The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-12-10

the nasal draWl OF his native province
sc est bien dangereuse, monsieur, sayez-
voua-" d @
The spell was snapped at once. Hilton, who
had finished adjusting his girths, angrily told
the man to hold his tongue, gathered up his
reins and spurred~ otflwaving his hand in adieu
to Emma, and dryly remaking that we gave
ourselves a great deal Of unnecessary ankle
ty about the safety of a person so insignificant
as himself, but that the laugh would be against
US, when we met at Avranches by tea
time,
So saying he rode off at a brisk canter.
splashed into the Cousenon, and, forcing the
shallow water with perfect ease, gained the
opposite bank, and took his way across the
sands. Twice he looked back to us, with 8
half playful gesture of leave-taking, and ther
a rising headIand concealed him entirely from
our view. I
'FoIlow him, George; oh, pray let US fol
lev him !" exclaimed Emma, struggling tt
keep back her tears.
But to this decidedly objected. To over
take Hilton, we'll mounted, as he was, was out
of the question, even had there been any good
object to be attained by sharing his danger,i il
he were indeed in danger. Of this 1 felt by
no means assured. Popular tradition is gen
orally vague and full of exaggeration, and
did not repose unlimited faith in the appalling
statements | had Just heard. Heartily | wish
ed that Harry had been wise enough tc
avoid what might prove a very ugly scrape
but for all that, [ counted on finding him, flush
ed with victory, putting his cigar at the door OF
the Hotel de Londres.
We started at a good round pace, glad to get
away from the croaking of the Breton peas
ants, whose dismal predictions had anything
but a reassuring effect upon my poor sister.
Our little pony chaise was much less
cumbrous than the four-wheeled carriages
and as Emma was eager to get back to Av-
ranches and assure herself Of our rash knight
Grant, drove fast, and we soon outstripped
the rest of the party. A" for the youngsters
on their ponies, they were somewhat sulky at
the parental prohibition, sternly reiterated to
accompany, Hilton across the Bay, and there
fore kept aloof from the train of vehicles,
scampering up by-lanes, leaping any fence
where a gap afforded a tempting passage, OF
tearing along the road in a break-neck race
that usually ended in a harmless tum-
BILE.
For som time after quitting Karvaen the
road trended somewhat inland, and it was only
now and then that, between the knarled boughs
of the orchards, or across the weedy ridges OF
the fallows, we could catch a glimpse Of the
sea. But presently we found ourselves skirt
ing the coast line, winding among sand-hills,
and frequently crossing the narrow bridge that
crossed some brooklet on its way to the ocean.
To the left was the broad sea; and far away
doomed the rock-cradled fort Of Mont st. Mi
chael, and the twin islet of TombeIaine, and
even Avranches clinging to and browning the
crest Of its steeply scarped hill-but of Hilton
we saw nothing. This was the less surpris-
ing as owing to the twists in the road and the
many sandy bluffs that stood out between lis
and the skyline, our view of the strand was
limited to that portion of it Immediately be-
fore us.
Emma was excessively agitated, though
she did her best 60 hide her fears, and was per-
petnally standing up in the carriage to gaze
forth over the yellow stretch of sand, dappled
already by the tiickering shadows OF evening.
The sun was sinking, and the wind rising.
The white clouds overhead were thicker and
darker, growing like the web of the Parc@, till
they covered the whole sky. | felt uncoln-
Portable, and the more SO because, for Emma's
sake, | felt it necessary to keep a cheerful
countenance but | began to recognize the
signs of an approaching gale. The wind, as
the old fisherman had remarked was westerly,
and it came every minute in stronger and an
grier gusts, sweeping the dead leaves from the
trees, and making a melancholy signing among
the sedges and tamarisks of the lonely shore.
| looked out to sea, and even at that distance
| fancied | could see the dark-blue line of the
advancing tide gaining, still gaining on the
shore, and rushing on, swift and smooth, over
the level strand, where neither rock nor shingle
barred its way.
Where can Harry be? | don't see him.
o. George, your eyes are better than mine p
said Emma, trembling, as she stood up for the
tenth time TO strain her gaze across the low
flats.
Il see nothing" answered |. Stop, there
is something in the distance dark object
but it cannot be a man and horse, it's so small,
and 80 near the water, where no sane person
would venture, with the tide coming in at
such a rate. Sorne sea-bird driven in by the
Storm
Then there is geing to be a storm p ask
ed Emma, with such white lips, and. such evil
dent distress, that | could nave bitten off my
tongue for my lack of caution.
She was very pale; the hectic bloom on
her cheeks came and went, and her eyes were
strangely brilliant. In her delicate health. all
agitation was hurtful, and | groaned inwardly
at HiItons mad prank though | did my best
to put a good face on the matter.
laughed at the idea of any apprehension
from the storm, whether Of peril to Har-
ny or ourselves, and spoke confidently OF
the adventurous horseman's safety. | ex-
pressed myself sure that he had already reach
ed Avranches, and would nave the laugh on
| bi1 aiIa union mn 90 ,a in with uaf cloths of
ter a drive through the rain. In fact play
ed my part admirably, in my own opinion
but | could not deceive a woman's quick III
t~ellect, and my sister laid her trembling hanC
on my arm with"
'Hush, George, pray. You frighten me, dear
for | see that you are afraid for him. Oh, il
is all my fault l should nave begged him
urged him to stay with US. And if he, if he
should
Just then the eldest of the English school
boys, who had raced past US some little time
before with his noisy crew Of young comrades
came tearing back with his pony IN a lathe
of foam and heat.
80, Captain Lethbridge," said the boy, 1--WE
have seen a gentleman on horseback trying
to escape from the sea, and Pm sure it's Mr.
Hilton and the poor horse seems so tired anG
the tides coming in dreadfully fast, like a mill
race.
l tried to stop the boy. 1t was of no use
The words were spoken, and Emma gave I
scream SO piercing and heart-broken in it,
agonized accents, that it haunts me to my dy
ing day. Lashing the vigorous little nag in
to a gallop,in an instant | gained the poin
whence our young informant had come, anC
there | sprang ont and assisted Emma tt
scramble up a steep ridge of sand that over
looked the whole of the desolate fiat, nov
terribly encroached on by the advancing
tide.
A few drops of rain fell, and the wiuc
whlstled shrilly by, and the sea-gulls and gan
nets flew h~oarsely screaming around, and t1ut
tered off inland on their white wings. Th'
muttering growl of distant thunder ~resounded
but we cared nothing for rain or thunder. Our