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

end or the village and summon the tagging
characters, who had put up their horses at
an auberge of tolerable size, rejoicing under
the title of SIieJ Lev0rt. But this messen-
ger did not return, and when Hilton and
went together to the roadside inn we heard
the sound Of the rustic music, which are the
invariable accomplishments of a Breton fest,
val, and found that a christening feast Wa
in progress. This sufficiently accounted for
the truancy of our coachmen, who were in the
thick of the m~erry-making, having recogniz-
ed old friends among die company.
But there was something contagious in
Harry's uneasiness at the delay which this
inopportune banquet had helped to occasion,
and [ saw, with some annoyance, that our Je-
hues had not failed to do justice to the con.
tents of the huge pitchers of cider that were
passed necessarily from hand to hand, and
that their faces were red and their eyes dull
from the effects of their rotations. With a
good deal Of trouble, we succeeded in half
coaxing, half compelling the drivers to leave
their hospitable friends, and, impressing as
many of the hangers-on of the auberge into
our service as possible, we contrived to get
the horses harnessed and the men upon the
coach boxes.
Fortunately, Norman heads are too strong
to be utterly OVERLOADED by even immoderate
draughts of apple.juice, and, no sooner were
the laggards O. their driving seats, and in
possession of whip and reins, than their in
s~tinctive knowledge of horses resumed its
sway, and they prepared to conduct the vehi-
cles homewards with all proper gravity and
steadineSs. p
Much time had, however. been wasted, and
the sun was going down while we had many
q kilometre of road to travel. The members
Of the party took their places in their differ
ent carriages, the schoolboys remounted their
ponies, and it was pretty plain that the driv-
ers were quite sober enough to pioneer their
living freight to Avranches i'll safety.
All was ready for a start when Harry, who
had been chatting terribly at the delay, and
who was apprehensive that we should reach
the town long after the departure Of the mail,
proposed to strike across the sands, which
were hard and firm, and thus to curtail the
distance by nearly one half. Indeed, to an
impatient traveller, there was something pro-
voking in the idea of crawling round the
shores of the bay, when it was possible to
make a shortcut from point to point-a course
doubly tempting when time was of such val
ue.
Indeed, when l looked at the wide stretch
of smooth sand, cleaning " LET in places that
lay far out to seaward, but in general as dry
and fiat as a billiard-table, l felt disposed to
comply with Harry's desire. We had but to
ford the shallow stream of Couesnon-a little
river only noteworthy as the old barrier be-
tween France and Bretagne-and our way lay
clear before us. So at least |, in my limo
cence, opined but | was startled at the vehe-
mence with which the Oldest residents com
bated the project. The sands, they said, were
VIGOROUSLY treacherous and insecure; they
were full of shifting quicksands of fabulous
depth and tenacity the tide, at certain states
Of wind and sea, ran in over these fats with
a speed that even well-mounted horsemen
could not evade fifty persons, on an average,
persisted yearly on that fatal coast, through
some ~imprudeut confidence in tuoiI owDjudS-
ment or activity, &c. In short. even with a
guide, the Greve de st. Michel was best avoid
ed and without a guide it was madness to
venture upon it.
| did not exactly believe all this chorus of
evil but | put sufficient faith in the popular
opinion to consider that the tempting sands
had better be left in possession of the sea-
crows that were solennly walking to an d fro
beside the pools, digging ever and anon with
their sharp bills into the soft surface, in quest
of worms Or shell-fsh. Not 80, however, did
my brother-in-law elect. His lip curled scorn-
fully, and he could hardly listen with patient
politeness to the Cassandra-like predictions Of
the old ladies who were the chief speakers
He had, in fact, been too long on the Cont
nent not to be aware how prone to the mary
ellous, and to exaggeration of the peculiarities
Of the country, English residents are apt to
be. He was a bold spirit, too, and not easily
turned from anything by the mere notion Of
p~roblematic danger. Thus he persisted, the
others demurred ana the result was an ami
mated discussion, in which Harry was in the
minority. He was only backed by the school
boys, who were wild with delight at the idea
of such <.jolly fun as a race homeward across
the sands, all the more attractive because their
elders held them in such horror. Emma, in
duced, would willingly have gone by that route,
though she was sorely puzzled between Aunt
Pearson's boding remarks and her lovers con-
fdence that there was no risk, and that the
dangers of the Greve, at low water, must be
purely ~fanciful.
don't say that Hilton was a perfect char
acter. He was, as l have limited, rather hot
of temper and excessively obstinate, though
of a generous and kindly nature, His petu-
lance increased with the well meant but iniu-
dicious efforts of our friends to dissuade him
from the wild idea Of crossing the sands. He
would do not doubt, have given up the plan,
though not perhaps with a very good grace,
had Emma asked him at first to stay for her
sake. But she did nothing of the sort. On
the contrary, she wa s disposed to side with
him, and when the rest vowed for untold gold
they would not tempt Providence by such All
act of folly, she was still inclined to hearken
to her lovers voice, had | not interposed.
"No, no, Emma . said turning it off with
a laugh. "After Monday next, when you
have promised to love and obey our head
strong friend on the chestnut charger, of course
you may risk your life as much as you please.
Till then | am your lawful guardian, and
shall not stir one yard from the Prince Presi-
dents highway; so you must submit to go
home in safety"
Hilton declared in a dudgeon that he would
go alone, write his letters and nave time to
smoke a cigar and play a game of billiards at
the Cuercle, before we returned. He would
not listen to a word of advice, athough two or
three old Breton fisherman, added their warn
ings to those Of our company.
''There are many dead Christians in the
cemetiere of kervaen," said one white-haired
old sailor, speaking in a thin and piping voice
but solemnly and impressively enough; ''but
there are more who sleep III unblessed graves,
without shroud or coffin, under the IiSes of the
Bay. The tide has turned, too, and the wind
is westerly
"Ah, ali! it is wrong to tempt Heavens
mercy thus" cried the women, crowding
round Hilton's horse. 'In the name of our
Lady of Sorrows, monsieur, take the advice
of the poor"
Hilton merely shrugged his shoulders, made
some good humored but contemptuous r%ejoin-
der, and frightened his horses girths. The
good horse neighed and paved the beech impa-
tiently.
Harry" said my sister, now alarmed for
the first time, and with impIoring eyes fixed
on her lovers face-'dear Harry, to please
me"