The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-02


you, but i'll spite of their bravado none
else came on. DO you fear. boys?"
cried Douglas again. Twill the night
air stop your throats, or do you want
time? 1 take any man the fair milo and
finish across tho hillfoot bridge for a
hundred with his morning tea Answer
when you like. There's my money
even if the devil himself stakes against
me!'
There was another shout at the chal-
lenge, and Parson Bob put in his word:
F" You II break your neck, boy" he said,
lover the mile a night like this, and as
for the devil. if you take any more of
that wine, you II be in good company"
But Douglas was i'll no mood then to
handy words with the parson, and out
we all went i'll II troop to see the horses
saddled, leaving the old fellow mt the
end of his half bottle and at the begin.
ming of his cigar, for no 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 stcaming up from
the lowlands and the night ms black as
a tempest cloud with never an inch of
clear SKI or a breath of wind to grip
the sea fog. What did it matter to us?
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 neclls at any rate. while
the two madmen would lose theirs
and lose them assuredly they would on
such night and with such blackness
on the land.
1t was just 10 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
moment i'll 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,
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
stricken being-an object study for pity,
as l have said. What has happened!'
we asked him 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 i'll no mood for conversation, but
he opened his eyes at Douglas tale, as
did we, and widely too.
When you said Go. T" said Doug
las as he seemed to gather his wits ut
last, Il set spurs to Peter, and he
shifted the dark like trained horse
and bounded into it, fearing as little
as feared. Dick seemed to disappear
at once, though | made no pace in the
heavy going, and | was just thinking
that had won an easy hundred when
something black-a vague shadow on IL
black horse-seemcd to come out from
the very cavern of the dixie and old
Peter nearly bucked when Il hoarse
voice Cried Wager, wagcr. | don't
fear man or devil, hut feel pretty sure
l 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 thought
he would come down. Not that cared.
If you re man, L 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. Racc-the wind cut nv
ears like knife. and it was as if rode
OH nothing. for the ground could not
see, and the Sky | could not see. and the
nils Just doomed over me like mighty
figures from another world. | went my
best, and l don't believe any other
6-year-old i'll Hampshire could have
staid like. Peter stald, but Judge of NV
fright when the shadow ut nv side
crcpt up and up, and as we put down
the hill to the bridge came full along
side Inc. floggcd old Peter then in Il
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 tho dark for us to
see 1t. What Il half mile that was can
never tell! heard only the hard breath
ing OF my horse or the thnd of his heels
OH the soft ground, and as the man or
ficnd rode beside me | chilled again to
the bone, for he made no sound, never
touched his mount with whip or spur
he only went on like flying thing in
tho air. and when we ncared the bridge
together | saw that there would he Il
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 fellows
know the spot-you know that the
ground is II feet if it is an inch above
the brook. You know there is go foot
span to the grass land across. Well, as
Ill q liNinr MN a hlnlrnl Anrlc From,