The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-01-15

breast of his riding coat with the left.
Was it the handkerchief he needed?
Were there starting tears in those blue
eyes that he dared not let her see? She
could not lose that luxury! Out went
the little hand and touched his arm. Her
tone was sweet, thrilling, appealing, yet
commanding: she would see his face
Mr.. Perry-NedI Look at me-
''Eh! oh! What! beg your pardon,
Mrs. Belknap, but | was trying to make
out who that was in the timber yonder.
Looks-looks almost like woman on
horseback, doesn't it?''
But when he appealed to her for con-
firmation of his timid, half credulous
vision he was aghast at the look in her
face
''You were not listeningl You were
not even thinking of what was saying!"
she began, her white teeth set, her soft
lips livid with wrath; but she suddenly
controlled herself-none toe soon, for
Dana came trotting up.
Say, Perry, what do you make that
out to be down there in the valley? Col
Brainard and feel sure it's lady on
horseback.
And, looking at Perry, Mrs. Belknap
saw that he had flushed to the very tenn
ples-that az eager, joyous light had
sprung TO his eyes; but before she could
say d word rhere came a shout from the
huntsman, yell from the leading line, d
simultaneous yelp from the ours and
mGngre(5 among the ''irregulars, and
her horHe ieaped at the bit and went tear
ing off coward the MOnee, foremost in
mad pursuit of wild careering Jack.
Gomez she called as she glanced
over her shoulder; but the sight was one
that only added to her wrath Nolan
plunging and snorting, was held to the
spot, while his rider, sitting like cen
taur, was still eagerly gazing over into
the distant cottonwoods. The next in
slant she realized that all the field were
laundering at her heels, and the instinct
Of the sportsman came to her aid. She
could not be beaten in the chase.
For half mile Bunny shot like streak
of light straight away southwestward.
the hounds punched in a siaty, sweeping
cloud not thirty yards behind the bobbing
Uuft of his tail. Then he began a long
circle towards the stream. as though to
head for a break" that extended some
rods back from the line of bluffs. Another
minl.te and he had reached it's partial
shelter and darted in. For the next min
ute he was lost to sight of his human
pursuers, but presently flashed into view
again down in the creek bottom and
''streaking it, up along the northern
bank, with the whole pack at his heels.
The bluffs were steep just here, some of
the riders a trif1e timid, and all the
''field" reined in little as they made
the descent: Dana, Mrs. Belknap, Parke,
Mrs. Lawrence, Graham, the colonel anG
Mrs. Sprague Strengthened out for THEN
pursuit in the order named, the instant
they reached the level Of the valley. The
hounds were far ahead by this time, and
the two light troopers in charge of them
close at their heels; but who-what was
the figure that flashed into view between
those huntsmen and the field, darting like
arrow from the fringe Of willows and
dashing straight in wake of the quarry:
Thirty yards ahead Of the foremost riders
Of the Rossiter party a superb English
hunter, the bit in his teeth, his eyes afire
and his head high in air, fresh, vigorous,
raging with long imprisoned passion for
the sport of the old island home, gaining
on the hounds at every stride, and defy
ing the utmost efforts of his rider. leaped
from the covert of the timber into sight