, were brought within fifty
yards of his launches, and away like an arrow
toward the bridge across the Idle. From this
moment the excitement Of the spectacle was
redoubled nor could any one, even the coolest
Of spectators, have looked on without feeling
the blood course, like molten lava, through his
veins.
IL was no longer stern-chase where the d.
rect speed only of the rival and hostile animals
was brought into play; for, as the stag turned
to the left about, the black and brindled alans,
which had been started at his head, were
thrown by his movement some thirty yards
wide on his right quarter; while the white dogs,
who had pursued him so savagely from the be-
ginning, were brought to a position nearly
equivalent on MS lett II ank.
Henceforth, it was course of feet bounds,
short turns, and man9uvres Of wonderful agili-
ty; and at this instant new spectator, OF spec
| tatress, rather, was added to the scene
This was young girl of some sixteen or
seventeen years, at the utmost, beautifully
formed, and full of easy grace and symmetry,
| who came galloping down the road, from the
| direction of the castle, as fast as the flying
L 4 Il with
| name and tail of silver-searccly larger or lese
| fleet than the deer in the plain below-oould
carry her.
| Her face and features were not less beautiful
| than her form; the latter would have been per
fectly Grecian and classical but for the slight
| est possible upward turn in the delicate thin
| ing to her rich, laughing face. Her eyes were
clear, bright blue, with long, dark lashes, q
bright complexion, ripe, crimson lips; and a
food Of dark auburn tresses, which had os
| capped from the confinement of her crimson vel
vet so..net, snd Ro~od oa tbs less.ss h-ae=n In q
ford of gttering ringlets completed her at
fractions.
Her garb was the rich attire peculiar to hei
| age, her rank, and the period of which We
write-the most picturesque, perhaps, anc
| appropriate to set off the projections Of a fe
male figure of rare symmetry that ever hai
been invented A closely fitting jacket, follow
| ing every curve and sinuous line of her beaute
Gus shape, of rich green velvet, furred deeply
at the cape and cuffs with white swansdown
and bordered at the hips by broad band o.
the same pure garniture; loose flowing skirts
of heavy serdal Of the same hue, crimson vel
vet shOulder-belt supporting richly embrol
dered hawking pouch, floating plume OF white
l ostrich feathers. and a crimson hooded merlin
on her wrist, with golden bells and jesses, com
| pleted her PERSONS adOrnment; and combined,
| with the superb housings and velvet headstail
of her exquisite palfrey, to form charming
| picture.
SO rapidly did she ride, that single page, a
| boy Of ten or twelve years, who followed her,
squirting with oil his might could scarcely keep
her in sight, and as she galloped down to-
ward the bridge, which she had almost reached,
| was lost to view in the valley Immediately be-
| hind the ridge, the southern slope of which she
was descending.
The stag, by this time which had been aim.
ing hitherto TO cross the road on which she
| was galloping, had been turned several times,
| by the fresh relay of alans, which were untired
and unimpaired Of speed and had been thus
edged gradually away froam the road and
bridge, toward the white dogs which were now
running, as it is technically termed, cunning,
! laying up straight ahead on parallel line,
| and almost abreast with the deer. Now they
drew forward, shot ahead, and passed him At
once, seeing his peril, he wheeled on bis
launches, and, with desperate last effort,
| headed once more for the road, striving Tor
life for life! to cut across the right-hand
couple of deer grayhounds but, fleet as he was,
feeter now did they show themselves, and once
more he was forced to turn, only to find the
white dogs directly in his path.
One, the taller and swiiter of the two was a
few yards in advance of the other, and, as the
stag turned full into bis foaming jaws, sprang
at its throat with wild yell. But the deer
bounded too, and bounded higher than the dog
and, as they met in mid air, its keen, sharp
pointed hoofs struck the brave staghound in
the chest and hurled him to the ground, stun.
ned if not lifeless Four strides more, and he
swept like a swallow over Q narrow reach Of
the little river, and then, having once more
brought the three surviving hounds directly
asterD, turned to the westward along the river
shore, and can;erng away lightly no longer SC
hard pressed seemed likely to make his escape
toward broad belt of forest, which lay some
mile and q half that way, free from ambuscade
or hidden peril
At this turn Of the chase fercer was the
opening and wilder waxed the shouting and
the bugle blasts of the discounted followers OF
the chase, none Of whom were nearer to the
bridge than full half mile But 50 animated
was the beautiful young lady, whose face had
flushed crimson, and then turned ashy pale,
with the sudden excitement Of that bold exploit
of dog and deer, that she clapped her hands
joyously together, unfolding and casting loose
her merlin, though without intention, in the
act and crying, gaily, well run, brave Her
cules! well leapt brave Hart o Grace" and,
az she saw the hunters scattered over the wide
field, none no near to the sport as she, she flung
her arm aloft and with her pretty girlish voice
set up musical whoop of defiance.
Now, at the very moment when the deer's
escape seemed almost more than certsin-as