The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-01-25
STORY OF A CHASE.

There were DEAD leaves unueIIoot,
hut overhead the trees wore crimson
and russell gold. There were deep lanes
under the trees, but beyond stretched
open moorland, swelling to the horizon.
The wind shook the trees with rustlings
as of silk, with clamorous whispers and
sasps, rising and falling, but nevar
quite still. But it surged over the moor
with the rush and swirl of surf, and
then there were silences in sharp con-
trast, while the clouds drove overhead,
gathered and massed and trailed away,
leaving wide blue gaps. And from time
TO time there came a CLINT OF sunlight
to lie across the moors.
The day was typical of the times, for
it was the second year Of the civil war
in England.
In the principal street of a small post
town, at the door of its principal hos
telry, a horse stood waiting, tossing its
head fretfully at the rough caress Of the
wind, which whisked its name to and
fro, laying back it's ears at the roar Of
the gale in them, fdgsting impatieDtly,
siding, starting, stamping-a brown
mare, with a coat like satin, and limbs
of satin and steel, with a head like a
deer, and fine, full nostrils, quivering
with eagerness and impatience. 1t was
describing a circle round the man who
was holding it, causing a wary falling
back among a knot of spectators near
the door, when a step sounded on the
stair within, and the little ears shot
: forward with a low whinny at the
sight of the lad who cleared the last
steps at a bound and came out into the
wild autumn morning. A boy with a
gay, handsome face, boyishly light
hearted, but holding in the curves of
mouth and chin the promise Of a deter
mination and resourcefulness more than
boyish; with bright blue eyes, keen be-
hind their laughter; slim and of only
just middle height, bat 1.-THE and wiry.
He swept off his hat, nodding lightly
TO the group outside. The mare began
to side toward him at once, and, tax
ing the reins from the man holding her,
he pulled the soft muzzle stretched out
to him up to his face and kissed it, with
a laugh. With his arm across her neck
he turned and spoke to some II who
had followed him out to the door of the
hostelry-a tall, gray haired man.
"I'll do my best, SIR"
The other answered him, with a
kindly look in bis eyes.
"For that, my lad, I'd give ye credit
ubate'or sbonld hpfal1
The color came into the lads face.
"Thank ye, colonel. 1 vow I will"
The other proceeded to give him some
final instructions.
"And have a care of tbyself, lad,"
he concluded, with a hand on the lads
shoulder, as he turned to re-enter the
house. There be just n or W we
could better spare than thee"
~@Ihank ye," said the lad again, and
he seemed about to repeat his former
promise, but checked himself, but
then, with a laugh and eyes full of mis-
chief, quoted himself mockingly. "I'l
do my best, colonel" The other shook
bis head l~aughingly and took his de-
parture. The boy looked round at the
group in front of him.
"Just one or two bere!" he said,
~noddipg at them impertinently. There
was a playful unsheathing of rapiers.
"Nay, nay, in the face of the colonei's
expressed command l cannot pleasure
ye, fire eaters that We are. Tilt We at
each others uncomfortable throat and
let out some of the bile that inspires
ye." He spraug nimbly into the saddle
and wheeled the mare. keep ye, gal
lants, in all humility till / return.
S-steady there!' as the mare went up
the street like an india rubber ball.
"Have a care for my valuable neck"
keep her to that, Nick, and I'll
warrant ye safe from the Croppies' bull
lets at cen five yards!" shouted II
man after him.
From aught but a broken neck
ieesed another. The lad, turning i'll his
saddle, called back:
"From envy and malice, Dick Lacy,
the Lord deliver thee. Pluck up heart,
man. Didst not quite fall off the last
time thy jade coughed? Nay, on the
kluS y UQS!uSsS i QSSSpp Nv WV
I'll ride a tilt with thee on my return,
and thou shalt be tied into thy saddle
an thou wilt"
"'Sdeath, thou mayst be riding a tilt
with thy sponsor and namesake, Old
Nick, before then an thou chance to
fall foul of his darlings, the long cared
rout, and fail to show them a clean
pair Of heels.
Faith, no will be the better and
thou the worse of a very notable lesson
in the gentle art of equitation should it
SO fall. But I'd back the mare to show
a clean pair of heels to Old Nick him
self. So We would do well to set to and
practice thy craftsmanship, Dick. Hey.
Dick''-he pulled the mare almost Oh
to her launches for a moment-''canst
have my sorrel while I'm away. |
would not have thee say but thou hadst
all reasonable advantages Dick Lacy
had recently lost a horse III a brush
with the enemy. And if Old Nick
cannot wait longer for my company ye
can keep it to practice on against the
time we meet again. But the mare and
I 90 to the devil together if it so be-
He disappeared in a cloud of dust,
followed by the ringing laughs and
ieers of the knot by the door. He was
we'll known and well liked. He and his
mare had pulled more than n man
out of a tight corner, and his high spirits
and good nature made him a general
favorite.
And so crimson and russell and gold
came into the lane between the steep
banks under the trees, came with a
'.clins' of iron shod hoofs, trampling
the dead leaves underfoot and waking
little whirIs and eddies among them,
with a glitter of steel and a steellike
CLEAN in blue eyes, which glanced
hitber ard thither, under tbs trees,
down the bypaths, into the open dis
tance-gay blue eyes, with a challenge
in them. as in the alertness Of the boy