Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-08-12
THE HEADLEsS HORsEM,N,


of the little shebeen house at Bally-
hOoley, after his old friend and good
customer, Charley Cnlnane, who at
length had turned his face homeward
with the prospect Of a dreary ride.
aud as dark night as ever fell upon the
Blackwater, along whose banks he was
about to journey.
Charley Calnane knew the country
well, and moreover, was as bold and as
daring rider as any Mallow boy that
ever ratified four year old upon
Drumrue race course. He had gone to
Fermony III the morning. as well for
the purpose of purchasing some in
gradients required for the Christmas
dinner by his wife, as to crafty his own
vanity 10y having new reins fitted to his
snsffle III which he intended showing
off the old mare at the approaching st.
Stephens Day hunt.
Charley did not get out of Fermoy
until late; for al hough he WAS not one
of your very particular sort in anything
I relating to the common occurrences of
life, yet in all the appointments con
nected with hunting, riding, leaping in
short, IN whatever was connected with
the old mare, Charley, the saddler said,
twas the devil to phase" An iilustra-
ton of this fastidiousness was afforded
by his going such distance for a snafil a
bride. Mallow was full twelve miles
nearer Charley's farm (Which lay Just
three quarters of a mile below ClrrIck)
than Fermoy, but Charley had quarreled
with all the Mallow saddlers, and no
one would content him in all llparticulars
bat honest Nick rwomey of Fermoy.
who used to assert, and who will doubt
it? that he could stitch a saddle better
than the lord lieutenant, although they
made him al as one as king over
ireland.
The delay IN the arrangement of the
snafils bride did not allow Charley
CulnaDe to so long visit as he had at
first intended to his old friend and
gossip. Con-. Buckley of the Harp of
Erin. Con, howeven, knew the value
of time, and insisted upon Charley
making good use of what he had to
spare. Il won't bother you waiting for
water, Charley, because | think you'll
have enough of that same before yOa
get home so drink of your liquor,
man, it's as good parliament as ever a
gentleman tasted
Charley, it must be confessed, nothing
10th, drank success to Con, and success
to the jolly Harp of Erin" with Its
head of beauty and its strings of the
hair of gold, and to their better ac-
quaintance, and so on, from the bottom
Of his soul, until the bottom of the
bottle reminded him that Carrick was
at the bottom of the hill on the other
side OF Castletown Roche, and that he
had got no further on his road than his
gossIps at Bsllyhooley, close to the big
gate of Connamore. Catching hold OF
his oilskin hat, therefore, while Con
Buckley went to the cupboard for
another bottle of the 'real stuff, he
regularly, as he termed it, boited from
his friends hospitality. darte1 to the
stable, tigtened his girths, and put the
old mare into a canter toward home.
Charley cantered gayly, regardless Of
the rain, which, as his friend Con had
anticipated, fell in torrents the good
old woman's currants and raisins were
carefully packed between the folds OF
his yeornanry cloak, which Charley, who
was proud OF showing that he belonged
to the Royal Mallow Light Horse
Volunteers" always strapped before
, him, and took care to never destroy the
military effect by putting it on.
notwithstanding that the visit to the
Jolly "Harp of Erin" had little in
!: creased the natural complacency of IN:
| mind the drenching OF the new snafiii
reins began to disturb him, and then fol
lowed a train of more anxious thoughts
than even were. occasioned by the
[ dreaded defeat of the pride of his long
: anticipated turnout on st. Stephen
day. In an hour of good-fellowshIp
/ when his heart was warm, and his heaC
, not over cool Charley had baked th'
t old mare against Mr.. Jepson's bad fill
: Desdemona, for a neat hundred, and h'
! felt sore misgivings rs to the prudence
! of the match.
He now arrived at tie bottom o
I KiIcummer Hill, and his eye fell on th'
: old walls that belonged, in former times
= TO the knights Templar but the silen
e gloom of the ruin was broken only bl
!, the heavy rain which spiashed an'
battered on the grayestones. he thei
looked up at the sky to see If there was
! among the clouds, any hopes for mere.
! on his new snaffie reins and no soone
: were his ewes lowered than his atten
tion was arrested by an object so ex
traordinary as almost led him doub
the evidence of his senses. The hea'
! apparently of a white horse, with short
+ cropped ears, large open nostrlls, an'
Y immense eyes, seemed rapidly to follov
1 him. No connection with body, legs
{ or rider could possible be traced. Th
e head advanced-Charley' old mare
+ too. was moved by this unnatural sight
? and snorting violently, increased he
!; trot M the hill.
The head moved forward and passe'
e on Charley pursuing it with astonlahe'
= gaze. and wondering by what means
{ and for what parpose this detache'
: head thus proceeded through the AR
I did not perceive the correspondent
:, hody uutii he was suddenly startled b.
= finding it close by his side. Charlie
: ,nrued to examine what WAS thus s.
:, sociabIy Jogging on with him, when
\ most unexampled apparltion preSente
4 itself to his view. A figure, who's
d hight he computed to be at least eiSh
e feet. was seated on the body and leg
# of a white horse, full eighteen hand
3, aud a half high. In this measurement
h Charley could not be mistaken, Tor n
Al own mare was exactly fifteen hand
'l high, and the body that thus Icsge
alongside he could at once determine
was at least three hands and ha
higher.
After the first feeling of astonishmer
y was over, he exclaimed, I'm sold no
=. =. for ever /" but still he directed bis a
y tention to this extraordinary body, an
,e =, having examined it with The eye of
"a connoisseur, he proceeded to recol
a uoitre the Fl cure SO unusually mounte:
le who had hitherto remained perfect
l. mute. Wishing TO see whether his con
1t pauion's silence arose from bad tempe
er want of conversational powers. or from
ly distaste to water, and the fear that IL
st opening his mouth might subject M II,
>, D, to having it filed with ram, lie q
,.hk nf