Fergus County argus., 1897-03-03
A KENTUCKY RABBIT HUNT.
All Sorts of Costumes and Horses
Are Used.
A Sturdy Disregard of All Considers-
tions of Form-Riding Crops Are
Never Used, But whips Are
Carried.

The men are dressed as they please,
the ladies as they please. English
blood gets expression, as usual, in in
dependence absolute. There is sturdy
disregard of all considerations of form.
Some men wear leggings, some high
boots; a few have brown shooting-coats.
Most of them ride with the heel low
and the toes turned according to tenn
permanent. The southern woman's long
riding-skirt has happily been laid aside.
These young Dianas wear the usual
habit; only the hat is derby. a cap.
sometimes a beaver with a white veil,
or a tam-o'shanter that has slipped
down behind and left frank bare head
of shining hair. They hold the reins in
either hand, and not a crop is to be
seen. There are plenty of riding-whips,
however, and sometimes one runs up
the back of some girls right arm; for
that is the old-fashioned position for
the whip when riding in form. On n
trip like this, however, every body rides
to please his fancy, and rides anywhere
but off his horse.
The men are sturdy country youths.
who in few years will make good
types of the beef-eating young English
squire-sunburned fellows with big
frames, open faces, fearless eyes, and n
manner that is easy, cordial, kindly, in
dependent. The girls are midway be-
tween the types of brunette and blond
with ID leaning towards the latter type.
The extreme brunette is as rare as is the
unloyely blond. whom Oliver Wendell,
Holmes differentiates from her dazzling
sister with locks that have caught the
light of the sun. Radiant with freshness
these girls are. and with good health and
strengths: round of figure. clear of eye
and skin. spirited, soft of voice and
slow of speech.
There is one man on a sorrel mule.
He is the host back at the big farm
house, and he has given up every horse
he has to- guests. One of the girls has
d broad white girth running all the
way around both horse and saddle. Her
habit is the most stylish in the field;
she has lived II year in Washington,
perhaps. and has had a finishing touch
at d fashionable school in New York.
Near her is young fellow on "a black
Thoroughbred graduate. perhaps. of
Yale or Princeton. They rarely put on
airs, couples like these, when they
come back home. but drop quietly into
their old places with friends and kim
dred. From respect To local prejudice,
which has IA hearty contempt for any
thing that is not carried for actual use.
she has left her riding-crop at home.
He has let his crinkled black haIr grow
rather long, and has covered it with u
black slouch hat.
L l.. 4 4,
a difference. however, and il is enough
TO create a strong bond of sympathy
between these two. and 10 cause trouble
between country-brrd Phyllis. Il plump.
uark-eyed, bare-headed girl. who rides
Il pony that is trained to the hunt, as
many of the horses are. and young
Farmer Corydon, who is near her on
an iron-gray. Indeed, mischief is brew
ing among those four. NJ brisk walk
The line moves across the field. the cap
tain at each end yelling to the men
only the men, for no woman is ever
anywhere but where she ought TO be
in "A southern hunt ing -field-to keep it
straight.
Billy" shod,e ne captain with the
mighty voice, II you ten dollars.
The slouch hat the white girth are
tagging behind. II is n lovers quarrel,
and the girl looks a little flushed,
while Phyllis watches, smiling. But
you can compromise with me-" adds
the captain, and a jolly laugh runs
down the line. Now comes a 'rebel
yell" Somewhere along the line a
horse leaps forward. Other horses
jump too; everybody yeils; and every
body's eye is on a little bunch of cotton
that is being whisked with astonishing
speed through the brown weeds. There
is massing of horses close behind it;
the white girth flashes in the midst OF
the melee, and the slouch hat is just be-
hind. The bunch of cotton turns sud-
denly. and doubles back between the
horses feet There is a great crash,
and much turning. twisting and saving
of bits. Then the crowd dashes the
other way, with Corydon and Phyllis
in the lead The fun has just begun
John Fox, Jr., in Century.