Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-01-27
Gales aud Sketthes.
AGALLOP FOR LIFE.

gate. on the Dee. opposite the equally
decaved town and castle of Flint. 1t was
curious place to choose tor amusement,
for it had, and has no recommendation
except brackish water. pleasant scenery at
high water, and excessive dizziness. But,
to own the truth, was in love, desperate
| " in love, with one Of the most charming,
provoking little sylphs in the world, who.
after driving me half crazy in London.
was STAYING on visit with an uncle. a
Welsh parson, at dreary Parkgate. Not
that it was dreary to me when Laura was
amiable; on the contrary, | wrote to my
| friends and described it as one of the most
delightful watering places in England,
and bv doing so lost forever the good
graces and legacy of my Aunt Grumph,
| who travelled all the way from Brighton
on my description, and only stayed long
enough to change horses. One sight of
the one street of tumble-down houses, in
the face of couple of miles of sand and
shingle at low water. was enough. She
never spoke to me again, except to express
her extreme contempt for my opinion.
| Our chief amusement was riding on the
sand, and sometimes crossing to Flint at
| low water. You know, of course, that
formerly the Dee was a great commercial
river. with important ports at Chester,
Park gate and Flint; but. in the course of
time, the banks have fallen in, increasing
the breadth at the expense of the depth
so that at Parkgate, whence formerly the
Irish packets sailed, the fisher girls can
walk over at low water, merely tucking
up their petticoats in crossing the chan
mel down which the main stream of fresh
water flows.
But although this broad expanse of sand
affords a firm footing at low water. the
whole way across. except just round Flint,
where there are several quicksands when
the tide turns. in certain states of the
wind, the whole estuary is covered with
wonderful rapidity; for the tide seems to
creep up subterranean channels, and YOU
find yourself surrounded by salt water
when you least expect it.
| This was of no consequence to us, as
we were never tied for time. was teach
ing Laura to ride, on a little Welsh pony.
and the sands made famous riding
school. laugh now when | think of the
little rat of a pony she used to gallop
about for she now struggles into Broug
ham of ordinary dimensions with great
difficulty, and weighs nearly as much as
her late husband Mr. Alderman Mallard
In short time, Laura made so much pro-
gress in horsemanship, that she insisted
on mounting my hackney, full-sized,
wellbred animal, and putting me on the
rat-pony. When indulg ed her in this
fancy-for of course she had her own way
Il had the satisfaction of being rewarded
by her roars of laughter at the ridiculous
figure | cut, ambling beside her respect
able uncle, on his cart-horse cob, with my
legs close to the ground. and my nose
peering over the little Weshman's shay
gy ears, while my fairy galloped around
us, drawing all sorts of ridiculous COM
parsons. This was bad enough, but when
Capt Egret, the nephew of my charmer's
aunt's husband, a handsome fellow, with
"a lovely gray horse, with such tail, -
as Laura described it, came up from Ches-
ter to stay few days, could stand my
rat-pony no longer. and felt much too i'll
to ride out; so stood at the window of my
lodgings with my shirt collar turned down
and Byron in my hand open at one of the
most murderous passages, watching
Laura on my chestnut and Capt Egret on
his gray, cantering over the deserted bed
of the Dee. They were an aggravatingly
handsome couple, and the existing state
of the law on manslaughter enabled me
to derive no satisfaction from the hints
contained in the ''GiaOur' or the
''Corsar." Those were our favorite books
of reference for Young England in those
days. lndeed,we were all amateur pirates,
and telons in theory: but when | had
been cast down in disgust at the debased
state of civilization. which pre-
vented me from challenging Cap
tain Egret to single combat, with
Laura for the prize of the victor, instead
of a cell at Chester Castle, my eve fell on
an advertisement in a local paper, which
turned my thoughts into new channel.
of "Sale of Blood Stock. Hunters and
Hackneys,' at Pias #, near Holy
well.
| determined to give up murder, and
buy another horse, for could ride as well
rs the Captain; and then what glorious
tete-a-tetes could have. with my hand on
the pommel of Laura's side saddle. The
idea put me in good humor. Reg
mental duties having suddenly re-
recalled Capt Egret. spent delightful
evening with Laura; she quite approved
of my project, and begged that / would
choose a horse "with "a long tail. of a
| p'SbIN NcIpi. "HlNIl 10 CNCl tbuIlg lttuS
idea of what horse should be.
Accordingly ] mounted my chestnut on
bright morning of July, and rode across
to Flint, accompanied by man to bring
back my intended purchase 1t was dead
low water when, full of happy thoughts.
in the still warm silence of the summer
morning, holding my eager horse hard in.
| rode at a foot pace across the smooth,
hard, wave-marked bed of the river.
There was not Il cloud in the sky. The
sun rising slowly, cast golden glow over
the sparkling sand. Pat-pat-pit-pat, went
my horses feet, not loud enough to dis
turb the busy crows and gulls seeking
their breakfast; they were not afraid of
me they knew had no gun | remem-
Der it; see it all before me, as if it were
yesterday. for it was one of the most de-
licious moments of my life. But the
screaming gulls and whistling curlews
were put to flight, before | had half
crossed the rivers bed, by the cheerful
chatter, laughter and fragments of Welsh
airs sung in chorus by a hearty crowd of
cookie and mussel gatherers, fishermen,
and farmers wives on their way to the
market on the Cheshire side-men, women
(they were the majority and children, on
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