The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-08-16

Vic" all as GQ6V CO00 nome D601nQ G0e
six prancing horses, as the day was
fading to twilight and the twilight to
the rudy atterglow and the a~tterglow
to dark.
But, while he sang and laughed and
talked with the rest, he refused to take
a seat in the middle of the group upon
the top Of the coach, and stayed close
by the drivers side, for though all
had gone so we'll, he had watched the
tremble in Bill Hoyt's hands and smell,
ed his breath and heard the thickness
Of his clumsy speech; and, beneath all
the geiety of which he was a part,
there ran an undercurrent OF fear and
of trembling, that made the dual ex-
perience n never to be forgotten, and
ons to blanch the hair of youth.
In an ecstasy of maudiin admiration,
the driver, on whose muddled brain
the liquor was beginning to do it's work,
began 60 pour out upon him the emo
tional palaver OF drunkenness. You
can beat the Maple woods and the
~Shinclairs," he said, with a flourish of
his long lash about the heads OF his
leaders, and an attempt to embrace
Hugh with the other hand that held
the reins. You car beat the Shin
clair nine, you can beat the whole
world, you a beat the devil at base
ball, but one thing you can't do. No
body can but Billy. You can't drive
shix horses full speed down Break
Neck Hill"
Already they had started IN the long
and steep descent. Already the merry
group had become startled by the leaps
Of the unguided horses and the sway
ing of the top-heavy coach from side
to side. Already Hugh had tried at
tempting to SEIZE the reins, with no re
suit except a mad struggle to keep
them, on the part of the frenzied man,
that threatened to throw them both
trCm the seat.
You're very smart, Mr.. Graham.
You're a fuss class head waiter. You're
q good scholar. You're q whole base
ball team all by yourself. You beat the
devil, you do, but you can't beat Billy
aoyt. You can't drive shix horses
down Break Neck Hill"
But let me TRIP, Billy. Teach nee
how. See, I'll be your scholar. Listen
you said, jlst now, you we're proud to
be carrying me home, that you would
give me your last dollar"
''Sho I would" began the fellow, his
voice trembling with maudlin emotion.
Then let me drive. Give me the
reins just five mlnutes, Just teach me
now. There's going to be a fine sup
per"
Fine shupper," repeated the fellow,
smacking his lips.
''And I want to tell them how you
took the champion and taught him to
drive down Break-Neck Hlll;" and, al
this time, with one arm around the
mans shoulders, he was gently draw
ing the reins from his hands and UGterl
ing many a soothing sound to the
horses, that, missing their usual con,
troll, plunged madly on toward the
sharp and dangerous turn at the foot
of Break Neck Hill.
What a wild, dizzy, whirlwind race
it was that followed, when the terror
stricken cries Of the frightened girls
died into that awful, GREATNESS silence
that awaits the worstl The mad clat-
ter OF boots, the rattle of trolling wheels,
the wall of the wind in the sWaying
tree tops, the flying fences and rocks
by the roadside, all mingled with the
throbs of a terror too great to be utter
ed. And all that time, standing
straight, like a charioteer Of the an
clients in the mad excitement Of q race
with victory or, death at the end,-
stood this young man, battling, not
only with every muscle of his strong
body, but with every power Of his
strong soul, with this brute force that
was hurting them to their death.
It was for them all he fought this
precious burden of young girlr, whose
mothers even then were waiting in the
shadows of the vine clad piazza for the
joyous sound as they should come sing
ing home through the valley. It was
for the mother watching in the window
of the Campbell cottage for the coming
of her boy. 1t was for Tom, whose sis
ter he would save for Tom and,-for
Dick. Mol no! In Q moment flashed
through every fibre of his young soul
the thrilling thought that he would
save her il he might, for himself
that she might come Go know how long
and we'll he mad been loving her. IL
seemed years and years to MIN, yet it
WAC onlv sinca Tom i0viCed him home