, 1865-12-12

door. She has got the child = next struck on our ears in horror.
Instantly everybody was pouring peH-mell through the doorway
but Tom Treddocks fists, striking right and left in sudden fury, made
for himself the foremost way, his poor stark-nad wife, however keeping
stand-stnl the parents stopped transfxed in wondering terror like every
one else. On the other side of a small pond, just below the house, to the
left. and through which she must have rushed. stood the Internal mare,
witt the child hanging from it's Jaws, held up by the clothesj and just as
we all got sight of her, she ducked her head, and dipped TN Struggling
infant under water, clearly bodily into the pond! Some mn who mad
been fastening towards her, stopped rooted at this maneuVre' INC lining
her head, the shedevil stood at bay, white streams of vapour escaping
from her nostriIs, and her eyes blazing bloodred. With a ringing
shrek, Mrs. Tredlock rushed towards the pond, and LON followed her'
but once more the devlsh creature ducked her head, and plunged the
child into the muddy choking water. The mother fell headlOng; and the
father sifened where he checked himself, with his hg, helpless rms uN
raised, while everybody else remained motonleSS, fascinated win horror
One old woman alone had presence of mind, which afterwards Shamed
all the rest; she rushed back into the house, and a moment Later she
thrust a gun into my hands, l happening to be the nearest. IuS broke
the spell. / ran for the pond, a wild cry going up from every quarter
at the SIGHT of my weapon. The helGsh eyes Of the mare met mne
and again she dropped the child towards the water; but in doing SO, she
she expsed her neck, AMI fired for the junction of the ShOutler-blade.
Although a sort of darkness instmtaneonsy blinded my eyes l saw
through it that the black mare fell at the edge of the water where she
had stood. and that the child fOated loose, a White Sptck on the SurfaCt o
the pond. A moment later, the 6end in hide and boots was dead, ana
the hlfdrowned infant was rescued, but not an instant too soon. Tom
Treddock staggered to me, but in the act of grapng nay hand, tumbled
into the arms of those about him the big St0ut-hearted fellow had
syoued, lust as his wife had already done, and l was within the toss of
a straw of doing the next moment. What the historic William 1ellS
sensation must have been, Immediately after that famous archery feat l
still do not pretend to know, for Charlie Treddock was no child OF mine
but if the bowman on that occasion had happened to be not the father
himself, but only a friend of his, / think l have some idea OF what his
feeling was, and I beg to say that it was not a pleasant one.
Matters was at last cleared up. 1t was the mare that mad done all
4he mischief and this last horril act was only the climax which disclosed
the mystery. The men who had been helping to catch her in the field
kept ON in their efforts after the wagner gave up, amt started upon lis
GRAND on another horse and just as her pursuers had succeeded N dris-
inc her towards the house, the servant-gir had gone out of doors with
the child. She explained that she had put the infant down TO us zee on
the ground, where he propped himself against q sunny WALL WINE Se