The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-09


rough grass. alsdalued by cattle. but
beloved by thQpo rabbits who preferred
an open-air resting place to the less
braclng atmosphere Of their earths. Be-
ginning at the part faFtheGt from the
hedge, we took the first meadow n
three strips, tfoading out every patch
likely to hold q rabbit. According 70
my wont kept carefully behind Hor-
ace. While taxing the anal strip my
companion klQlf1d Into q small lump OF
bracken not elk yards from the hedge
Out jumped Q dimlnutive rabbit, bang
went Horace'a sun. II the rabbit-he
did not look much more than eight
weeks old-h9d been hit at such a
range. his death would have proved a
very sudden one, Indeed. But he was
not lift. saw the charge cut into the
hedge about four feet above bunny's
disappearing otut. Horace admitted
that the gun went on before II reached
his shoulder.
A few yards further on stood lordiy
beech, opposite the gate which led from
one meadow 70 the other. The heat was
overpowering; unable to resist tempta-
tion so great We dung ourselves down
In the shade.
lighted my pipe. but did not smoke
for long. When woke again and look
ed at my watch II was nearly four. Hor-
ace also had been mapping.
Lets walk the other meadow"
said, rising and stretching myself, "Af-
ter that wen try the plantation for
wood pigeons and then t0ddle home"
According to my usual custom, let
Horace 80 through the gate hrst.
saw him stop suddenly and turn white
mot u vary uncommon proceeding.
Following the direction OF his glance,
,.haN ID
OF the hedgo-a COW stretched out Mt
full length upon her side. A few steps
brought Us 70 her.
It was Audhumta-the pick Of all the
herd, the generals greatest pride In
life-deadl In the upper part OF her
neck FaplhE wound: a charge of shot
hud cut through her jugular vein. The
wound and the ground below were cak-
ed with drying blood.
The gentle, the beautiful Audhumiai
Many, many q time had I sat on that
very gate and gaEed upon her as she
browsaa before me. while the smoke
curled up from my well-loved pipe and
my mind was ct peace. And now
Neither Horace nor could fail to
grasp instantly how she had met her
fate. The boy sank down upon the
ground and covered his face with his
hands. meaning IN despair.
What q wretchedly, beaStly, cruelty
unlucky thing to happen" said, It
did indeed seem aboutathe most atroc-
lously bad piece Of luck that could pos
slbly occur. 1T was the purest OF ac-
ciTents," added, land the general
must be made 10 see II IA that light"
"Oh, oh, Oh" Horace moRned, II
ought to have known she was there.
! ought never to have put up my gun at
all"
at would be utterly absurd to blame
you for the occldent," 1 answered.
How on earth can anyone tell what's
on the other side OF hedge II he can't
sec through it3'
Horace rose slowly from the ground.
There was a look In his face had
never seen there before-a look Of firm
ness. even pluck.
Mfr Harding he said slowly, you
don't know what the governor is, He
would never listen to reason; he thinks
more Of the Audhumla than anything
else In the world. He'll kill me Il he
finds Il out; he'll thrash me till am
! dead"
Nonsense"
~ can't stand II. won't stand It."
the boy went on. I'm going 10 bury
her II can; II can't I'm going to run
away from home. l don't ask you to
help me. Mr., Harding, and don't ask
you not to say anything about It II
you think you ought to-
MY dear Horace"
They'll think she's broken out
through the bottom fence and strayed:
she did that last year and they found
her ten miles away"
But
"You can't talk me out Of It, Mr.
Harding. You must do what you think
you ought to do. I'm not going to be
thrashPd to death"
felt somewhat bewildered. Smith
will be down for the other cows ut ave,
4 know. And It's four now. ItH
take me about twenty minutes to cut
home and get spade. shall have to
Flip around through the back shrub
For moment Horace and looked at
one another in silence. l was aston
| ished-it IS the least forcIbiG word I
determination born OF despair. At the
end Of that moment acted on an IRE.
slstlbe impulse:
Horace" said. bring two spades.
I'll stick to you whatever happens"
saw tears start to his eyes. You're
n brick, Mr.. Harding" A second after
he was speeding on his way towards
! the house.
It was twenty-five minutes past four
when Horace, breathlesS and almost
dropping, arrived with the two spades.
We had thirty-Hve minutes before Us:
Smith, the cowman, never failed TO
reach the meadow exactly at 1--WE. Thir"
ty-fiye minutes In which to dig cows
grave and bury It.
threw of my coat and hat and
buckled In with a will. Horace did the
same. ! shaved as had never shaved
before. Finding. after two or three
minutes, that the boy hindered rather
than expedited proceedings, told him
to put down his spade and keep watch.
He did so rather reluctantly. Then,
my field Of action unlmpeded, set my
self TO do nil knew in the race against
time. / worked like n dozen navvles;
the Precipitation streamed from my face
In great drops. But had undertaken
the task and meant to complete IT, at
any rate II such feat lay within my
power. l chopped and shovelled and
shoyelled and chopped. and threw out
bushel after hushel Of the loose, chnlky
soil. Ny back and arms felt the un-
accustomed strain to n terrible extent.
my wind troubled me almost as much.
my hands were badly blistered before /
had been at the work i've mlnues.
My excitement all the while was Of the
kind that docs not come more than
once in a lifetime. Every moment /
fnnoled could hear the generals voice.
Il was the only occasion on which |
thoughts OF the general filled me with
something approaching terror. Each |
minute my true position In the matter
was forced upon me. felt like GRIM |
lnal OF crimlnalp-almost like murder
or, More, q great deal more thnn /
cared 10 think about. hung upon the
succesa or otherwise OF my self-lmposed