Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-08-30

him practicing in the dewy mornings
both rider and horse with that indescrib
able thoroughbred look, clean cut, power
full erect, with an ear and an eve like ar
Indians and a courage one instinctively
felt would never falter. They would &C
to their death if need be, with rush
Jeff never forgot those mornings. Some
times he would time them, sometimes ole
marseter, sometimes pretty Polly, Marse
Phil's cousin. would f1utter down to the
ring and stand there with tho big stor
watch in her hands, the daiGtiest iudgt
that ever called time OF a laggard rider
It was only when Polly was time keeper
! that the mare and her rider failed to get
around in the twenty seconds prescribed
hy nv the tournament management for the
race, and jeff groaneu II. S,,.. ,'Hon he
thought of the possible effect of POllys
presence on the great day.
Il lay Miss Polly's gwine to make
Marse Phil lose dat race yit, " he prophe-
sled dismally.
The ring in the meadow at Woodstock
was but a prototype of many another in
| the neighborhOod, for the tournament
was to be a grand affair. The prize for
the victor was a slender golden crown set
with rubies, and he was to choose from
among the county bellies the one he would
crown queen of love and beauty.
Finally the day arrived such an Octo-
Der day as only comes to Tennessee and
southern Kentucky, when the air is full
Of the blue haze of Indian summer and
the forests are like banks of opal, red and
yellow, brown and green, a quivering
mass of color in the autumn breeze, and
the long white turnpikes curve between
banks of golden red and purple iron
weeds. The fair grounds where the tour
nament was to be held was gay with
music and bright with flags. The rich
country people were coming in in heavily
laden carriages, the booths where colored
lemonade and indigestible gingerbread
was sold, or feats of skill or chance at
tempted, were in full swing of custom.
HoStlerS led blanketed and silky coated
horses in and out the crowd, nurses in
gay bandannas and white aprons scurried
about with dazed and frightened children
every now and then the wind would bring
a Whit of the savory barbecue being pre-
pared under the superintendent of old
Ben in trench under the oaks, for a big
dinner and dance was to finish off the
days festivities. 1t was noisy, bolster
Gus, good natured crowd, care free as
they never were to be again.
Up at the amphitheatre the track was
being sprinl1led and rolled until it was
hard and firm. Over at one side was the
fight of steps covered with white cloth
that led to the throne where some fortu-
nate youth was to lead his sweetheart, and |
there in the presence of all his little world |
crown her queen of love and beauty.
1t was as pretty and as picturesque
scene under the soft southern skies as one
could well imagine, and it would have |
been pathetic enough for all its bravery if |
only one had known that the south had |
come to the very last days of her hundred
years of song and merry making and that
this was almost the last hoidaying of a
happy, care free people.
But the band was beginning to play
what was it? '1m dreaming now Of Hal
lie, sweet Halle, it is the southern air, if
we have one. All, many night under the
stars on the eve of battle, or in the'dim,
gray dawn when they sprang from half
broken dreams of home to boot and sad
die, when the band played Listen to the
fellows recall that day with heartsick
and homesick throb. The music throbbed
out louder and louder through the vibrant
1
coated thoroughbreds round and round the
ring, the contestants were getting ready,
only Marse Phil is lingering for few last
words with Polly, who is pinning on his
breast knot of white and silver ribbon
hat looks brave enough against the black
velvet and silver lace that somehow
makes a good foil for his fresh young
beauty and 1.-THE figure
Il am your knight, Polly" he is say
ng, eff | win l crown you queen of love |
md beauty, and my wife" and audacity
wins with pretty Polly, as humility never
would, and she fushes a little under her
lear dark skin as she answers
"If you win"
Those were the days when people read
'cott instead of Howells and James, and
vhen they believed, like Stevenson, that
he finest hero is better for wearing bit
+ purple, so when the contestants in the
ournament rode out they wore the old
ourt dress. Most of them were descen-
ants of the old knightly lines of Eng
md, and there may have been some in !
istinct inherited consciousness of other :
ourneys and jOusts that made this sport ;
AXE such hold on their imaginafions. so
hey came as Ivanhoe and Boise Gilbert,
nd the Black Knight and Sir Launcelot, :
nd host of others.
Presently the bugle called time and the !
rs5 Knight entered and saluted the audi !
nee That sat eager, breathless, attentive !
oor fellow, it was not long before he :
armed a real knighthood on the field of =
attic, when he rode with that same un- +
lltering and immovable seat in the sad i
e right into the face of death and G
anted his colOrs on the enemy's smOk- q
e batteries. There was murmur of q
cognition for him and his horse, for it =
as an audience that owned and was | h
senly critical of good horse flesh, and o.
len there was wild fanfare of music, o.
10 judge dropped the flag, and horse and e.
der were away on mad race. Only II
7enty seconds in which the rider must m
Ike the ten rings, hanging from their
'oks, on his long, slender lance. Quick of
e, supple Of wrist, faultless horseman
ust he be or he loses. Twice the rider :
rings the ten glittering rings on his =
nee, but on the third round his horse e
ps, a bit of inequality on the track, In
uch too light or heavy on the bride, no pl
e knows what, but it is one of those ca
foreseen mishaps that turns the for ri
nes of the day, for one at least, and Ia
the rider leaves the ring be knows he A.
=
It was sight well worth seeing, the ~
autiful horses and their gallant riders, y
t after,a while it became apparent that III
1T contest lay between Marse Phil and
p. Edwards. Both were expert horse
n and both rode horses whose records =
been made on many hard run race. pa
in the contest had reached al up
st fever heat, when the track was sol
led for the last time and in answer to Pr
!. o,s5 +1,ra,, rr b;s ba-d :, sa1,.ta ge