The Delta independent., 1900-05-03
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


down as a believer in spooks."
The party here alluded to was par.
ty of bicyclsts gathered together In
the hall OF roadside inn. which called
itself .the hotel Of the place." but
owed its prosperity chiefly to the fact
that there was no place to speak a
thereabouts.
what do you call 'spooks.' young
MANI" asked the major In . leisureiy
way.
"A spook." drawled the doctor Of tho
party, .may be defined as something
At the bottom Of . happening that
never happened"
That's funny enough" said the mar
jor. and OF course. Il lets ne out. !
don't believe In the existence Of any.
thing nt the bottom Of nothing"
81 thought not" said number one.
"You don't look like . naturally tiInid
man. or course. know TINT naturally
timId people often make the best sol-
diers''-
"And what has timidity to DO with
Str' said the major.
swell. It's generally these nervous.
tremulous folks who persuade them
selves they have seen what you may
call 'en,. Isn't itY'
us itr' said the major. HIN! Wen.
since you DON'T think zee an easily
frightened End tremul0us person. per.
haps You may he the more ready - -
beve what can tell you. and'-
Go q. majorv' Was the general
chorus.
.And can swear to. IT, 4
"Never mind the swearing" said IT,
young woman In blue serge.
81 will tell you"
.But you will tell ~. wont ysst
the young woman gently pleaded. h
"vsry well. then. A. you all knovs
! rids . wheel now - au oecasioln
whea . whcA b posslble. Time was
when ! looked down upoo blcycles-
looked down On them from the back OF
. nne. bonny grny. about 10 hands-a
beast TINT would take me four miles
In half an hour at an easy fox trot or
carry me straight across country at
sallop. without stopping TO 30 much ~
wink at any ditch or fence that might
occur on the way.
'Now. about that fox trot Of Cruis-
keen's-he wns an Irish horse with an
Irish name-there was q certain indi-
viduality which learned By ear after
. few months. Just a. you learn to
know q familiar tune. X I had lent
Cruiskcen to any Of you, for instance.
and you were bringing home . party
Of horseback riders. I could Instantly
have distinguished Cruiskeen's trot
among all the others. Now ! want
you to pay particular attention to that
point.
"well. one day. was out west then
Il Was riding Cruiskeea along . bit
sf freshly made macadamixcd road.
Just. a. good AMI hard . bit Of road ns
that ! superintended myself. II was
about 10 o'clock In the morning. and
the sun was terribly hot.
"Just as ! got to Q ciump 0f young
larchcs that haa been planted along
the road about two years before !
heard . horse coming along tile road
coming toward me. Cruiskeen had
hoof beat Of the other horse ! spurred
up. just out Of curiosity. for there were
few people about there who owned
horses. and ! knew oil Of them.
80 here was Cruiskeen trotting on
toward the north. we'll sny. and this
other horse was cantering easily from
the north. soutbward. ought TO have
met the man on horseback iu about q
minute.
-But as wc turned the corner by the
clump Of larches ! was very much sur.
priscd to see-nothInE.
There wasn't sign Of man or beast
anywhere on that road.
"At tie same time the easy canter
turned Into trot."
Echo. Of course" the doctor sue.
eestetl
doctor rsId the major sadly. did
yos hear me say ! could swear to
Cruiskeen's trot anywhere. q were
you asJ~~p whes ! said thstf Asd was
the cantes also the echo q CFUiskeep's
trosf
-wefI. ht nse finish. WhIbe . was
wsUsBersng ~ the ssssssrn~ss o. the
thing. knowing that there was no other
vpad where horses srot would sound
lie that within Iragurs. Cruiskeen
suddenly siicj 10 one side os the road.
and sIstesi 50 Violently ~ to throw me
elear 0sIs Of ,br saddle.
Luckily ! was not srrsossiy hurt
only . little bruised. AMI Cruiskecn.
byiag . 0s~l sasstIsnase % bsass. would
~ e&16e 'a&aS aDd Dsuve ~. lie
0nnns6-AA Ssss ee1DUW. He Wns bosk-
~ eway alsag ~ rsa1 - H. 1lrse.
0D9 - 01o<eons 49,. o1efAan! ~
o1oe1y. WSsb ~ eSsD a111no.see oopuP-
~ : s94Dse.Se . Ss<essS =
oaIAA - - ~ ~. -. :
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