The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-11-18

The next morning Obed Taintei
| came round with his uncovered onlni.
bus and his two great horses and pick
| ed us up.
We went after Ray last. She was
standing in front OF the old house, be-
side the tumble-dOwn gate, with hel
| basket OF eggs in her hand.
She looked perfectly happy, and hel
dress was SO clean and smooth Kate
| whispered to me;
"That dress has been washed and
ironed since last night. Just think OF
itv' H.
1t was clear warm morning, and
every one was in such glow OF
spirits. think we were all glad that
we had Rachel with us.
But if it. hadn't been for Quccnie,
Ray would never have gone; and it
Ray hadn't gone the rest Of us would
never have come home, anu this story
for there is o story-wOuld never
have been told.
1t is eight miles to the mountain,
and there is carriage road to the
top. The last two miles arc very hard
and steep, because you rise nearly q
hundred feet above tho Connecticut
river in that distance.
But Obed was steady, good driver,
and his horses were steady, good
horses.
We always drew lots for the scat
beside Obcd, and it was ono Of our
treats to get him talking about his
"tcam," as he called it.
"What are their names?" asked
Queenic. t-" p
"WelPLa pause. Obed was a slow
talker, but he had great deal to say.
.The off one there is Cesar, an the
nigh one he is Alexander" sf- =
"Are they afraid Of the cars?"
'Ain't afraid o. nothin' in natur."
Obed paused for us to think this
iover, and then went on H.is
"knOw too much, them creeturs do.
They have carried u load TO the nioull-
tains four times week all summer
They'd take you bouts we'll ef was
not along. They know-well-beats
all what them animals know. Under
stand't Pm talkin' bout 'cm this mini
it's wells you do. They're used to
being talked to. My wife, she thinks q
sight Of 'em. Beats all! She'll go to the
barn, and she'll carry 'em apples, and
she'll be all over 'cm.; one week when
she was sick, and KEEP in the house,
you en- believe it or not, it's fact
that them creeturs lost flesh. She
braids up their front hair for 'em. and
ties it with red ribbon one day, and
then the next day she unbraids it, aud
it's crinlped In the fashion, you'll un-
derstand. As they was coming to a
to party to-day, they've got their
hairs crimpcd."
But alas for Cesar and alack for
Alexander. 1t was a terrible piece of
work you came near doing that day,
though we girls Lever shall feel that
you were much to blame.
You see that this was what happen
cd. We were all tucked into the
wagon as tight as figs in box, that
afternoon, ready to start for home,
when Lou called out that she had
left her parasol. She must got out
and run up to the tower and get it.
"You just keep y'r sittin'," said
Obed, "FIl fetch yer umbrill )" and he
started for the tower.
1t was about ten rods off. The
tower and stable are built in sma II
cleared space at the top OF the noun
tain. All around and below are thick
woods and great rocks.
Obed had just gone out Of sight
when Queenie gave a little scream,
and put her hand to her eye.
"SOmething has stungme," she said,
and then, that instant, while we were
looking at her, it happened.
The horses both reared, and then
gave plunge, the omnibus seemed TO
rise from the ground with a great
leap, ami, sooner than l can tell it, we
were all being borne at ali awful
speed down that narrow rocky road.
l glanced toward Caesar and Alex
ander, and saw a terrible pair of wild
animals. l looked toward the girls
and saw two rows Of white, frightened
faces.
The reins were dragging ON the
ground. Some of us were shrieking
"Whoai" A few of us were getting
ready to jump. All this in al instant,
and then suddenly, above the noise OF
the wheels and OF everything else, we
heard u voice ring out clear:
the horses!"
j. 1t was Ray Tinkham, of all people
in the world.
Sho stood up with steady look in
her eyes.
Is Unjust explain here that the road
from the tower runs down gen.
lie slope for half Il mile, and then
comes n sharp turn. Beyond that Is
long hill, the stcepest. most dangerous
part of the way. Kate seized my
hand. and whispered:
"If the horses are not stopped before
they get to the turn, we shall all be
killed."
Bay was climbing over the drivers
seat. She always could climb any
where like cat. She didn't pause an
instant, but she called back to me:
"Natty Brock, put on the brakes.
The rest of you sit still, only pray as
hard as you cam"
l sprang to the drivers seat, and
jammed down the handle of the brakes.
1 prayed too. 1 believed l should
never pray again.
l saw and thought of q hundred
things at once. l saw the great tree
trunks an the huge black rocks close
upon us. 1 remembered the clelnatis
over the front door at home, and won-
dered who would tell my father that
l was dead.
Meanwhile Ray was over tho DASH
board, and down with her feet over
the whitlietrce.
How she did it, I shall never know,
but the next we saw of her, she was
creeping along the pole between the
horses, stcadying herself with her
hands OH their backs.
The horses went tearing on like wild
horses, their names flying, and their
great bodies quivering all over.
Every instant the girls were becom-
Ing more excited.
Queenie was holding Mrs. Bland's
cousin with both hands, to prevent
her leaping out. Kate cried:
ave are almost to the turn. What
is Ray doing? She will frighten the
horses worse than ever!" and she GOV.
cred her eyes.
The brow of the hill was not forty
feet off. Far behind we could hear
Obed's voice screaming to the horses
to stop. The keeper of the tower was
flying toward us.
But they were too far away to do
any good. There seemed not one