Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-05-31

ones together. / soon however, / must
confess, began to regret a little having
brought my handsome friend into the So
ciety of Ellen. She seemed better pleased
with him than I altogether liked, nor
could l wonder at it. Philip Ashley
was just the man to please a woman of
Ellen's character. She was rather of a
romantic turn, and about him there was a
dash of the chivalrous, well calculated to
captivate her Imagination. She was an
excellent horsewoman and an ardent ad-
mirer of feats of daring and courage, and
she had heard me tell her brother of Ash
ley's perfection in such matters. On his
part, Ashley, like every one else who saw
her, was evidently greatly struck with her
beauty and fascination of manners.
cannot say was jealous; | had no right
to be SO, for Ellen had never given me en-
couragement; but | certainly more than
once regretted having introduced a third
person into what had been sort Of tete-
a-tete society. Ibegan to fear that thanks
to myself, my occupation was gone and
Ashley had got it. ..a
1t was on the fifth day after our meet.
ing with Phil, and we had started early
in the morning on our mountain excur-
sion. The distance was barely ten miles
and the road being rough and precipitous
Ashley, Narrower and myself had chosen
to walk rather than to risk our necks by
riding the brokcn-kneed ponies that were
offered to us. A sure-footed mare and
an Indifferent side-saddle, had been pro.
cured for Ellen, and was attended by q
guide, 'Ha
Ellen rode little in front, with Ash
ley behind her, pointing out the beautie;
of the scenery through which we passed
and occasionally laying hand upon hel
bride to guide the pony over some unus
ually rugged portion of the almost track
less mountains. Jack and were walk
ing behind, little pufed by the steep
ness of the ascent our guide strobe along
beside us, like pair of compasses will
leather lungs. 'a.'t
There is the Hunters Leap" he said
"The Hunters Leap, what is that 2
asked Ellen, who had overheard the con
versation. ..}
The Hunters Leap, so the guide in
formed us, was narrow cleft in the rocl
of vast depth, and extending for a con
siderable distance across flank Of th'
mountains. 1t owed it's name to the fol
lowing incident:
Some years previously, hunter wa
pursuing a deer on foot. 1t seemed tha
in the ardor of the chase he had forgotten
the position of the cleft, and only remem
bered it when within hundred yards o
thereabouts, for then he slackened hi
pace. But he was not the man to sticl
at trifes. so on reaching the chasm h
sprang from the ground with deer-lik
agility, and by one bold leap cleared tn
yawning abyss. Before our guide hat
finished his narrative, we were unanimou
in our wish to visit its scene, which W
reached by the time he had brought hi
tale to conclusion. 1t was certainly
most remarkable chasm, whose existenc
was only to be accounted for by referenc
to volcanic agency. The whole side Q
the mountain seemed rent assunder, form
ing narrow ravine Of immense depth
The chasm was Of various width, but wa
narrowest at the spot where we reached il
and finally did appear no very terribl
leap after all. s2iqg
We had remained for half q minute q
50. gazing down into the ravino, when Ash
ley, who was on the right Of the party
broke the silence, ef sii u Hi ila
} "Pshawl" said he, stepping back fror
, the edge, "that's no leap. Why, Ill jun
: across it tmyselfl" ni 5ia.
: "For Heavens sake !" cried Ellen.
! ASHLEY" Iexclaimed, 'don'tbea a fool.
II But it was too late. What mad in
pulse possessed him, l cannot say, bu
certain am, from my knowledge of hi
Q character, that it was no foolish bravad
1 -. - oolbo,, Joa;,os 70 ,bo,y off that IA