The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-05-20
els If. then. SO verv difBuIt ?" asked

" Is it, then, so very dtfhult ?" asked
Cicely, her eye again Frightening.
mot to good riders well mounted,
said the squire; "but far too severe for
old fellows like me, and ladies. In fact
few of our best men care to ride it when
the ground is deep"
Moorside Craigs was a small covert
overlooking a fine vale across which
foxes generally ran to some woodlands
about ten miles distant, and was COM
posed of gorse, brambles, old thorns,
ETC., interspersed with huge boulders of
rock, from which the place took its
name. Our principal object is not so
much TO describe a fox-hunt as its con-
sequences, or we should tell how Finder
challenged, and how from single notes
the whole pack at last joined chorus.
That our readers must excuse, and
fancy our friends seated on high ground,
anxiously watching the course of events,
when one Of the whippers in is seen to
hold his cap in the air at the lower
corner of the covert.
"By Jove, he's over the vale - ex-
claims Hinton, clapping spurs to his
horse, and half scrambllng, half sliding
down the slippery turf towards the point
indicated,
"Hs's for Boughead Woods" cries
the squire; "we must take the lanes,
girls, and make haste. Come along
and off he hustled, followed by Evelyn.
Not so Cicely. Turnlng Swallows
head, she faced the descent, leaped q
low wall ct the bottom, aud was soon
racing across a large pasture. In com
pauy with Hinton, the whips, and some
dozen others. The hounds were well
away, the pace tremendous, and it was
only as Hinton turned his head for a
moment, on hearing a crashing OF rails,
that he became aware Of the fair form
beside him. There she was, fem as a
rock, yet giving easily to every motion
OF her horse, sailing along without an
effort, taking every obstacle in her
stride neck and neck with him. Fond
of hunting as he was, gallnntly as the
hounds were running, no could not help
dividing his ate ton. Those were not
the days In which women rode SO much
or so well as at the present, and he had
never seen anything like 1T. Less and
less was his attention bestowed on the
hounds, and more and more on Cicely,
as the chase sped onward. Their com
panions dropped to the rear one by one;
he noticed it net. As it appeared, in
stinctively picking the firmest ground
and most practicable places, she sailed
| along as if by magic, while old Swallow
nobly repaid the confidence reposed in
him.
At l3ngth Hinton became conscious
that the pack were disappearing mo-
mentarily from view, to emerge drip
ping wet on what seemed merely level
surface. Good Heavens p cried he,
''here's the brook. You must not
attempt it. l know a ford close at
hand. And still with a lingering eye
on his pack, he reluctantly turned away.
Aquietsmile was Cicely's only answer,
as she patted Swallows neck, and then
setting him skilfullY at it cleared the
water at bound. She heard the beat of
Hinton's horses feet as he turned to
follow her-heard the thud as he pitched
and thesplash and struggle that followed
when the bank gave way and horse and
rider slipped back into the water, but
she never turned her head. When he
once more gained terra trina Swallow
was more than field ahead, and still
going straight as his name implied.
The water had shaken off the few
remaining stragglers, and Hinton strug-
Rled on the line of the flying pack and
their fair attendant alone in a hopeless
stern chase. At last crashing into a
field he found the hounds snarling over
the remains of their fox, and was lust
In time to save the head for himself and
the brush to present to Miss Burnett.
''ReallY, Mr.. Hinton, I fear I have
been most imprudent in deserving nv
companions in this fashion, but could
not resist when the hounds went awav
so beautifully. Am I very far from
Eldon HalIP"
"Nearly twelve miles; but see nv
Whips IN the distance. When I have
delivered the hounds into their charge,
yOu must allow me to assume the office
of guide and escort you thither, for the
route is somewhat intricate. Nav. can
take no denial, and as I am already
engaged to dine there this evening. Won
are really comforting favor by saving
me a lonely ride"
What passed during that long twelve
mile journey has never TRANSFERRED
Cicely was quiet. nay almost absent
during dinner. Nor was there any con-
ference between the friends that night
in Evelyn's boudoir. The latter cbided
her friend gently for running such
desperate risks the next day, and told
her that Hinton had spoken so highly
of her riding that she really feared she
had come there to steal her sweetheart.
Cicely smiled, and told her Hinton was
more likely to be ehagrined because
she had fairly ridden away from him.
And when church was over and dinner
discussed next day she entered into the
Christmas gambols more gayIy than any
child present-and their name was le-
gion-and declared when she kissed
Evelyn, and departed few days sub
sequently, that it was the iolliest Christ
mas she had ever spent.
Within a month of that she was a
bride at the altar; Hinton was her
bridegroom; and poor Evelyn, ere
another year came round, was in the
cburchyard, wither the old Squire soon
| followed her. And Eldon has long
! since ceased to hold merry Christ
mas tide.-English paper.