The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-02-02

which lay along the hills at the base of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, in the region known
as the Piedmont of Virginia, about the
sources OF the Rappahannock river.
The man himself might be described in
the same language, as far as it would apply
Beyond this his age was about twenty-three,
his hair brown and full in locks, his eye of a
grayish blue
Il
His way quickly brought the traveller to
stream now running. over its banks. Slip
ping easily from his saddle, he frightened the
glrths, slackened the crupper, and, gently
patting his animal, addressed few affec-
tionate words to him. Remounting, he
fixed himself firmly in the saddle, gathered
his bride in manner to impart to his COM
panion his own energy and determination,
and moved into the creek.
Turning up the stream, he proceeded for
about hundred yards along the bank, and
then struck boldly across in a direct line,
with the horses head slanted up current
The depth of the water did not sensibly in
crease in the course of eighty yards, and
the stranger was congratulating himself
upon the probability of getting over with
out a wetting, when the animal in two steps
increased the depth until he could no longer
hold his footing, and sprung boldly into the
middle of deep, rushing channel. In an
instant the rider had seized the name of the
horse in his left hand, and slipped smoothly
out OF the saddle to the lower side, where
he foated along.
Man and beast battled bravely with the
flood for moment, when the former was
startled to feel the horse finch and turn with
a terrified snort down the current. A quick
jerk upon the left rein served to procure
but an lnstant's pause in the precipitate
course of the beast, but in that instant the
stranger became aware of another presence
by the touch of a clammy object against
his hand.
Raising his head above the neck of the
charger, he saw dimly outlined upon the
waving and shimmering surface a dark and
undefnable object The next moment the
desperate plunges of the beast had OBJ
structed his vision, when, with the SELF
command of one accustomed and nerved
to hardship of athletic sports and a sol
dier's danger, he swung his legs over the
back of his animal and gathered himself
into his saddle.
Reaching out hand, he was about to seize
the object of his horror, when it exposed the
CHASTITY features of women.
For an instant only he hesitated; then,
recovering from the thrill, he grasped the
head firmly by the loose, flowing, tangled
mass of raven tresses, and raised it above
the water upon the pommel of his saddle.
Turning his head again up stream, he re-
newed the combat with the tide. Twice it
seemed as though man, woman, and beast
must all succumb, and twice the noble strug-
giles of the animal cheated the turgid grave
of its victims.
Finally, the hoofs once more crunched
the firm bottom of the stream, and ten PAGES
brought the party safely to the shore.
Feeling the forehead, he found it cold;
the hands were also chilled, but he thought
he felt slight fiutter of the pulse. Tear
ing open the dress, he pressed his hand
against the heart and found it still warm.
His efforts to resuscitate her were soon re-
warded, and, after few moments, the
woman made an attempt to speak, which
resulted, however, only in moaning cry.
AT this point he began to look for other
assistance, when he observed a light upon
the hill above the creek. Once more raising
the body to the pommel of his saddle and
mounting behind it, he soughe the road