Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-13

l
and still that gray "puH balr faF to the
front seems inch by inch to be slipping
away from his pursuers. VIII he keep
his determined course, up hill and down,
straight away to the east, or will he lose
heart, t.ck, veer, double and twist? II
be swerve he is q lost rabbit!
Far to the rear, yeiping, painting, dis
tracted by this time, the terriers and
mongrels, the original leaders, have fall
en-. The field, too, is strung out nearly
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 ct the front all is tense
excitement All eyes are on the rabbit,
for Low 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
arroyo." shouts Graham to Parke, for
far out to the right front a ravine bursts
off to the southeast, and one Of its shall.
low contributors stretches obliquely
across the rabbits frenzied vision.
.'veer that way; he'll take it surer'
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 of the sight,
scent the greyhound has none. The
move is disastrous: Hi" shout the Lead
I ing riders. waving the pursuit to tia
right front. and. obedient 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 its trcacherous
shadows.
And row 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 eve 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. ParSe.
/ Dana and Mrs. Selsnap ere dsrting on
+ abreast of the chase. Keep out there
to the left, some OF your shouts Dana.
Hell spring up the other side quick as
he sees us. Drive him back" And,
obedient to the signal of his waving
hand, two Of the leading troopers breast
the slopes to the east, calling half a dozen
hounds with them. Darling around
bend, Bunny's agonized eyes catch sight
of the hounds and horses on the right
bank, and like flash he whirls, scamp
ers up the opposite slope, and shoots out
on the prairie again just in time to meet
the hounds and troopers who have an
ticipated the move
Now he is wild and demoralized.
Once more he dives into the ravipe and
sends the dust flying into the very faces
Of his pursuers, for now the leading
hounds are so close that the foremost
jaws are swapping the air at his every
bound. quick turn TO the right and
UP the slope throws these leaders far
too far-beyond; they sweep around in
long curve; but, though he has thrown
them OIL the hunted, senseless. helpless
wretch has forgotten the trailers in the
rear; they spring across the angie he has
made, and ara close rs the original pur-
suers, and much the fresher. Wildly,
Inadlv now he twists and turns, first up
one bank, then the other. Far 10 the
rear the coming riders see the signs OF
MS breaking down, mark the scurrying
10 and fro OF horse and hound. Come
onr' they shout. Hes gone now. and
we can be in at the DEATH" Mrs Law
renee on one side Of the raviue is as far
20 the front as Mrs. Belknap on the
other. One Of them must lose the brush;
he cannot lie on both sides at once,
The dark beauty has had more than enc
rasping disappointment in the last two
days; it would be intolerable now that.
after all, Mrs. Lawrence, and not she.
should prove the victor.
Bunny makes one frantic rush up the
slope 10 the night, e-d, With hale doze.
hounds - his very he=ls, SPINS - s.ory
CT her eyes. catches sight Of tTo frests
antagonists fronting him, whirls sud-
denly about 10 tho right, and almost
dives under her horses heaving barrel as
he once more plunges into the ravine,
down the rugged slope, up the gentls
ascent 10 the other side. There half q
dozen long, lean muzzles CLEAN close be-
hind him: he falters, waivers: sharp
rose is thrust underneath him IS lac runs,
a quick toss sends him kicking. strug-
Cling into the air, and in another instant,
with piteous but Intellectual squeak and
pleading. he IS the center OF tumb-
ling, swapping, fang crashing group Of
hounds. and his little life is torn out al
most before Graham can leap from his
saddle, beat them back with the visor Of
his cap, then, Selling the still qIivering
body BIZ the legs that would have saved
could that empty head only have direct
cd. holds poor Bunny aloft in front 81
Mrs. Lawrenee's snorting steed ard pro-
Claims her Queen Of the Chase.
And this, too, has Mrs Belknap 20 see
and strive TO smile: while down in her
heart she knows that IL could not 80 have
happened had Perry come.
CHAPTER X.