The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-04-09

;hance of escape for him, admit but, {
n short, there is a chance, and especially {
n favor of the winner
"tYou cling not to life 7 cried out, |
certified at the sang froid with which this
was made to me.
sssI I cling to life more than yourself,
sharply replied the Colonel, for have
= mortal outrage to avenge. But the
time is fast slipping away. Are you
ready to proceed to draw the last lottery
at which one of us will ever exist
How were we to proceed to this
drawing by lot-by means of the wet
finger, like infants, or by head and tail,
like the schoolboys? Both ways We're
Our hands imprudently
frightened horses might give them
fatal start. Should we toss up a piece
of coin, the night was too dark to enable
us to distinguish which side fell upward.
The Colonel bethought him of an ex-
pedient of which never should have
dreamed.
sss Listen to me, Captain. said the
Colonel, to whom had communicated
my perplexities I have another way. |
The terror which our horses feel makes
them draw every moment burning |
breath. The first of us two whose horse
shall neigh
'ttWins! I exclaimed hastily.
sNot so-shall be loser. I know |
that you are countryman, and as such
can do whatever you please with your
horse. As to myself, who but last year
wore the gown of a theological student,
I fear your equestrian prowess. You
may be able to make your horse neigh
to hinder him from doing SO is very
difficult matter
ssWe waited in deep and anxious
silence until the voice of one of our
horses should break forth. The silence
lasted for minute-for an age It was
my horse who neighed first. The Colonel
gave no external manifestation of his
Joy but, no doubt, he thanked God to
the very bottom of his heart.
Sc You will allow me minute to make
my peace with heavenl' said !, with
falling voice.
Will five minutes be sufficient
IS The Colonel pulled out his watch.
| / addressed toward the heavens, brill
liant with stars which / thought l was
looking to for the last time, an intense
burning prayer.
'' It's time, said the Colonel.
50 answered nothing, and, with firm
| hand, gathered up the bride of my
horse, and drew it within my fingers,
which were agitated with a. nervous
! tremor.
| "tYet one moment MORE I said to
| the Colonel, tfor I have need of all my
GOODNESS to carry into execution the fear
| full maneuver which I am about to COM
mence.
ss' Granted replied Garduto.
EtMy education had been in the coun-
try. Ny childhood, and part of my
earliest youth, had almost been passed
on horseback. / may say, without fiat
tering myself, that if there was any one
in the world capable of executing diff
cult equestrian feat, it was myself. I
rallied myself with almost supernatural
effort, and succeeded in recovering my
entire self possession in the very face of
death. Taking it at the worst, had
already braved it too often to be any
longer alarmed at it. From that instant
dared to hope afresh.
Gas soon as my horse felt-for the
first time since my rencounter with the
Colonel-the bit COMPRISING his mouth,
I perceived that he trembled beneath
me. I strengthened myself firmly on
my stirrup to make the terrified animal
understand that his master no longer
trembled. held him with bride and
the hams, as every good horseman does
, in a dangerous passage, and, with the
bride, the body and the spur together,
succeed in backing him few PAGES.
|. His head was already further from that
. of the horse of the Colonel, who en-
couraged me all he could with his voice.
, This done, I let the poor, trembling
, brute, who obeyed me, In spite of his
terror, repose for few moments, and
then recommended the same maneuver.
,, All of a sudden felt his hind legs give
way under me. A horrible shudder ran
, through my whole frame. I closed my
{ eyes, as if about to roll to the bottom oi
10, E1xyo e,,I
den impulse on the side next to the ha
cienda, the surface of which offered not
q single projection, not tuft of weeds
to check my descent. This sudder
movement, joined to the desperate strug
gle of my horse, was the salvation of my
life. He had sprung again on his legs
!, which seemed ready to fall from unde
him, SO desperately did / feel then
, tremble.
/ ct had succeeded in reaching, between
!. the brink of the precipice and the wal
d of the building, spot some few inche
: broader. A few more would have en-
y abled me to turn him round, but TO at
& tempt it here would have been fatal, ant
e dared not venture. I sought to resum
4 my backward progress, step by step
Twice the horse threw himself on hi
]. hind legs, and fell down upon the sam
!. spot. 1t was in vain to urge him anew
!. either by voice, bride, or spur; the an.
t NAL obstinately refused to take a singl
t step In the rear. Nevertheless, did nc
a feel my courage exhausted, for did nc
I desire to die. One last, solitary chanc
' of safety appeared to me like fash {
n light, and I resolved to employ j
]. Through the fastening of my boot, an
Z in reach of my hand, was placed q shar
Z and keen knife, which I drew forth frol
= its sheath. With my left hand begn
le caressing the name of my horse, all ii
while letting him hear my voice.
" 1.-THE poor animal replied to my c
"a q ressing by O plaintive neighing; thel
not to alarm him, my hand followet
little by little, the curve of his nervo1
4 neck. and finally rested upon the sp,
Ta where the last of the vertebre unit.
- itself with the cranium. The hori
q trembled, but calmed him with n
4 voice. When felt his very life, so
8 sneak. palpitate in his brain beneath n
a. fncers. I leaned over toward the wal
my feet gently slid from the stirrup
m and with one vigorous blow buried &
~ pointed blade Of my knife into the sc
n Of the vital principle. The amin
fell as If thunderstruck, without sing
~ motion: and, for myself, my knees almo
- -, 1,;cyIv ox. NV chin found 1nyself