The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-03-15

school boys? Both ways were inns
practicable. Our hands imprudeptlv
stretched out over the heads of our
frightened horses might cause them to
| give fatal start. Should we toss up a
piece of coin, the night was too dark ts
enable us to distinguish which side fell
upwards. The colonel bethought him of
an expedient, of which I never should
have dreamed.
q Listen to me, captain" said the col.
onel, to whom had communicated my
perplexities. have another way.
The terror whicl.r horses feel makes
them draw every moment burning
breath. The FIRST Of us two whose horse
shall neigh"
" Wins /" hasdy exclaimed.
" Not so-shall te the loser. l knew
that you are countryman, and such as
you can do whatever you please with
your horse. As to myself, who but last
year wore the gown of a theological stu
dent, fear your equestrian prowess.
You may be able to make your horse
neigh-to hinder him from doing so is a
very different matter"
We waited in deep and anxious silence
until the voice of one Of our horses should
break forth. This silence lasted for
minute-for an age 1t was my horse
who Deighed the first. The colonel gave
no external manifestation of his JOY, but
no doubt he thanked God to the very
bottom of his soul.
" You will allow ne minute to make
my peace with hea7en?" said to the
colonel, with ialteriDg -oice,
WIN Eve minutes Ie sufficient ?'
at viii, % replied. The colonel drew
out his watch. I addressed towards the
heavens, brilliant viii stars, which l
thought was looking up TO for the last
time, an intense and 4 burning prayer.
20 It is time, said tie colonel.
I answered nothing and with infrm
hand gathered up thebridle Of my horse
and drew it within ny fingers, which
were agitated by a nervous tremer-
50 Yet one moment more" I said to
the colonel, " Tor 1 haze need of all my
GOODNESS to carry into execution the fear
tuI maneuvre which lam about TO COM
mence."
Granted" 4" replied 5arduno.
Ny education, as I Ilave told you, had
been in the country. My childhood and
part of my earliest youth had almost been
passed on horseback / may say, with
out fattering myself, that if there was
any one in the world capable of exc
cutting this equestrian feat, it was myself
I rallied myself with an almost super
natural effort and succeeded in recover
ing my entire seIf-Foss6ssIoH in the very
face of death. Take it at the worst, I
had already braved it too often to be
any longer alarmed at it. From that
instant I dared to hope afresh.
As soon as my horse felt, for the first
time since myrencontre with the colonel,
the bit COMPRISING his mouth, per
ceived that he trembled beneath me. I /
myslf firmly on my stir
rups, to make the certified animal under
stand that his mazer no longer trembled.
| held him up with the bride and the
hams, as every good horseman does in a
dangerous passage, and, with the bride,
the body and the spur together, succeeded !
in backing him few PAGES. His head |
was already at greater distance from
that of the horse of the colonel, who !
encouraged me all he could with his
voice. This done let the poor tremb~
ling brute, who obeyed me in spite CT his |
terror, repo9e himself for few moments
and then recommended the same !
msn@uvre. Ali on a sudden l felt his |
hind legs give way under me. A hOT-
rible shudder ran through my whole !
frame. closed my eyes ss il about to |
roll to the bottom of the abyss, and l /
gave to my body a violent impulse on :
the side next the hacienda. the surface
Of which offered not a single projection,
not single tuft of weeds to check my !
descent. This sudden movement, Joined |
to the desperate struggles of my horse,
was the salvation of my life. He had |
sprung up again on his legs, which |
seemed ready to fall from under him, so
did feel them tremble.
had succeeded in reaching between
the brink of the precipice and the wall !
Of the building, spot some few inches |
broader. A few more would have |
enabled me 10 turn him round, but to |
attempt here would have been fatal, and |
dared not venture. l sought to resume |
my backward progress, step by step. |
Twice the horse threw himself on his |
mind legs and tell down upon the same
pot 1t was in vain to urge him anew,
either with voits, bride or spur; the
lnimai obstinately refused to take
single step in the rear. Nevertheless / |
lid not feel my courage yet exhausted, |
or had no desire to die. One last and |
solitary chance of safety suddenly ap-
oeared to me like fash Of light, and 1 |
resolved to employ 1t. Through the
of my boot, and in reach of my
land, was passed sharp and keen knife,
which 1 drew from its sheath. With |
nv left hand l began caressing the name |
If nv horse, ali the while letting him
near my voice. The poor animal re-
Piled to my caresses by plaintive neigh-
ing then, rot to alarm him abruptly,
nv hand followed by little and little the
curve of his nervous neck, and finally
rested upon the spot where the last of
the vertebTe unites itself with the crani>
um. The horse trem5led, but calmed
nim with my voice. When 1 felt his
very life, so to speak, palpitate in his
brain beneath my fingers, 1 leaned over
towards the wall, my feet gently slid
from the stirrups, and with one vigorous
blow 1 buried ehe pointed blade of nv
knife in the seat of the vial principle.
The animal fell, as if thunderstruek.
without single motion and for myself,
with my knees almest as high as my
chin. found myself on horseback across
a corpse. l was saved uttered q
triumphant cry, which was responded to
by the colonel, and which the abyss re-
\ r;,b hollow so,,nd os ;f - @oI+