The Florida agriculturist., 1889-12-18

flashing, her dark skin flushed with tri-
umph and the exhilaration of the dash
ing pace, her little hands wound about in
the reins she holds so firmly. Splendidly
she sits her feet racer, and Dana has to
urge and spur his clumsier troop horse
to keep in close attendance. These four
are well in advance of all the others.
Back of them, gallantly urging on her
sturdy sorrel, comes Mrs. Sprague, with
Stryker riding warily alongside and
watching her 'going" before he will sat
isfy himself that it is safe to trust her to
her own guiding. Level as the prairie
is here, he knows that mile or so ahead
there are breaks leading down into
the valley of one of the innumerable
tributaries of the Washita Then the
story may be different.
He looks up in surprise at the thunder
of hoofs close alongside, and Mrs. Law
takes, then passes them on the way to
the front. ''Seel' he points to his part
ner, ''see that dark shadow across the
prairie out there We cannot ride at this
pace when we pass that hollow; the
breaks set in still farther" He glances
over his shoulder and signals to the near
est officer to follow Mrs. Lawrence and
look out for her, and the gallant does his
best, but all are at top speed; the colonel
and the heavy weights-infantry and
cavalry-are beginning to lose ground,
and still that gray ''puff ball. far to the
front seems inch by inch to be slipping
away from his pursuers. Will he keep
his determined course, up hill and down,
straight away to the east. or will he lose
heart, tack, veer, double and twist2 If
he swerve he is lost rabbit
Far to the rear, yelping, painting, dis
tracted by this time, the terriers and
mongrels, the original leaders, have fall
en-. The field, too. is strung out nearly
a mile deep at the end of the first six
minutes run, for some of the laggards
have given up and are disposed to wait
for the coming of the buggies and buck
boards Here at the front all is tense
excitement, All eyes are on the rabbit
for now or never will the crisis come.
The horses are breathing heavily, but
with no thought of slackening speed
"Watch him now as he sights that
arroyol'' shouts Graham to Parke, for
far out to the right front ravine bursts
off to the southeast, and one of it's shall
low contributors stretches obliquely
across the rabbits frenzied vision.
"Veer that way; he'll take it surei''
shouts the huntsman; and, sure enough,
no sooner does he reach it than the gray
victim darts down the winding shelter.
as though hopeful that his sudden twist
would throw his pursuers off the sight;
scent the greyhound has none The
move is disastrous: "Hil' shout the lead
ing riders waving the pursuit tc The
right front, and, obedlent to signal the
foremost hounds sweep in long curve
into the coulee, striking it many yard
farther down than where the harried
chase first dived into it's treacherOus
shadows
And now those hounds who were out
on the right flank are up in line with the
very leaders, and bounding along the
level at the side of the ravine, yet keep
ing wary eye upon the chase So, too
the horsemen Making deep curve in
the ravine five hundred yards ahead, and
confident that Bunny will blindly rush
along his winding track, they strike out
across the prairie, gaining twenty horse
lengths by the move. and now with two
or three of the oldest hounds Parke.
Dana and Mrs. Belknap are darting on
abreast of the chase Keep out there
- IL l0e ne ohA lo0