Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-05-05
NECK OR NOTHING.

~Aio leh you. Oudilit. Tue poor
beasts SIS quiet as a lamb, and won LET
you or any man living dictate to ne what
NJ to do and what I'm not to do. Why.
one mlgnt Just as well be a baby all one 5
life long as til t."
morning of ene spring day; the place
was the front of a large country house Ga
the great table land Of western Natal, and
the speakers were girl OF 10 and young
man about FIVE years older
| "QIarrei,ng, as usual, children" said
the hearty voice of a stalwart old gentle
man behind them. WHAT'S gone wrong
this time, pray?"
Kate Langley explained to her father at
some lens 9Th. and with great indignation.
! that inst as she had picked out for herself
/ the very finest of all the half dozen horses
brought up for her choice by Dutch
| morse dealer FROM PIetermaritzburg,
! cousin Charlie" had dared to assert that
the beast was vicious and not Fl for d lady
| to ride.
! Charles Ravenscroft had acquired the
nickname Of Cavalier Charley " not only
by the supposed likeness of his very hand
some face to the typical cavalier of Charles
LIS '1r1e, b1t also by the wonderful horsa-
manship, which the best riders of the
colony could not equal
II any person in all Natal might be sup
! posed to be good Judge of horse.
| Cha1ile Ravens croft was the man, and Mr.
| Langley felt quite certain that if he
pronounced Hates choice to be vicious
beast, vicious it must be.
Don't you think, my dear, he limited
mildly, THAT one of these other FIVE
might do as well for you? I'd sooner lose
every horse in my stables than run any
risk OF your being hurt and if this beast 5
really vicious, you know"
But Miss < ate-who was by this time
IN genuine rage at this unexpected op
position-cut short his remonstranc.
without ceremony
Its no use talking, papa" said she
| pettishly; ''if you choose to obey every
order that that odious Charlie likes to
give you, you may, but | won't; if can t
have this horse | won't have any at all!'
Cavalier Charlie interpose0 and cut
the Gordian knot with his usual prompt
tude
'L0ok here, K re, DEAR" said he kind
| ly; don't let US quarrel about nothing
! We can very soon settle whether this
horse is vicious or not. I'll mount him.
and ride him for mile or two, and if he
doesn't show any sign of vice in that
time, I'll willingly own myself in the
wrong
you can do as you like about that,
| Mr.. Positive" answered Rate, the unmer-
clfai. as she turned her back upon him
aEgriiy; but, | must say, it's hardly a
! far test for the poor creature; can imag-
inc the quietest horse alive showing some
signs of vlciousness after being subjected
for i've minutes to your powers of aggra-
Vation.
At this unjust taunt from The lips of the
woman whom he loved a qaiver of pain
shot across the young mans sun bro Hned
features; but he made no answer and pro-
ceeded to saddle and bride with his own
hands the horse which had occasioned the
dispute.
The so-called vicious he asst submitted
as quietly az lamb; and when Ravens
croft mounted, without The slightest oppo-
sition, Miss Kate laughed derisiveiy,
when matters suddenly took another turn.
| The horse. a magnificent bay, no sooner
felt the weight of his new rider upon his
back than he gave a bound which would
have unseated a less practiced horseman
at once, and then commenced a series of
ca ers worthy of Fennimore Cooper s
wild steed of the prairies."
| Mr., Langley watched the struggle with
| manifest uneasiness, aud even Kate ceased
to laugh, and began to look somewhat
anxious.
| Ravenscrott, however, kept his seat as
firmly as if he bad been strapped to the
saddle. At length the furious beast mad
dened at finding all his efforts to get rid
of his rider utterly vain, lowered his head
and darted off across the plain like an
arrow.
THE Black Dip!' gasped Mr.. Langley;
hes lost"
The poor man had indeed only too good
cause for his sudden agitation. Three OF
four miles away from his house there
yawned in the smooth surface of the great
upland plain one of those deep, narrow
cleft-ike gorges-or rather chasms-which
are so common In all parts of Southern
Africa.
Along both sides o. it the frowning
walls of bare black rock, which had given
it the name of the "Black Dip" went
sheer down for more than 300 feet; and il
was right towards this CHASTITY chasm that
the maddened beast and its rider were
now heading at full galiop.
His daughter, realizing the frightfu
mischief that she had done, turned deadly
white, and watched the doomed mans
headlong course with parted lips and eyes
dilated with horror.
i've killed him! I've killed himl" she
moaned despairingly, clasping her hands
convulsively till the slender fingers grew
white. Goa, Charlie, CharIie!'
The first headIong dash of his runaway
steed rather amused than disturbed the
practiced rider, but suddenly he happened
to notice a low mound far out on the
plain. which told him in what direction
they were heading; and then there burst
upon his mind, sudden and terrible as 6
fash of lightning, the awful thought Of
the ''Black Dip"
1t was now that, for the first time, the
brave man began to feel alarmed in earn
est; and he put forth all his strength tt
rein in the furious beast that was hurry.
ing bin to destruction.
But he might as well have striven tc
uproot an oak. The strong arm that had
cut in two the Zulu spears like bulrdshes,
and had thrown On his back the best
wrestler of the mounted police, now exert,
ed its utmost strength in vain.
That the horse would come to a halt OF
his own accord there was no hope what.
ever He was now as utterly beyond
control as a mad dog. What was to be
done?