The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1874-11-05

Wins!" exclaimed hastily.
"Net So; shall DE loser" know
hat you are IA countryman, and, as snch,
can do whatever you please with your
horse. AS to myself, who but last year
wore the gown OF "a theological student,
fear your equest ian proves. You
may be able to make your horse nelgh :
10 hinder him from doing so Is very
different matter.
We waited in deep and anxious silence
until the voice of one OF our horses
should bre: k forth. The silence lasted
for a minute, tor an age. 1t Was my
horse who neighcd first. The Colonel
gave no external man festatIun OF al,
! Joy; but, no doubt, he thanked God 10
the very bottom Of his heart.
"You will allow me minute TO make
my peace with heayen?" sand with u
failing voice.
80. Will five minutes be sufficient? ~
" The Colonei pulled out his watch. 1
addressed toward the heavens, brilliant
with stars, which L tho' glt l was lIok-
ing on for the last time, with al intense
and burning prayer.
| IL is llUlc, ealu lic NOiOHSA'
al answered nothing, but with firm
hand gathered up the bride Of my horse
and drew it within my fingers, which
were agtated with u nervous trcnor.
"Yet one moment more" | said to til.
Colonel, sfor had need OF all my cool
ness to carry into execution the fearful
maneuyer which | am about to com
mence.'
Granted" replied Garduro.
MY education mad oeen III tae coun-
try. Ny. childhood, and part OF N.
earliest youth, had almost been passed.
Oh horseback ] may say, without fiat,
tcrinc myself. that II there was amy one
in the world capable OF executing dii-
tcult equestrian feat, ii was myself. l
rallied myself with almost a supcrnatur-
Al effort, aud succccurd al iurUI>rihS
clf.possess.on in the very face of death.
rakin" it ut the worst, had alread,
,raved il too often Ia be amy iohge'
alarmed at 1t. From that Instant dared
to hope afresh. AS soon AS my horse
felt for the first time since my re-encoun-
er with the Colonel, the blt compress
ny his mouth, perceived that he irem
5led beneath me. l strengthened myself
Irmly on my sllrrups, ~ make The ter
Iied animal understand that his maStei
no longer trembled. l held hun up will
oridie and the hams, rs every good horse
nan does in dangerous passage, AN
yith The birdie, the bod and the spur To-
tether, succeeded in ba king HIM Il fe"
Jaces. His head was already 1urshci
rom that of the horse OF The Coiomch
who encouraged me all he c'ald with IA
oice.
"This done, let the poor, trembling
brute, who obey Il me IA >"ta vi terrUi,
repose for few moments, and then re-
commended the same maneuvcr. Alter
A sudden Tell his hind legs give way
under me. A horrible shuudcr ra'
through my whoic iiame. 4 closed ~
ewes as if about to roil 10 the bolto.n q.
the abyss, and | gave 10 my o"dy 'tsuu
len impulse on The side next 10 tne il"
..ienda, the surface OF which offered ho.
single projection, not u tut vi wecu
TO check my decent. This sudden move
ment, joined to the desperate struggles
nv horse, was the salvation ol ny |
lite. He had sprung up nS'in o" "a"
legs, which seemed reauy 10 tai from
under him, 50. desperately did feel
them tremble. !
81 had sucs eedcd in reaching, be-
tween the brink OF the preclpice and tht
wall of the building, spot some nv,
inches broader. A few more would have
enabled me TO turn him around; but 10
attempt it here would have been falai,
and dared not venture. L sought 10
resume my backward progress step by
step. Twice the horse threw himself VI,
his hind legs, and fell down upon the
same spot. Il was in vain 10 urge him
anew, either with voice, bride, OF spur
he animal obstinately refused 10 take
single step in the rear. Nevertheless 1
did not feel my courage exhausted, for
had no desire 10 die. One las,, solitary
chance OF safety suddenly appeared to
me, like a fash OF llgnt, and resolved
to employ it. Through he fastening OF
my boot, and in reach ofmy hand, was
placed a sharp and keen knife, which |
irew forth from ills sheath. With my
left hand began carre. Vi X the maine
Of my horse, all the while letting him
hear my voice.
The poor animal replied TO my caresses
by plaintive neIghing; then, lot 10
alarm him, my haad followed, by little {
and little, the curve of his nervous neck
and finally rested upon the spot where
he last Of the vertebre united itself ;
with the Uranium, The horse trembled,
out Gained him with my voice. When
felt his very life, so to speak, palpitate
n. his brain beneath my fingers, leaned
,ver toward the wal my feet gently slip /
,ed from the stirrups, and with one wig 5
,rous blow | buried the pointed blade OF !
ny knife into the seat OF the vital prin- ,
iple. The animal tell as if thunder +,
truck, without single motion; aud, y
or my self, my knees almost as high Us +
ny chin, | found myself horseback :
cross a corpse! Twas saved uttered Z
triumphant cry, which was responded j
o by the Colonel, and which the abyss :
q echoed with hollow sound, as if ii v
elt that it's prey had escaped it. quit ii
ed the saddle, sat down between the "a
rall and the body of my horse and Wig Il
rously pushed with my feet against I'll, II
arcass OF the wretched animai, winch v
n, led dawn into the abvss | then arDs, I,