Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-08-25
PRINCES WE'LL.


Mnoei, love you.
Leaning from my saddle the words
had scarcely left my lips when the girl
riding at my side gave her mount .
touch with her crop and was OF like a
FASH
At the bend of the read she turned her
head and smiled. "If you kill your first
deer, look for me tonight in Princes
Well" fioated back, silvery laugh
echoed through the pine trees, and she
was gone.
would have followed. but the sound
Of the distant baying Of hounds caught
my ear. II was the first hunt OF the
season, and | knew Mabel would soon
Join the hounds. listened again. The
whole pack was In full bay; they had
jumped deer, and their excited yelps
were growing rapidly fainter. A horse
man passed me and sped through the
woods. l followed. We passed the
negro quarters, broad cotton field was
left in the rear, and the great rice fields
spread out from the forest to the river
Away of on the bank. so far distant that
could barely hear them, the hounds
were stretched for half mile. Ahead
of them an antlered monarch skimmed
along. Taking one OF the narrow canal
banks, 1 spurred my horse on, but was
too far behind.
The deer and the hounds disappeared
behind the trees. There was no sound
to guide me, and In vain followed In
the direction had last seen them. I'm
familiar with the roads, halted on the
banks Of the broad Santee. The yellow
water flowed by in eddying currents.
Wherever turned saw but the ruin OF
better days. As far as the eye could
reach not a field was under cultivation.
Not house or home arose from the mo
notonous level to breA Ak the dreariness Of
| the scene.
turned my horse toward Edgeheld,
| determining to follow the river bank un
til | came within sight Of my host,
mansion on the other side of the river.
could easily call the ferryman and gel
over before the others returned from ths
chase. But had miscalculated the dis
tance had travelled, and after severa
hours of picking my way along the di
lapidated bank that had once formed q
wall between the river and the rice field
but which was now broken in hundred
places, began to realize that il woult
be nightfall before 1 arrived at Edge
field. Still | struggled on, and 1t seemed
to me that at every break in the banl
the water in the gulch was deeper. A
first 1t barely covered my horses hoofs
but soon 1t came to his belly. and once
almost carried him Of his feet, 30 swift
was the current.
As we mounted high bank realize,
for the first time how swiftly the wate
flowed below. It seemed, too, rs IL tn
banks were crumbling away in places
rode ON for a few moments. coul,
see that the current was constantl
growing more rapid. l thought of tn
rains up the country of which Colone
Hazard had spoken, and OF the freshe
the planters expected within day O
, two. Could 1t have missed their calcu
, lations and come pom them unaware:
glanced ahead at the faraway chin
neys OF Hazard Hall, and then at the lon
stretch of narrow bank ahead, with II
. numerous breaks, through which th
water now flowed ih torrents.
: l spurred my horse toward plac
ahead, where the bank spread out q hun
dred feet or more, and from which poir
knew q narrow foot bank led to th
mainland. We had almost reached tn
little hummock, with its tumble dow
log cabin, when heard rumblin
mnrmur behind me. Far mp the river
wave nearly three feet In height ros
above the even surface Of the river an
rushed toward me, gathering ON its ere.
logs and driftwopd, which Ii tosse
wildly about. The yellow foam glii
: tened In the sunlight, and Il was som
time before turned my fascinate<
frightened gaze from the oncomin
j siood. When l did II was TO see that q
immense breach had opened In the ban
between myself and the clearing.
With . sinking heart ! hurried m
tired horse on. could hear the roarin
nearer and nearer TO me until il va
lust behind. Before me, though less
Ae dreaded, was the broad breach. NJ
z frightened horse plunged down the stes
bank Just as the rush of waters swept
behind me. he struggled brsvely Q
until. lifted from his feet, we were bo,
borne forward on the wave. A few fe
to the right was the river, while on u
10 left was the soft mud OF the rice field-
" as dangerous as qnicksand- We crosss
the breach. Ny horse felt his hoofs
meath him, and al he tried to stagger
his feet ! seized the .all canes IN
sheathed the bank. The horse sai
Il back, There wax distressed whinn
II and the unfortunate animal was swe
from between my legs and out into Z
current.
Safe among the stout canes | so
"a scrambled to the top OF the bank. W.
fstigued and hungry | looked around
vain for the foot bank leading across
rice field to the mainland. It had wo
e. away. A hundr I'd feet ahead there W
81 another break In the river bank. W
nd on an island. Unless some boat pass