Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-03-02


Tim afraid your papa will End that
animal rather troublesome, remarked
to Kate
"That," she answered, "oh, that's
not papa's-that's the one you are going
to ride--Czar."
My appetite left me, and asI rose and
walked in as unconcerned manner as /
could assume to the window, ] saw that
Gear had reversed the order of things by
putting his head between his fore legs
| and flashing ont with his heels in a very
vicious-looking and anything but "play
| full" manner
| a general move was now made to the
front door. Kate looked at me and evil
IDENTIFY expected me to "put her up"
| but [ knew better than to attempt it,
and pretended to be intent on buckling
strap of pair of spurs Sir Harry had
| lent me until she was safe in the saddle.
Gear was then brought up for me to
mount, which, after several abortive at
tempts on my part, I effected, aud we all
| logged on towards the meet. Contrary
to my expectation Gear behaved in
most exemplary manner, and even ven
tured to swing my whip with jallnty
air without his taking the slightest no.
tice. But it was too good to last. Pres
emily red coat popped out on lis from
a by-lane, and the Cars ears began to
twitch. Two or three more horseman
overlook us, and his tail began to de-
scribe circles, and he proceeded on his
way with crab-like movement, which
was anything but elegant and eminently
| disconcerting
| A T Il
ton, stern voice shouting, "Now, you,
sir, mind the hounds, will your and u
muttered oath accompanied by an express
sion which sounded very much like
tailor" drew my attention to the fact
that we had arrived in field by the side
of wood, in which were gathered some
seventy or eighty horsemen and pack
of hounds. Luckily for myself, and also
| for the hounds, on whom Gear seemed to
| think it great fun to dance, the master at
this moment gave the signal to GO throw
off. 1t came nearly being prophetic in
my case. In less time than it takes to
| write, fox was started. [ lost my hat
and my head at one and the same mo-
ment, and nearly my seat, and the next
thing that [ remember with any degree
| of distinctness is chnging with the blind
energy of a drowning man to the POM
mel of the saddle, and regarding with
despair a huge fence which seemed TO
approach me at terrific rate. There
was sudden rush, tremendous spring
4 seemed to have left the lower part of
my waistcoat and its contents on the
other side of the obstacle-and, with a
jolt which pitched me somewhere in the
vicinity of Gar ears, We are over.
The field we landed in was stiffish
fallow. but Gear still "urged on his
wild career" with undated speed. I
shook back into the saddle, and pass
ing regret that had neglected to in
sure my life against accidents fitted
through my mind. / continued to
cling to the pommel, and in this man
ner we negotiated three more fences,
and got into a quiet lane, when, much
to my establishment, Gar stopped dead
short. We had, to my sincere delight,
lost the hounds! 1 patted Gar gently
on the neck, and quickly dismounting,
led him slowly down the lane. We had
not proceeded far when [ discerned q
country lad coming towards me, car
rying in his hand my lost hat, which had
been battered out of all shape by
horses hoof. l recovered the lost head
gear, climbed back into the saddle, in
tending to walk Gear quietly home
wards, when [ could discover in what di-
rection home was. But as ll-luck would
have it, at this precise moment the sound
of horn was heard far off in the dis
tance. Gar pricked up his ears and
gave sudden start, and on my attempt
ing to check him, reared straight on end,
trxrIaI1 In L al
neck with both arms, and with one
plunge forward and upward we left that
lane and that country youth forever.
We landed in O large pasture, and
were going at fearful pace up slight
incline. Arrived at the. top, the whole
hunt was to be seen coming down the
valley.
And now Gar would take no denial.
Rushing down the slope, at speed to
| which all former eXertions of his had
been as mere child's play, We flew over
double post-and-rails, and / found N.Y.
| self a good field Id front of the foremost
flight of horseman and close on to tine
hounds. Onward! still onward until
| looming in the distance appeared a
struggling line Of stunted willows, which,
even to my uninitiated vision, meant
"water." Splash! there goes the fox!
Splashl splash! there go the ho1lnds! I
hear voices shouting behind me as if in
warning, but all I can do is to hold on
and trust In Providence. Our pace, IL
possible, increases, and, with a sort of
an idea of going up in balloon, Gar
and myself seem suspended in the air
miles above the brook. 1t seems ages
before we come down again, which we
do with jerk that would have unseated
me had it not been for Gar suddenly
springing forward and shaking me back
to my proper place. We rush on to
where the hounds seem to be scrarabling
for something and quarrelling amongst
themselyes-they have run into the fox,
and Gar comes to standstiil just out
side the worrying pack.
Up comes the first whip and hogs
them off their prey, and [ see Sir Harry
| advancing towards me, red in the face