The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-10-10

l lmeanwhiis kept nay face touard the .iI h,.,, ,s and was rHtreating in good order. sl;r lping of my coat Co accelerate my ai,t. in case of attack. s l The bull had watched our proceed;,..
 without moving. Nov he gave ano,hs.
 loud roar, charged few strides. ars
 again halted. glanced ever my shouId..
 saw that Miss Spinks was making poo5
 way, gave her an encouraging shout Whiys
 continuing my own retrograde movement
 The bull. taking my shout as challenge
 again uttered his war-cry, tossed up S;,
 head. and started in pursuit.
 Run run for your lifel" yelled
 suiting my own action to my words and
 ainging my coat wildly toward the pur.
 suer. The device was a lucky one. He
 stopped moment to trample and tos,
 the coat, and allowed me to put a fev
 yards to my credit before he found tha,
 he was wasting good energy. Then with
 a spurt to make up for lost time he thun.
 dered after me. Summoning all mv
 memories of the science of sprint-racins
 l tore along, head up, chest out, elbows
 squared. But my boots were frightfallv
 heavy, my wind none of the soundest
 and the thud of hoofs grew rapidly more and more distinct, the snors;ng of the pursuer sounded almost at my ear. threw wild glance over my shoulder saw his head lowered, his horns at fuli | charge, another instant, and-catchns my foot in tuft of grass fell headlone. and rolled over and over, hatless, breath less, almost stunned, as tbe bull, missing me by miracle, shot past my prostrate form and went careering on to the foot of the hill.
 Shriek after shriek rent the air, pro. ceeding from the lungs of the terrified
 Miss Spinks, now safely ensconced be. hind the rails and gate. Unintentionally she was doing the wisest thing possible. The screams attracted the brute's atten- tion, and forgetting me, he rushed blindly Tn her direction, only to find an impass- able barrier between himself and his wished-for prey. I, meanwhile, scrambled to my feet, and, taking my opportunity while his back was turned, made for the fence, dragged myself over it, and sank down on the grass beyond in utter ex- haustion.
 No sooner did the impressionable dam. sel see me in safety, than, rushing to the spot, she proceeded to overwhelm me with her gratitude.
 .Oh, my preserver my noble delivererl my brave, generous, fearless hero how can thank you2 What should 1 have done without you ?" etc, etc, etc.
 l do not know what the bull thought of this touching scene. can only say that in my battsred condition, less vigorous cudgelling with epithets would have been more to my taste. But Miss Spinks would not be checked. She continued to wiring my hands, and to torture her own vocabulary, and felt it mercy that she did not think it necessary to faint as a relief to her over-charged feelings. For tunatelY adoration, even at the hands of the fair sex, is luxury apt 10 pail on both adored and adorer. After a time her transports moderated, and was able to sugges! a fresh start. But here a new difficulty presented itself. Miss Spinks declared herself quite too nervous to think of crossing the plank.
 allow it did not look inviting. Our bank was about six feet above the stream, the other almost level with the waters edge. The plank, therefore, sloped pretty sharply from our side. It had no hand.rail, and indeed was only intended to give access to the bulls quarters from a farmhouse couple of hundred yards of, beyond the stream. Moreover, it was damp, messy, and therefore slippery, and being about thirty feet long, had an unpleasantly springy motion under fsot. However, it was our only exit, so boldly advanced three or four steps to convince Miss Spinks of its safety. But she would not be comforted.
 "Oh dear MT. Hastie, pray don't trust your life to that plank. You'll fall of and be drowned, and then what shall l do2"
 Nonsense" replied reassuringly. The plank is quite sound. You need only be steady and walk slowly to be perfectly safe."
 "I can't do it. won't attempt it." she cried. -
 "Then would you prefer to race the pull again2 ?" asked impatiently.
 "Oh, don't tease me. Don't be un- <ind Do tell me what to do."
 Let me help you," said I. "Take my hand and step carefully"
 She took two short steps the plank vi- orated under our combined weight, and posing her hold she returned to the ;hore.
 "l daren't go that way" she said. "I must go sideways"
 "Whatever way you like," assented, md giving her my right hand she took it D her right. and we started, inelegantly huffiing, crab-fashion, along the plank. Still we were progressing, and appear .nces did not matter. Half the distance vas accomplished, and was already con- myself on the conquest of my inal difficulty, when-horriblle dictu- hat accursed bull, baked oi his prey, aised his voice in one last prodigious 'ellow. Miss Spinks gave heart-rend- ng screech and a violent start, which itself to the arm by which was supporting her. felt myself wob-