The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-01-24

Turning up the stream, he proceeded for
about ahundred yards along the bank, and
then struck boldly across in 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 coDgratulating himself upon
the probability of getting over without
wetting, when the animal in two steps in
creased the depth until he could no longer
hold his footing, and sprung boldly into the
middle of a 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
fioated along.
Man and beast battled bravely with the
flood for a moment, when the former
was startled to feel the horse finch and
TURF with a verified snort down the cur
rent. A quick jerk upon the left rein served
to procure but an instant's pause in the pre-
cipitate course of the beast, but in that in
slant the stranger became aW are 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, dark and
undefnable object. The next moment the
desperate plunges of the beast had DISTRACTED
his vision, when, with the self-command of
one accustomed and nerved 10 the hardship
of athletic sports and soldiers danger, he
swung his leg over the back of his animal
J and gathered himself into his saddle.
Reaching out a hand, he was about to
seize the object of his horror, when it ex>
posed the CHASTITY features of a woman.
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 gain up stream. he re-
newed the combat with the tide. Twice il
seemed as though man, woman and beast
| must all succumb, and twice the noble struS.
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; thu
hands were also chilled, but he thought h'
felt slight futteI of the pulse. Tearing
open the dress, he pressed his hand agains
the heart and found it still warm.
His efforts to resuscItate her were sooT
rewarded, and, after a few moments, th'
woman made an attempt to speak, which re
suited, however, only in a moaning cry.
At this point he began to look for othe
assistance, when he observed a light upol
the hill above the creek. Oace more raising
!, the body to the pommel of his saddle ant
, mounting behind 1t, he sought the road.
} y
| 10, II
r and another entered the house to prOcur
+ the stimulant.
f'What's this ?" said the one who was a.
sisting the traveller in dismounting the VIC
man.
"Send for the nearest physician, at once.
They lifted the motlonless but revivin
r form into the house, and deposited it upol
3 a sofa.
The stimulant was soon brought, and
I upon Il small portion of it being administer
!. ed, the woman indicated an increased vita
; ity by broken gurgle. This, after while
gave way to clearer articulation, in which
( however, only syllables were emitted. Thes
were in turn succeeded by one or two shar
| cries of pain, which gradually subsidized int
/ a moaning, chatter of wailing, incoheren
sentences.
I At this point the stranger, in raising hi
l hand to her head to brush the tangled hal
; from her brow, noticed a clot of blood upol
the wet skin of his finger; rubbing it off, b
found no trace of wound.
"She must be bleeding!" he calculated
> ''See if there is a cut anywhere"
An examination soon revealed ghastl
. wound, an ugly, gaping abrasion upon tn
left side of the head, above the ear, and jus
: behind the temple. The locks were matte
, over it, and the blood still oozed slowly froI
its mouth.
Pending the arrival of doctor, the stran
ger clipped the hair from around the wound
and, after bathing it with feminine tender
. ness, he gave the patient over to the charg
of the ladies of the house, who were in al
tendance.