The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1854-12-19
oii From I" Household Words. !"
THE RACE. -


is ,t THE RACE f t1Na vt
At an early hour in tho morning, and before
railways wore established, gentleman arrived
in a post-chaise -and-four at Winchester, on
the road from Southampton to London. Hav'
ing obtained fresh horses, he proceeded with.
out a moments delay; and had scarcely lef'
the inn door when another carriage, from the
samo direction, with single individual In it.
drove up.
Thcre was something in the countenance ol
this person, whose complexion indicated long
residence in a warmer climate than that oi
England, which showed anxiety and the con-
temptation of some important subject; nor did
the waiter fail to notice in one of the pockets
of his chaiso, when II stopped at the inn door
from which the other traveller had just started
either a case of silver mounted pistols, OF
some instruments resembling those deadly
weapons.
Tho first traveller, who had obtained q
glance at the other, appeared considerably dis
concerted, and Immediately desired his post
boys to drive as fast as possible. He wat
obeyed, and reached Papiulane in a very shor
time: here he changed horses, and proceeded
in tho same rapid manner; and was himself on
his progress, when, to his surprise, he perceiv
cd at the turn of the road, about milo behind
him, chaise which he conjectured to contain
the same person who had so nearly overtaken
him at the first stage, and whom he supposed
to be at least four miles in his roar.
"Ths is most vexatious," said he; "after al
my efforts. shall be too late must move
faster But he had on this part of his jour
ney, to deal with steady, solemn kind OF
position on tho near wheeler, who having ter
ribly overworked his horses during tho proco-
/ ding month of the Ascot Races, and justly con-
siderlng that ten miles an hour was now very
fast pace for them, was deaf to the travellers
earnest solicitations for increased speed.
The gentlemen threatened--that had no ef-
feet; coaxed, but in vain. Jem shook his head
and grunted out that "The roads never ven,
no vorser nor 'eavier for orses.' The passen.
ger showed gold between his forefnger and
thumb. Tho drivers both declared, like hon.
est and humane men, such as are rarely mot in
similar circumstances, that they wouldn't hill
| treat their cattle.
/ The traveller inside became agitated, and
doubled his offered bribe for a gallop. "l
won't kill my orses, said Jim," Indignantly
for hany money"
| Th, gentleman throw himself backwards In
desp' ir; after moment or two he leaned for
ward, put out his head, and then put it il
again. Hc seemed to labor with somo oppres
sive secret which he was about to impnrt.--
will you,' said be in voice almost inartcu
late from his earnestness --"tpM you Men
drire to sGre mans life?
The postboys looked back at him for an in
slant lie was evidently in extreme anxiety
his whole heart and soul were engaged in tho
object which had occasioned his journey; and
| now that they were informed of an adequate
cause for haste. they became at once alive to
its necessity. "Yes,' pursued tho gentleman
who saw at once tho sensations no lad happi-
ihr or mo CITY ul nonu"n on ,mis uay az unu . :
clock, an innocent man will be hanged!
"a man hanged!' reioined Jem, tickling the
flank Of his horse with his only spu r" a mans
life against 'orseAesh hany day. I'm blowed
but vo'll make the cattle go if hits in en-"
And they did go at frigh,ful rate. Had
an axle broken, wheel came off. or any col
lsion occurred with another vehicle, tho re-
suits would probably have been most disas-
trous; and even tho braking of trace, or the
stumbling of foundored horse might havo
rendered all their efforts unavaing to save the
life of the poor convict now poised, as tho dri-
vers had been told. in such q critical and op-
palling state OF peril 1t was altogether a halt
hour of intense and absorbing interest.
| AS they entered on a common, Jcm's hat
was blown of by gust tf wind. Ho hastily
pulled up little, for he had regard for the
| beaver, independently of its value, and looked
significantly at the traveller, who was counting
minutes, as if he would have said: MAY l
get down and pick it up!'
"No, no" quickly and decidedly said tho
other; here, take mine.'
Jem's head was encased in tho now envelope;
he was quito satisfied, and drove manfully to
Basngstoke, where there was solitary post
house.
uT,rn o,t fo,. xo,tor, ;,et.o,i,,c, ro,rod
| the gentleman. How many pair have you at
homer" inquired he breathlessly, of the head
hostler.
"Fivo pair SIR"
| He paused a moment. "Let a chaiso- and
| four start this moment before me to Hartley
| Whitney; turn out another chaise- and -four,
for myself; and let tho remaining pair 60 with
another chaiso instantly to Papnlane, and re-
main there until evening. Can any other hor-
scs bo obtained here or near usl''
mo, sir" replied tho hostler in astonish-
ment, thinking that the supply was already
quite sufficient for any individual traveller.
| "All right" said the gentleman; who having
| first seen that the chase- and -four was dispat-
chcd IN gallop OH the Papinlane road, and
the two four-horse chaisos rcady-and ell this
was effected in FIVE minutcs--jumpcd into one
of them, and preceded by tho other, dashed on
at furious pace.
The information had been passed from JON
and his comrade to tho fresh postboys, that q
mans life depended on their driving, and that
the fees were munificent. This stage was run
| with speed accordingly. Out with four hor-
ses Immediately" was the order again issued,
and obeyed with promptitude at Ha-tlcy. Tho
| second chaise, however, was allowed to stop
and why that unoccupied carriage had been
driven there as pioneer to that in which the
traveller sat alone, was a mystery to overy ono
in the village who had witnessed its enree,
and especially to the positions, who could not
comprehend why tho strange gentlemen should
have ordered It in such hurry, and paid them
so literally. for no apparent object-for what
had the life Of the condemned man to do with
tho movements of tho empty chaise?
The mystery was not solved by the supposi-
tion that it had been sent for physician, sur
geon. accoucher, or oloping lady; nor did it
contain even q case Of dueling- pistols, nor
anything that could have furnished solution