The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-06-28
NO. 154.

sEfs - - n
NO. 154.
For myself, want no batter company bit ny
horse Do not want TO pat my Not into ne
| hand Of amy cavalier; but want to spring into
my nrial cradle, and akin over bin and dale,
likes creature with wings :
Once only Selim tried my metal; but when
he found that understoodh his game, and sway
ed him first to. ons side, and tlien to the other,
and finally turned him completely round, he
made up his mind to 60 swiftly forward, aud
|, give me no more trouble. / patfed lis neck to
let him know that appreciated bic good man.
ners; and after canter OF ten miaases, Turn
| Ell him h0mewarsl
On The way, snw the same Unlocking fel-
low watching the horse that William had oh
served. We compared descriptions, and found
that he was tho samc perscil William was
delighted to know that had ridden Selim
without accident or ilIbehavior ON the part Of
tue horse. His partiality for the orchard caused
him to be left there in the clover, aud the next
day hs was stolen. The hiil separated bim
from our sight, aud breach svaa mado III the
fence, and he was taken away about mid day.
My father had been to the village, three
miles distant, and WAS returning Just.aa he
left the village he came into a piece Of woody
ground. Recent rains had filled puddIes into
tie road that were miniature ponds Az he
entered the wo id he saw Selim approaching,
| backed by IA strange rider. even the i'll looking
fellow who had just succeeded in sseaiing
him. In the middle of one of the largest pools
CT wafer Selm very deliberately lay down,
and rolled, SO as to de.ach his rider; he then
rose suddenly, aud galloped away at the top
+, of his speed. The fellow got up lie was
| ''the knight of the rueful countenallce." and
ru'tul coat, and all other habiliments, when
/ my father met him.
NY horse has thrown me. said he, using
some adjectivss to Selim'e discredt.
where did you get tliat hOrse 7" said my
father
81 bought him on farm about three miles
/ from here
"uow much did you give7" asked my IA.
ther.
"Twenty-iive pounds; and I'll have back
nay money; l will never keep such a brute
| William Cumming had paid one hundred
and twenty five. aud he valued the horse at
| double that sum.
"That story can't impose upon me- said my
! father. '.Ony two persons were ever on that
horses back before; and when you steal an-
other horse, you will do well to find out before
hand whether you eau ride him. /; is not nice
| to be split in a mud puddle but YOU may con-
+, graduate yourself that you deserve it,"
He drove on, leaving the crest fallen villain
dripping with dirty water.
and conviction of Il horse thief and on ill.,
quiry we learned that he was the same person
wlfo had been treated 80 llneefemouio;sely to Il
mud bath by Scliin. He vas sentenced to the
State prison for four years. During this time
| l felt very secure about 'Sglim and William
used to tell me that thought there was only
one rascal in the world. The tays flew bv,
for MY. youth was happy. -Four years fled, and
was Ill my eighteenth year. William Cum
ming bad been my Instructor ia MANY things,
and my friend IN Ill during this time. Ii.lways
called him Cllcle William, and it never oc-
Cured, to me- that our relations could be
changed. People asked why he did not marry
He said that his Old bachelorisn wasa chronic
complaint, and would probably never be cured.
| | remember onc night az lay in bed that the
! thought occurred to me What if William
Cumming should marry 1t is surely no harm
to speak of il now, for be has been married
several years, and l.. But / will not anti
cipate.
The pretty widow, Mrs jameson, had been
staying month with Il friend in our neigh.
borhood, and " ilian Lad often been very po-
lite to her, and, what was worse than all, he
had promised that s'ie shonld ride SeliIn. The
next day was appointed for. her t. ride, and by
I a not very strange coincidence, this night
| asked myself the question: ~ hv cannet I be
4 married to William Cumming r. The answer
was, he is old enough to be your father.
The beautiful Mrs. Jameson was still young,
but nearer Williams age than 1 was. NY
| pulse beat fast and the long vista OF my future
life looked gloomy and terrible. After tor.
menting myself till thought wanted to die,
fell asleep. awoke III a kind OF shuddering
horror. had heard sounds the like OF which
had never heard before; they seemed com.
pounded Of the sluel OF horse and the sroans
i and cries of human being. | was sure had
heard these .ounds, that it was not sleeping
fancy; but when | was fully awake heard
them no more. 1t was a warm night in the
latter part of June, and my windows were
raised, l slept on the second floor, and tive
large windows OF my room faced the south
Half mile in direct line from these win
dows was IA post road. l was sure that the
sounds had heard came from the road or iii
near vicinity. / listened earnestly, but all wa
still Suddenly there fcated into the room
filing it. as it We're, with~an oder that wa
perfectly sure was from human blood. shranl
!, down into my bed, and shook with horror
then, with great effort OF my viii, ] arose
threw on dressing gc'xn, and hurried to IN,
Father, father!p cried, come witt
, me-
'What is it, Agnes dear p said my mothe,
"What has frightened your
! Il thought l heard some one,' said l eva
sivey.
t waited for my fat nor to Dress and il seem
ed AN hours time, though only Il few minutes
! that lie was putting on his clothes.
When we were out of hearing of my mother
3 | told him OF the sounds and Of the smell o
blood. He always believed me when 10.
, him OF anything that seemed incredible, for b.
Q had much experience Of the truth of the testi
mony of my senses. Father said l, "hal
! "a mile from here, close to the post read, hu
], man being is lying, bleeding to death, al
7 sure Of il"
My father tooka lantern and went to Wn
!; Cumming; dressed, and when they came
, vilced we should find some one dead or DIVING
The bowling OF the dog that preceded u
struck ns all with sad solemIity. As w
drew neal. the edge of our field, which wa
bounded by the road, We saw II horse standing
and as we came nearer we SAW 1t was Sei!r
LYING. beside him was a man. NV fathe
l. stopped to evamine, and said s. | believe lie
dead" The halter was buckled TO his arm
= and he was bitten horribly in his arms an
legs, and had. bled to death They raised h;i
. Seiin, tn hiuking Chat perhaps he had only faint
l ed Thev took him TO our house, ha.. h- wa
= quite d, I'd He proved to be the thief VIII
had stolen Selin before, and who had vnl
been three days out of prison. After neeeesar
: formalties, the poor wretch was bhried :,
lin never passed the place where he had kiilr
]. : him without being seized with severe lit Z
: shuddering..
j was Very i'll from the shock Of this tlrea.
h iui sce,ie. believe was out of my selrse
1 and had sort of brain fever, which was yer
much aggravated when tho widow ;ameso
!. called To SEQ mo- So
!, We'll. but very weak-I was one day alone wi,
, Wliiiam Cunaining. was looking st him. ~,
a -lllhkMy how noble and hantisuIn.s he u.s ~,
: inen the yiit OF the widow Jameson and I