Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-05-22
KENTIh COBHAMS RIDE.

DuL stray SHOTI uiSLdHCO iI'ii WV
main street, out of sight Of the post
office, out of hearing distance OF the
boarding schools, ard the town I'M
mediately takes on q very sleepy,
dull, drowsy lock that makes one Toll
along in the warm sunshine, or rest
under the apple trees along the road
side About half q mile TO the north
of the post.cflice one comes TO the
Pocantico, famed in connection with
the Pedagogue Ichabod Crane, and
lust behind lies the old Dutch church.
There commences Sleepy Hollow,
the Arcadia OF New York, place
within q radius Of thirty miles Of the
great city, as quiet as New York Is
noisy, as kind as the city is cruel, as
generous as the city is selfish, as
sleepy as the city is quick; Sleepy
Hollow, the land of clear, babblng
brooks and trout and partridge, OF
chestnuts and apples, of hickory nuts
and pears, of sheep and cider-mills.
No barbed wire fences or NO Eress
passing" sign boards there. Years
come and 90 but THE Hollow" is as
pleasant and the roads are as cool and
inviting as when KentIl Gotham took
her ride, hundred and odd years
ago.
She was not Kentil Gotham then.
She was KeBtil Requa, and lived near
TO where the Croton aqueduct now
crosses the little POcantico. There
were q few stones left of the founda
ton of her house when | was there
last, but suppose they have all dis
appeared by this time. The house
lay some distance away from the road,
and the tall trees which grew around
if on all sides hid it from view. The
cowboys" passed it unmolestcd, and
while the land all around su lfered
from repeated raids and forays, the
old Rtqua house was undisturbed.
The rebels never thought of disturb
ing the home of young Major Requa,
Of General Washington's staff, and
any English officer who had dared to
modest the Requas would have had to
offer an account of his conduct to
Captain Gotham of his majesty's
forces. The captain, of course, had
family, and pretty kentil Requa was
sufficient reason for any man. Ken
til was not enough of a rebel to stay
away from her relatives in New York
merely because the English held poss,
ession of that city, and the captain
had met her there often enough to
have become completely captured. He
was aR attentive and handsome cava
Her, and Kcntil Requa was certainly
not displcased with his attention.
Occasionally the captain ventured
up to Tarrytown and visited the Re
quas, until the capture Of Andre,
when his visits ceased, ut kqntil's re-
quest. She would rather not see him
for awhile than be constantly dread
ing his capture. In vain the gallant
captain argued and reasoned. He was
obliged to obey.
After n week had passed, kentil be
gan to find the pl lco very louelY. She
wandered about the house and became,
If the truth must be- told, u tritle snap.
pish and cross to her mother and the
children. She tried every means to
spend her time happily, but she soon
tired OF the book and the harpsichord
and her books, and strayed up to the
garnet and through the clothes chest,
and fondled the laces and the silks,
and inhaled the fragrant sandal
wood. Then she spIcd one OF her
brothers boxes in the curner, and
rummagcd through that untiI she
came across an old faded rebel uni
form that George Rtqua had worn
(whcn he first entered the rebel army
Ms drummer, then Il boy of SlXteeu).
Then kcntil walked TO the garret
door, bolted ii, and deliberately put
on the suit, and admired herself in
the dusty old mirror in the corner,
and initiated the captains attitudes,
and threw her shoulders back and
pretended TO twirl an invisible NOUS
tachc, and played at being soldier 10
her hearts content. Then she wan
dered tn the little window and stared
out ut the fast reddening evening sky,
and at the swaying tree tops, around
which the hulking cows were circhng;
and then her gaze wandered down TO
the beNd III the path below, and she
saw her brSther dashing up To the
house on horse which was licked
with foam, and whose jaded air show
ed hard riding. Forgetting every
thing else in her fright, she rushed
down stairs and out to the gate Her
brother started when he saw her, but
immediately recognized her.
Let me have a fresh horse, kentil,
gasped the young major The red
coats are after me, and Blacks given
out"
He looked pale, and the blood
trickled down his arm. Evidently he
had a close shave already from being
captured. kendil turned pale.
Get mother to fiX your arm, and
I'll get the horse ready. You cant
ride much longer with an arm bleed
ing like that, that's certain"
1t was certain, indeed. Poor Harry
Requa was about faiuting fr1m loss
of blood already
He went into the house, while Ken
Ill hurredly led out her own strong
horse and put the saddle on him, and
led him out into the road, and then
called out THE horse is ready, I
mother. Hurry!'
No response came and she looked
down the path. No wonder that she
gave shrek, fer there, through the
pines at the bend OF the road, she saw
n bright red spot, and knew the dra-
goons were almost upon her. One
httoi1'HhA sue StsaSSSiSO Win fright
the next she was in the saddle, to all
appearances the young Major Requa,
laundering along the straight, level
road. A yell from bebind told her
that she was seen, so, with a deter !
mined smile on her face, she set her |
horse forward at a tearing gallop !
The trees and bushes lining the road |
flew past her like whirling leaves in |
the wind, and the wind struck her !
face like a needle.
Suddenly she refined her horse to a
more gentle trot, and looked over her |
shoulder. AS they went laundering
past the house and not man turned
aside, she laughed hearty little
laugh. and set about throwing her
pursuers Out OF the way of her broth
er. She went whirling around the
bend at the next crossroads, and starts
ed at a brisk gallop toward Rye. She
was playing with her pursuers now,
and had no fear of not dlstancing
them when she chose. The poor tired
horses of the dragons had good blood
in them, however, and they kept on
behind her. Still they rode steadily
IN tho nurSuarS apd tba p,,rSua1