Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-10
CHAPTER XIII.
Tile ARlEHION ROAD.

My uncle and | were up betimes next
morning, but he was much out of temper, for
no news had been heard of his valet, Am
brose. He had, indeed, become like one Of
those ants Of which l have read, who are so
accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that
when they are left to themselves they die
of hunger. 1t was only by the aid of a man
whom the landlord procured, and of Fox's
valet. who had been sent expressly across,
that his toilet was at last performed.
~ must win this race, nephew" said he,
when we had finished breakfast. 81 can't
afford to be beat. Look cut of the window
and see if the ladies are there"
Il see a red four-ln-hand ia the square, and
there is a crowd around it. Yes, l see the
lady upon the box seat"
as our tandem out?"
at is at the door"
Come, then, and you shall have such a
drive as you never had before"
He stood at the door pulling on his long
brown driving gauntlets and giving his or
ders to the hostlers,
Every ounce will tell" said he. We'll
leave that dinner basket behind. And you
can keep my dog for me, Coppingcr. You
know him and understand him. Let him
have his warm milk and curacao the same as
usual. Whoa, my darlings, you'll have your
fill of it before you see Westminster bridge"
shall l put in the toilet case?" liked the
landlord.
l saw the struggle upon my uncle's face,
but he was true to his principles.
Put it under the seattle front seat
SAID ne. Nephew, you must keep your
weight as far forward as possible. Can you
do anything on a yard of tin? Well, If you
cant, we'll leave the trumpet. Buckle the
girths up, Thomas. Have you creased the
hubs as | told you? Well, jump up, nephew,
and Wen see them eff"
Quite a crowd had gathered in the old
square-men and women, dark-coated trades
men, bucks from the princess court and Off
GERS from Hove-all in a buzz of excitement,
for Sir John Lade and my uncle were two
Of the most famOuS WhipS of the time and a
match between them was a thing to talk Of
for many a long day.
Tho prince will be sorry to have missed
the START said my uncle. He doesn't
show before midday. All, Jack, good morn
ing, Your servant, madam! It's a fine
day for a little bit Of wagoning."
As our tandem came alongside the four-in-
hand, with the twob onny mares cleaning like
shot silk in the sunshine, a murmur of ad-
miration arose from the crowd. My uncle,
in his fawn-colored driving coat, with all
his harness of the same tint, looked the
ideal Of a Corinthian whip, while Sir John
Lade. with his many capped coat, his white
hat and his rough, weather-beaten face, might
have taken his seat with a line of profess
o.Onais upon any ale house bench without any
one being able to pick him out as one of the
wealthiest land owners in England.
1t was an age Of eccentricity, but he had
carried his peculiarities to a length which
surprised even the out-and-outers by marry
ing the mistress Of a famous highwayman
when the gallows had come between her and
her lover. She was perched by his side,
looking very smart in a Powered bonnet and
a gray travelling dress, while in front Of them
the four splendid coal black horses, with q
pickering touch of gold upon their powerful,
well curved quarters, were paving the dust
In their eagerness to be off.
IT'S a hundred that you don't see us be-
fore Westminster with a quarter of an hour
start" said Sir John.
'Ill take you another hundred that we
pass you,' said my uncle.
Very good. Times up. Goodby." He
gave a tchk Of the tongue, shook his reins,
saluted with his whip in true coachman's
style, and away he went, taking the curve
out Of the square In a workmanlike fashion
that fetched a cheer from the crowd. We
heard the dwindling roar Of his wheels upon
the cobblestones until they died away in the
distance.
1t seemed ole of the longest quarters of an
hour that | had ever known before the first
stroke of 8 doomed from the parish clock.
For my part, | was f%idgeting in my seat in
my impotence. but my uncle's calm, pale
face and large blue eyes were as tranquil
and demure as those of the most uncon-
cerned spectator. He was keenly on the
alert, however, and it seemed to me that the
stroke of the clock and the thong of his
whip fell together-not in a blow, but In a
sharp snap over them both. which sent us
flying with a jingle and a rattle upon our
nfty-mile journey. | heard a roar from be-
hind us, saw the lines of windows with star
ing faces and waving handkerchiefs, and then
we were off the stones and on to the good
white road, which curved away in front of
us with the sweep of the green downs on
either side of 1t.
/ had been provided with shilllngs. that
the turnpike gate might not stop us, but my
uncle refined in the mares, and took them at
a very easy trot up all the heavy stretch
which ends in Clayton Hill. He let them
go then, and we flashed through Friar's Oak
and across st, Johns Common without more
than catching a glimpse Of the yellow cottage
which contained all that | loved best. Never
have | Travelled at such a pace, and never
have | felt such a sense Of eXhilaration from
the rush of keen upland air upon our faces,
and from the sight of those two glorious
creatures, stretched TO their uttermost, with
the roar of their hOofs and the rattle of our
wheels as the light curricle bounded and
swayed behind them.
ITS a long four miles up hill from here
to Hand Cross said my uncle, as we flew
through Cuckfeld. Il must ease them a bit,
for | cannot afford to break the hearts of
my cattle, They have the right blood in
them, and they would gallop until they
dropped If l were brute enough to let them.
Stand up on the seat, nephew. and see If
you can get a glimpse of them"
| stood up, steadying myself upon my
uncle's shoulder. but, though ! could see for
a mile, or perhaps a quarter more. there
was not a sign of the four-in-hand.
IF he has sprung his cattle up all these
hills they'll be spent ere they see Croydon"
said he,
They have four to two" said /.
zen suis bien aise. The Cleveland bay
strain makes a good, honest creature, but
not flyers like these. There lies Cuckfeld
place, where the towers are, yonder. Get
your weight right forward on the splash
board. now that we are going up hill,
nephew, Look at the action of that leader.
Did you ever see anything more easy and
more beautiful"
Wa were making the Hill at a ouIet trot
but even so We made the carrier, walking
in the shadow OF his huge broad-wheeled,
canyas-coyered wagon, stare at us in amaze
ment. Close TO Hand Cross We passed the
Royal Brighten stage, which had left at
h~alf-past Z. dragging heavily up the slope,
and fts naaaanuaFa toiItuu along in tho duat