The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-03-03

able to laugh at their fruItlesS search.
This last illusion vanished when, on
reaching the limit of the covered space, l
discovered the troops had divided into two
squads, who we're both waiting for me at
the outlet At the sight of me, a fresh
storm of shout and laughter broke forth,
and the hunting horns sounded in all di-
rections. j became dizzy; felt the for
est whirling around me; rushed into the
first path that offered itself to me, and my
flight assumed the character of a hopeless
rout. $3.50
The implaeable legion of hunters and
huntresses did not fail to start on my heels
with renewed ardor and stupid mirth. l
still recognized at their head the lady
with the waving blue plume, who distin-
guished herself by her peculiar animosity,
and upon whom | invoked with all my
heart the most serious accidents to which
equestrianism may be subject 1t was
she who encouraged her odious accom-
pIices, when l had succeeded for mo-
ment in eluding the pursuit; she discover
ed me with internal keen-sightedness,
pointed me. out with the tip of her whip,
and broke into barbarious laugh when
ever she saw me resume my race, through
the bushes, blowing, painting desperate,
absurd l ran thus during a space of
time of which am unable to form any
estimate, accomplished Unprecedented
feats of gymnastics, tearing through the
thorny brambles, sinking into the miry
spots, leaping over the bitches, bound
ing upon my feet with the elasticity of a
panther, galloping to the devil, without
reason, without object, and without any
other hope but thatiof seeing the earth
open beneath my feet
AT last, and surely by chancellor
had long since lost all typographical no
tions-I discovered the ruins just ahead
of me; with last effort, / cleared the open
space that separated them from the forest,
Iran through the church as if had been
accommodated, and arrived painting
before the door Of the mill. The miller
and his wife were standing on the thresh-
old, attracted, doubtless, by the noise of
the cavaleade that was following close
on my heels, they looked at me With an
expression of stupor, tried in vain to find
few words of explanation to cast to them
as ran by, and after incredible efforts of
intelligence, l was only able to murmur
in silly tone: III any one asks for me.
say that / am not inr' Then / cleared
in three jumps the stairs leading to my
cell, and / sank upon my bed in a state of
complete prostration.
In the meantime, Paul, the hunting
party we're crowding tumultuously into
the courtyard of the Abbey; could hear
the stamping of the horses feet, the voices
of the riders. and even the sound of their
boots on the tagging. which proved that
some of them had alighted and were
threatening me with last assault /
started up with gesture of rage, and l
| glanced at my pistols. Fortunately, after
a few minutes conversation; with the mil.
Ter, the hunters withdrew, not without
| giving me to understand that, if they had
formed better opinion of my character,
they went away with a most amusing
idea of the eccentricity of my disposition.
Such is, my dear, friend, faithful his
torical account of that unlucky day, dur
ing which covered myself frankly, and
from head to foot, with a species of illus
tration to which any Frenchman would
prefer that of crime. | have, at this mo-
ment, the satisfaction CT knowing that
am in a neighboring chateau, in the
ulluSb VI q SdtucEiHB vi urllitdut uucu anu
lovely young women, an inexhaustible
subject for jokes. l feel, moreover, since
my flank movemen Gas it is customary in
war to call precipitate retreats), that
have lost something of my dignity to my
own eyes, and | cannot conceal to myself
besides, that l am far from enjoying the
same consideration on the part ofmy rus
tic hosts. -.r-
In presence of situation 80 seriously
compromised, it became necessary to hold
council; after brief elaboration, rejec
ted far, far from me, as puerile and pu'
silanimous, the project suggested to me
by my vanity at bay, that of giving up my
lodgings, and even of leaving the distric
entirely. made up my mind to pursue
philosophically the course of my labor'
and my pleasures, to show a soul superb
or to circumstances, and, in short, Il
give to the Amazons, the centaurs, anC
the millers the fine spectacle of the wist
mans adversely.
Continued next week.