The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-03-23

4There's chance of my doing it,
isn't thereP' he turned back to ask.
''Just chance"
And no time to loser' cried Fred,
as he bounded toward the barn.
1t is true that Fred was afraid of
/ Thunderbolt, for the colt had kicked
| him when he had first come to the farm.
and Fred had naturally felt little tim
| id afterward, for his health had not
been robust enough TO enable him to
overcome fear as he otherwise would
have done,
When the boy entered the barn, a
shrill whinnY greeted him, and a long,
black head, with big, Withholding eyes,
was turned toward him from one of the
stalls.
Fred, as he had said, had no time to
lose. He could not stop to think wheth-
er he wanted to 90 in the stall or not
lie stepped in quickly, with the bride
on his arm, and in two minutes more
the saddle was on the horses back, and
the boy had flung himself on, also, and
gathered up the reins. He knew how
fierce of temper the young horse was,
and he knew that it might take the no.
ton to stop and kick and throw himself
about, that he might unseat his rider;
and he knew, also, that Thunderbolt, If
he chose. might cover ten miles in so
short a time that he might hope to reach
Northport in season.
Mrs. Morris, sitting by the insensible
girl, heard the rush of the horses feet,
as they went out of the yard, and an
inaudible prayer was in her heart She
glanced at the clock which was ticking
on the mantel, and she told herself the
thing the boy was trying to do was inn
possible, She knew that Thunderbolt
had made great speed, and that he
promised wonderful things, if he could
be trained but how could he have suf-
iicient endurance for this trial, and how
would he 90 over the hills that lay be-
tween this and NOrthport. No, she
must not hope that her brother would
be brought back. He would sail; and
every hour would take him farther from
the child whom he idolized and who had
met with such fate, AS the moments
went on, and the girl was still quiet
under the influence of the Opiate the
doctor had given her, Mrs. Morris
thoughts dwelt more on the cour-
age of the boy who had Just
ridden away. She knew that no man
would have liked that ride, and that if
was dangerous to any one. Then she
fell to fearing that she ought not to have
allowed him to go. What if he should
be thrown, and be brought home Grip
pied or dead? But it had all been so
sudden that she could not stop him.
There was no man about the place. Her
husband and the hired man were two
miles away, attending to some late-cut
grass. They would not be at home I'M
til dark. Mrs. Morris must do what so
many women have to do-wait and
pray.
Along the narrow country road Fred
Appleton was riding at pace that made
him breathless at first and his heart
was beating all through him in a way
that felt as if it would kill him; but he
bad no thought of abating his pace.
That must not be.
There was not a Drawer boy for many
, a mile than Fred Appleton, and he had
made up his mind that it should take 8
very powerful effort to get him off Of
, Thunderbolt's back. Had he been more
robust in health, he might have enjoyed
this furious start. AS it was, after 8
few moments, when the colt had settled
t down into its tremendous stride, Fred
grew accustomed to thus cleaving the
sultry air and sat more securely, while
he felt that savage exultatiOn which
comes to one who sits on an animal who
F. seems to have power to annihilate space
Fred for the moment forgot his errant
: in the intOxicatiOn of SO flying through
2 the air. 1t was no longer hot. The all
swept against his face with force al
most like that of continuous blow
Thunderbolt appeared to have power
beyond the power of a mere horse. He
was puissant genie, who could make
, space as if it were not.
Fred flung up his hand and uttered {
I shrill whoop. He was monarch of +;
J force as good as any in the ''Arabiar
Nights He would not exchange hi
4 seat on Thunderbolt for any magical
gift in that book. At sound of his CT,
the colt lurched forward still faster anC
! snorted, as if the heavy, fragrant atmos
phere were something that made him
drunk.
? Already they had passed through one
village, which was three miles away
1 from the farmhouse he had left. The
boy was by this time filed with the in.
ebriation of his strange ride. He wanted
to go faster and faster. His cheeks were
red and his eyes burned.
= He told himself that he must reach
Bucket Village by a certain time, and
Bucket Village was half way to North
| port. 1t was place where the whole
: business was the making of wooder
pals of different kinds.
Now, just before he came to a SHARP
turn in the road, there emerged from
round the corner the first of three tall
? long wagons, piled high with wooder
pals Fred, warned by the pricking up
of his horses ears, gathered the lines
. more firmly in his hands and made him
7 self rs strong on his seat as possible
l and all his precautions were necessary
I for Thunderbolt leaped to one side as h
r shot by the wagons. The boy swayeC
fcarfully; but he stuck, and then thu
D., colt rose high in the arr, his front fee
paving out, his whole figure the pictur,
/, of terrible beauty. Fred had reached
that pitch where it was impossible 70
[ him to fear anything; he was too thor
= Oughfy filled with excitement; but he
e was afraid that Thunderbolt would nov
n ''cut up some of his antics,' and thu
L delay their arrival in Northport. H,
pulled sharply at the lines and pounded
his heels into the horses side. calling
q out authoratively to him.
y The man on the last wagon hat
n jumped down from his seat and wa
e running up.
. Don't touch himr' cried out Fred
: who was anxious above all things no
! to be detained, and whose blood was b.
this time boiling, and who felt as if h
could be a match for hundred Thun
derboltS.
The man fell back from before tn
. paving feet, looking in amazement a