, 1888-11-21

himself countenance: he regarded the
blush smoke of the cigarette mounting
lightly in little eddies in the transparent
c%learness of the atmosphere. or lifted hi.
head to examine the windows of the houses
to surprise a pair Of eyes that coutcm
plated him. a hand that drew aside a Gus
tain, and be was happy at the little effect
produced by his passage
lmpelled by force OF habit, he had taken
the road to the quarters He perceived 1t
presently and smiled conternptuouzly
nevertheless continued his route He dc
sired to see for the last time the beings
and things familiar to him He salu-nG
with the tips of his fingers the sentry vino
presented arms. gave, an amicable good
day to the SONS officer on guard. a man o!
his own squadron. made the tour of tho
barracks without ~dismounting, threw u
glance into the stables, directed the officer
of the day to remit some p~unishments
that he had inflicted the evening before.
passed to tho gate, leaped it and turned
and swept the building with a gaze OF
udieu
Only then did his heart sink, and, fear
ing the trouble that invaded him, no put
his mare to the trot, seeking to fly lsit
weakness He had resumed the way to
the forest. before long he was in the
woods Rays of sunlight filtered through
out the leaves. designing the shadows Of
the trees and branches upon the browni5l
earth. Drops of the nights rain still
pearled upon the grasses.
Capt. Random brought his horse to a
walk. There is plenty of time" be
thought, and allowed himself to go dream
ing idly, soothed by the freshness of the
morning breeze.
In the meantime he had passed into q
wide, sandy alley-"the training alley. &"
no he rarnarnlaral nf thn hurrorkg. 1a
had raveled two kilometers at n jump
He dropped the reins upon Niniche's neck,
and the head and shoulders of the mare
balanced to the right and balanced to the
loft with the regularity of a pendulum
Random was absolutely content-couteut
with the pride of a resolution well end
armly taken He was happy even To- a.!s
himself calm and proud Of his bravefy
At the end of the alley he traversel q
wide clearing, and n hundred meters f:r
ther stopped Behind a tall hedge ucls
-Uy. u stones throw from the highway
not more, the line of the railway ran. tar
descent that led to it was p~erpendiculIr
and covered with pebbles and jagged
points of stone. Pale as a corpse, Ran
don observed it, a strange emotion hold
ing him, his legs weakening beneath him.
lie made a half turn, threw his animal
upon her launches and advanced again.
but ut a walk There was plenty of time.
Niniche was afraid of a tree that had
fallen across her route, and plunged VIC
lcntly A little more and Random had
boen dismounted. 1t was a painful sur
prise to him.
''Chutv' he cried, what is the matter
with me? Can | ride no more?" And.
afraid of being afraid, he stiffened him
self anew and began to pet and soothe her
less to calm his animal, perhaps. than
to ruassure himself.
Gently. Mamie, gently; no precipita
ton. Easy, my girl, easy. Thou shalt
nave thy gallop by and by"
Again he stopped and made q half turn,
again hesitnted; for the desire to wheel,
the desire to fly and turn no more had
come upon him strongly; but only for an
instant. Then quickly-unwilling to
allow himself a moment to reflect, a mo
ment to regret-he rose in his stirrups,
bent his body forward, and-the race
beganl
The wind cut his face, tears wet his
eyelashes, but still he went with dizzying
rapidity, the trunks of the trees passing
him like specters, Nothing was clear or
misunderstanding but a vague, confused
impression that it was his life thus flying
from him in fragments.
But still he went, and now it was the
noise of a horse that he believed he heard
pursuing him. He turned in the saddle
nothing-the noise was nothing but the
noise of the pebbles that Niniche's flying
feet cast behind her. But this idea that
a horse pursued him pleased his fancy,
set it going, and Immediately he imagined
himself Upon the track" and making tho
last grand round. He hurried the pace Of
his mount.
The circuit of the clearing had twice
been passed; the gait was frightful, but
the hedge was before him; behind the
hedge-he OWNED it without seeing it
the precipice. with its jagged, rocky sidesl
Then he felt himself ut the end of his
breath-the air he swallowed came from
his painting lungs in shrill whistlings!
In the twinkling of an eye he had a
vision. a dim realization of that which
was to be his death-a fall into space. d
complete failure of respiration, a crushing
blow Upon the headl
The idea of stopping his mare crossed
his mind. He bore the reins-too late
Already he was upon the edgel He closet
his eyes; he abandoned himself, but in
stinctively loosening the reins and lock
ing his legs according to his habit whel
leaping obstacles.
He had a half consciousness of tho me
ment when Niniche arose in the air. Ii
experienced a sense of relief; 1t was fin
ishedi
He forced himself neither to hear, t,
soc nor to breathe. but he bent his spin
as one who awaits a volley of blows from
a cudgell He fell, he bounded, he rolled
How long it was. that bounding and roll
ing; and then-thnt dull noise Of a shoe
upon hard ground that he heardl
Il am swooning, he thought. lam
u cruel pain in his hoad recalled him. II
had hrpl-nn IL Had hnb n,,+ ,~,aI;
ately there was a second shock that shoe
him from head TO foot-a sensation o
rending and tearing throughout his body
He remembered that he had fallen upo!
tho railroad-undoubtedly a train hna
passed. a trim that had cut him in two.
All his ideas were clouded-a mist be
toro his eyes-but he was peaceful an,
comfortable, very comfortabie-he wishe,
to remain thus always-always-he kney
no morel -
Meanwhile he had come to himself again
Ahpvt him Nros a ,ybigrhr;,,- ~ -,i,o, q,