The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-07-27


seat on Thubderbol. for any magical gil
n. ia that book Al the sound Of his cry ID
en colt lurched forward still faster. aud snort
n ed. as II the heavy, fragrant aimospher
'h were something which made him drunk
IN The boy told himself that he must reacl
'. Bucket village by . certain time, an,
: Bucket Yillsge was bali way TO Norihport
70 II was place whose whole business wa
'e tho making Of pals Of different kinds
% Now, just asehe reahed sharp turn il
e the road. there came around the corne
i the first Of three tall. long wagons, piled
high with wooden pals Fred, warned
= by the pricking mp Of his horses ears
gathered the lines more firmly in his
hands and made himself as strong on bis
seat as possible; and all his precaution
Q were necessary. for Thunderbolt leaped TO
one side as he shot by the wagons. Tho
: boy swayed fearfully, but he stuck; and
then the colt rose high in the air, his front
feet paving ont his whole figure the pict.
ure OF terrible beauty Fred had reached
that pitch where il was.impossible for him
to fear auything-he was too thoroughly
excited; but he was afraid that Thunder
bolt would cut up some Of his antics, and
thus delay their arrival in Northport He
pulled sharply at the lines and pounded
his heels into the horses sides, calling out
authoritively to him.
The man on the last wagon had jumped
down and was running up.
Don't touch himl cried Fred, who was
anxious above all things not to be detaln-
ed. BY this time his blood was boiling,
and he felt as If he could be match for
hundred Thunderbolts.
The man fell back from before the paw
ing feet, looking with amazement at the
fiery-eyed boy who sat upon the horse. At
the second sharp command. the colt, AS if
in surprise, dropped his feet and darted
away leaving the man staring.
Good gracious! he exclaimed, as he
walked back to his wagon. Was that ere
a real horse n boy, or n appearance?
hope I amt a forewarnin' OF nothn'.
AS Fred passed through the next village,
the clock was striking the hour, and the
sound sent thrill Of apprehension
through him, for it was ten minutes later
than the time at which he had calculated
to be in that place. He had come fast
enough-it was not that; it must be that
the clock at the farm house had been too
slow. And what fatal slowness that
might be! He thought of Clara of her
father stepping on board the boat, never
to see her again; and then came remem.
berance Of a cart-path which went across a
piece OF wood land and came out on tie
main road q mile nearer Northport than il
was by the travelled way The path must
be close by here; he was sure he had not
passed it. Yes, there it was, and without
hesitation he turned his horses head in :
that direction and rode on beneath the low
dropping trees. When aliout half way =
through he saw ahead of hun a fallen tree,
lying directly across the path. Can you
imagine the pang that went through the
boy heart as he saw that? No time to 20
back, aud on each side thickly growing
wood, filled with heavy growth of brier :
md underbrush. Again he thought of
he girl lying at home there, moaning and y
'alling for her father, and he resolved not
o give up without an effort. He no more -
bought of himself than as il he could not NJ
,e hurt.
Go on, Thunderboltl he shouted. :.
The colt was not half broken in any =
'ay, and be knew nothing Of leaping; but :,
e saw an obsticle before him, and his in -
Linct was to jump over it, He flew on;
9 gathered his four legs under him, he "
Dse in the air like some winged thing, and "
ent over the tree, landed on the other
de without having touched twig of 1t. .'
$ for Fred. was there any breath left in
lmt He thought he did not come back ~
n several minutes after the horse had 'h
nded; but he was conscious of a swelling "
Dse of magnificent triumph. The colt na
as as wet as if he had been IN the water;
arspiration dropped off him as he went; We
IS blazing eyes protruded, and seemed to
nit sparks. w
Three minutes more and the horse and VII
5 rider entered the outskirts OF North uio
,rt Thunderbols was running now. VII
serybody stopped and gazed. 1t was as :,
some demon horse had gone by. Did ca
have wings, or was 1t a mortal steed ? thi
two minutes more they reached the
pot. Fred was oil his back almost be- :"
re the animal had stopped, and had my
shed into the station. lay
he gasped out TO the oper- stol
,r, who instantly put himself in readi-
IS, seeing how urgent the case was. yer.
legraph TO Charles Roth, wharf of Gun. drn
steamers, East Boston. Clara is ILL.,
me back Have you got it? hx
The man nodded. "At
Make it go. then, III wait, whispered tea,
boy, aud he gave his name; and he You
* back, helpless and trembling, on a she
tee. The reaction had come. Some TO b
ng gurgled up to his lips. He fumbled %
his handkerchief. lie heard some one the
: Mercy what's the matter with the sack
u And then he had his handkerchief the
ais mouth, and saw that the linen was low
med with blood. rs
lie dimly knew thai two or three people in fr
ried TO him. He smelled hartshorn what
tasted brandy; bnt he was not con. and
'us OF thinking Of anything but would stan,
Roth get III stror
ome questions were asked him bnt he that,
not try 10 reply. 10 hj
LII q Iozn.. .---.- tlls