Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-12-28

that wine, you'll be in good company.
But Douglas was in no mood then to
handy words with the parson, and out
we all went in troop to see the horses
saddled, leaving the old fellow at the
end Of his half bottle and at the begin
ming Of his cigar, for he was bachelor
and dined at the Plough, when the men
lived the life there in the hunting sea-
son. We were all too curious to see the
meeting to think about anything in
side, and our ardor was only stimulated
when we saw the mist steaming up from
the lowlands and the night as black as
a tempest cloud with never an inch Of
clear sky or breath of wind to grip
the sea fog. What did it matter TO usT
There would be horse or two laid up,
and men would lie by with rheumatism
for day or two, but what odds? We
should keep our necks at any rate. while
the two madmen would lose theirs
and lose them assuredly they would on
such a night and with such blackness
on the land.
1t was just 1s o'clock by the bell of
the old church when we started the
pair by the dead elm under the red
farm, and off they went out of sight in a
moment in the darkness of the hill. We
had no intention to follow them to the
mile end on such night, and leaving
them to their mad work we trotted back,
a group of black figures in gray mist,
and hung about the door of the Plough
until we should get tidings of them.
And the only news was the return of
Douglas, shaking and quivering like a
stricken being-an object study for pity,
as have said. What has happened?'
we asked him a dozen times before he
pulled himself together and told us the
tale, and while he was speaking Dick
came in and listened. Poor Dick! He
had fallen heavily in the Plough and
was in no mood for conversation, but
he opened his eyes at Douglas tale, as
did we, and widely too.
"Whep you said Go, said Doug
las as he seemed to gather his wits al
last, II set spurs to Peter, and he
shifted the dark like a trained horse
and bounded into it, fearing as little
as feared. Dick seemed to disappear
at once, though l made no pace in the
heavy going, and was just thinking
that l had won an easy hundred when
something black-a vague shadow on a
| black horse-seemed to come out from
the very cavern of the dixie, and old
Peter nearly bucked when hoarse
voice cried, Wager, wager!' l don't
fear man or devil, but feel pretty sure
I rode with something uncanny by my
side this night, and the horse felt it,
too, for, fog him as l would, he shiver.
| ed like leaf, and every step l thought
he would come down. Not that cared.
"'If you're man., said, III ride
you for the hundred, and if you re devil
I'll ride you for five, and with that ]
clapped spurs to Peter again, and he
went down the side of the dixie like he
or no other horse out of hades has ever
gone before. Race-the wind cut my
ears like a knife, and it was as if rode
on nothing. for the ground could moi
see, and the sky could not see, and the
hills just loomed over me like mighty
figures from another world. 1 went my
! best, and | don't believe any other
6-year-old in Hampshire could have
staid like Peter staid, but judge of my
fright when the shadow at my side
crept up and up, and as we put down
the hill to the bridge came full along.
side me. fogged old Peter then in 9
way very strange to him, for it was
neck and neck to the narrow bridge,
and only simmer of the rising moon
on the mist held up the dark for us tc
see 1t. What half mile that was I can
never tell! Iheard only the hard breath.
ing of my horse or the thud of his heels
on the soft ground, and as the man OF
fiend rode beside me l chilled again tt
the bone, for he made no sound, never
touched his mount with whip or spur
he only went on like flying thing il
the air, and when we neared the bridge
together l saw that there would be 6
crash and that we would both roll head
long into the stream below. Then
held my breath and waited for the mo
ment.
"But it never came. You fellow
know the spot-you know that tn,
ground is IA feet if it is an inch abov,
the brook. You know there is 30 foo
span to the grass land across. Well, a
I'm living man, hundred yards from
the water the shadow left me as ON
standing, and as l almost reined in Pc
ter to take the narrow bridge of plank
I saw the black form rise for momen
in the air and then land on the bank
BY heaven! he had jumped it, and j
there's living rider who can do tn
same I'll give him all I've got.
"But my story isn't done. The blacl
thing stopped on the opposite bank, ant
as l drew near raised its arms abov
its head, and a loud, mocking laugl
rang out among the hills. At the sam
moment, as my horse stood shiverinj
with fright, the mans right hand threw
something black at me, and l nearl,
swooned with terror. When I came to
l picked up the dark something whicl
had been thrown, but in the blacknes
I could make nothing of it. Any of 20,
who may choose to seek it will find i
hanging at the girth, and if it isn't
fiend s headgear then I've dreamed tn
whole matterl"
In eager expectation we went into tn
stable and found the missile as directed
Quick and with anxiety we carried it t
the kitchen and to the lamp. "By thun
der!' said the doctor when he saw il
"it's the parsons hat!'--Max Pembe1
ton in London Sketch.
ODDS AND ENDS.
The devil trembles when bad man b
gins to think about his good mother.
Thara ara two nerfactlv uoo1 man. or