The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-06-12

piiCu NiVil ulOneyJ l. HUI never yeG De6n
brought face to face with that great
educator of humanity-the necessity of
earning ones bread-and was, there
fore, rather ignorant of some of the
principal duties of life than unmindful
of them. The bluff common-sense of
Bessie's father had compelled me to
consider matters from practical point
of view, and L was now perhaps more
angry with myself than with any one
else. walked on, but finally resolved
to return to the cottage and saddle
Moro for a ride. Moro had been my
fathers charger, and had been left me.
with particular instructions as to his
care He was Splendid horse, of jet
PACK Color and enormous strength. By
elle eLnness of my host [ had been al
/ lowed to bring him with me, and many
a pleasant ride had had on his back
with Bessie Clavering.
As L re-entered the pleasant garden
attached 10 the cottage I strove in vain
to catch glimpse of Bessie, and reach
ed the stable without having met any
body but the old gardener, who saluted
with the usual GLOW zee do, Sur ?" I
was soon by the side of Moro, who gave
neigh of delight as 1 entered. 1t did
not take me long to put on his saddle,
and as left the yard 1 learned from the
old groom that Miss Clavering had rid
den out alone about a quarter of an hour
| before me. was certainly much cha
grined at this, and made several mental
resolves to be fully revenged as soon as
| could get convenient opportunity.
L turned down lane that led to the
bridle-path along the top of the cliffs,
and letting the reins fall over Moro's
neck, abandoned myself to building
castles in the air, in the erection of
which Bessie took a very prominent
part. The spot was admirably adapted
to meditation. To my left small wood,
through the breaks in which glimpses
of the rising upland were caught every
now and then, straight ahead broad
expanse of purple heather, and to my
right the rugged steep cliffs, at the foot
of which lay vast tract of sand, as the
sea, owing to the flat shore, retires a
distance of nearly four miles far away
in the distance the bright dancing
waters, with sail or two in sight, and
over the whole glorious expanse of
| blue, across which the light morning air
blew few white scudding clouds.
Some three and half miles from the
shore there extended right along the
coast a low sand-bank, which was at
| once source of pleasure and danger to
| heinhabitants and the fishermen. When
the tide flowed the sea beat against the
| bank for some time, till at last, with an
angry roar, it surmounted the obstacle
and came tearing down the incline like
a very avalanche. Many accidents re-
sulting in loss of life had taken place,
| owing to the ignorance or carelessness
of tourists and others, who, lulled into
state of fancied security by the dis
tance of the sea, and unaware of the
peculiarities of the place, would wander
| about on the sands till overtaken by the
tide, when they were placed, as it were
in an instant, beyond human assistance,
and were invariably lost. Danger sig
nails and notices had been put up in
every prominent position by the au-
thorities, who were accustomed also at
the turning of the tide to fire a signal
gun but, with all that, the sands were
so tempting, and the very breeze that
waited across them so delicious, that a
day seldom passed without some party
OF other generally mounted, venturing
upon them.
As looked down I could see nothing
but solitary speck in the distance,
which / soon after made out, through a
little pocket-glass I always carried, to
be person on horseback cantering
along. I paid no particular attention
at the time, and continued my way,
gathering up the reins as Moro broke
into a gentle trot. was now on the
very edge of the cliffs, where a single
false step would at once have precipi-
tated me on to the sands below, and
consequently, although Moro was Won
derfully sure-footed and well acquainted
with the path, moved along with con-
siderable caution. The beauty of the
scene and the exercise soon dispelled
the gloominess that had oppressed me,
and as my blood began to circulate
more quickly my spirits rose, and I
commenced to sing right merrily. The
path now took sudden turn by a deep
gorge, and as L did not wish to go round
it, distance of nearly mile, 1 re-
solved to put Moro across it so, patting
him gently on the neck, for I never
touched him with spur or whip, I called
me at once, and increased his speed.
On we went, the pace getting faster and
faster, till, at the gorge, Moro rose with
splendid bound, and alighted safely
on the other side. [ now got a full
view of the sands again, and found that
[ was considerably nearer the person on
horseback below-in fact, that we had
been moving toward one another At
that moment Moro suddenly stopped,
and tossing his head in the air, gave a
loud neigh. Somewhat astonished at
this proceeding, Hooked more carefully,
and perceived by the futter of the
dress that the person on horseback was
lady. L became more interested, and
taking out my glass, discovered that it
was no other than Bessie, who had been
cantering along on the sands on mare
that her father had lately bought her.
companion. debated with myself
whether should return, and, by taking
a shortcut, meet her on the way home,
in order to upbraid her with her mis-
conduct in going out alone. While l
was cogitating, Moro uttered a snort of
alarm. 1 looked, and beheld a sight
that for the moment took away my
breath. From some cause or other
Bessie's horse appeared to have taken
fright and become unmanageable all
at once it tore away like the wind in
the direction of the sea. At the same
moment herad the distant boom of the
signal-gun which announced that the
tide was just about to turn.
mi