Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-15

A~SSS - y the ueluSlOu IndL
\AE< winter is sham
and spring already
is come. Thenthe INTERCHANGEABLE
grass of the bottom puts forth its tiny
shoots and greens all the plain. The
willow twigs have pink haze as of
rising sap and spring time, and the
clumps of mistletoe scattered through
leahest tree tops, the brilliant gloss of
holly leaves here and there and still,
beautiful verdure of the live oaks relieve
the drearines5 of those vast woods of gum
and cypress.
Such day shed its gracious warmth
everywhere as Cecil and Ally rode
along.
If there were no flowers there were
gorgeous dogwood leaves still clinging to
slender saplings; and blood-red swamp
hackberries and dogwood berries spek-
ling their network of purple twigs.
Little did either of the boys notice the
beauty about them.
Hot and angry or coldly angry, they
trotted over the soft ground where the
ruined cypress needles muffled their
horses football.
Ally, in spite of his bluster was hurt
quite as much as angry. Cecil felt that
he had come off best in the encounter,
yet he was conscious of an uncomfortable
suspicion that he was more to blame than
the violent Ally.
After all, those favorite knights of
his never deserted their faithful re-
tainers. Cobbs had been Col. Seaton's
orderly in the war. 1t was unjust to
compare Cobbs to that fat, selfish Mar
tin, the butler, who took commission
from the butcher and grocer and cheated
his master in half n dozen ways. Their
servants served them for money. eff
they didn t get high wages they wouldn't
stand mammals nonsense, thought
Cecil unexpectedly. He knew that his
father had men in his employment who
served, as Cobbs did, for love. Maybe
Ally was not so wrong about Cobbs.
am not saying that the otter skin had
not some weight with Cts.
But of course he was not going to make
any advances to Ally.
Ally, on his part, did not know what
to say.
But he was sure that it was his duty as
host to do something in Teparation for
his fit of passion.
"Maybe you ID like to know the best
way to kill pig, - said he finally, hold
ing out verbal fay of truce.
81 brought my revolver, - said Cecil,
not relaxing MS dignity.
Gwen, you can shoot 'em with revolv-
ers, Ally continued though he flushed,
Though they generally take guns. They
shoot from hosebRCk. It's dangerous 10
shoot on foot: once c., n man, was
shooting hogs and his gun was empty
and he d shot a whaling big Teller and
Henri our dog Henri, you know. jumped
on him and there was a terrible wrestle-
rolling over and over, everything all
bloody. c., the man jumped off his
horse The other man-MT. Markham,
the clerk at the store that was-says:
"Don' t you jump of, the critters
dangerous Tell you that's AIy's
dog, says he, and jumped and went at
the hog with his knife and he killed him,
too. But he got a rip in the arm that
laid him up for a month, ana Henri was
nearly bout killed.
''who was the man." said Cecil.
"Cobbs, - said Ally.
A dead silence. Cecil made no COM
ment on Cobb's bravery.
They rode as far as the bayou, then |
turned into the forest.
Now and then Ally would make some |
remark about the spot; occasionally |
Cecil would ask question; the greatest |
civiltY was maintained and othing could |
|
uation.
With deep sigh of relief he heard the |
far of baying of the hounds and the |
schoing horns. They were in the wake |
of the chase.
Now everything else was forgotten.
''They re coming this way, - cried |
Ally, excitedly, "Hi! look out! Here !
they are!''
With rush and clamor the hounds /
burst through the trees. After them |
came the horsemen.
They shouted. The horns rang. The |
horses eyeballs glowed, their nostrils di-
lated: they were wild as their riders.
The chase swept by and the boys gall
Hoped in the rear.
''Give your horse his head - said
Ally, "he knows the way better than
you. Come on!"
A forest fire had cleared wide space
before them, in which fallen trees,
eharred logs and pronged roots made an
uncanny looking litter.
Yet over this dangerous ground dogs
ana horsemen galloped at full speed,
leaping, lodging, stumbling, but never
hating.
The hounds escaped out of view, but
on the horsemen rush ed furiously, horses
as wild as the men.
Something contagious in this tumult
of sound and motion fired the boys
heads.
They dashed after the hunters. Be-
yond the burned clearing was the tall
cane, high above a rider' IS head.
The hounds plunged in after Che pigs.
The boys, in the resr, heard great
medley of yelIs. barks and gunshots.