The Dickinson press., 1890-01-18

"Hoy! hoyI' yells the sergeant as he
sights the quarry. "Hurrah" shout the
nearest huntsmen, and, with one simul-
taneous impulse, skirmishing ours,
stealthy, springing hounds, eager steeds,
and jubilant riders-men and women
away goes the entire field sweeping in
pursuit. At first all is one mad rush
until it is certain that the rabbit is a
veteran who understands we'll the maxim
that 80 stern chase is long chase" all
the world over.
Close behind the master of the hounds,
all eyes fixed on that bounding tuft of
gray and white few score yards ahead,
bending over their horses necks and
keeping just enough pressure on the bit
to prevent overriding the huntsman, ride
Parkc and Graham, two eight weights" !"
who have coursed many mile of prairie.
just behind them, a little to their right,
rides Mrs. Belknap, her veil fluttering
straight out behind, her glorious eyes
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 fleet racer, and Dana has to
urge and spur his clumsier troop horse
to keep in close attendance. These four
are we'll 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.
lie looks up in surprise at the thunder
of hoofs close alongside, and Mrs. Law
renee, with excitement in her eyes, over
takes, then passes them on the way to
the 'front.' "See" he points to his part
ner, 'sec that dark shadow across the
prairie out there. We cannot ride ut 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 docs 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 twist? If
he swerve he is a lost rabbit!
Far to the rear, yelping, painting, dis
tracted by this time, the terriers and
mongrels, tho original leaders, have fall
Ell. 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 arc 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 slackcning speed
"Watch him now as he sights that
aroyo!" 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 surei"
shouts the huntsman; and, sure enough,
no sooner does he reach 1t 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; "IIil' shout tho lead
ing riders, waving the pursuit to the
right front, and, obedient to signal, the
foremost hounds sweep in long curve
into the coulee, striking it many n yard
farther down than where tho harried
chase first dived into Its 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 horsemcn. 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
to the left, some of youl" 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 dozen
hounds with them. Darting around
bend, Bunny's agonized eyes catch sight
of the hounds and horses on the right
bank, and like a 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 ravine and
sends the dust flying into the very faces
of his pursuers, for now tho leading
hounds are SO close that the foremost
jaws are swapping the air at his every
bound. A 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 off, the hunted, senseless helpless
wretch has forgotten the trailers in the
rear; they spring across the angle lie has
made, and are close as tho original pur-
suers, and much the frcsher. Wildly,
madly now he twists and turns, first up
one bank, then the other. Far to the
rear the coming riders see the signs of
his breaking down, mark the scurrying
to and fro of horse and hound. "Come
oni" fhav shout uTIa'a oona ,,oyv and
we can be in at the death!' Mrs. Law
renee on one side of the ravine is as far
to the front as Mrs. Belknap on the
other. One of them must lose the brush;
he cannot die on both sides at once.
The dark beauty has had more than one
rasping disappointment in the last two
days; 1t would be intolcrable now that,
after all, Mrs. Lawrence, and not she,
should prove the victor.
Bunny makes one frantic rush I'D the