The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-11

An Exciting Race, which Tests the
skill of the skater

ce4tef- 4DNaFl morning TIE ram ceasf-l
ard II turned very cot3.
Wnen The sun rose there was fsIryisnd
srges6 cut before ne. But "a meant that
every step zosi8 - foil Of peril and 70
reach soEa By any usual means almost
inpoas. Die
sun p scene, Every tree saimEertrg
spDar3tion q ln5es-rf1abie b@auty. every
hiade q grass every weed scintiils ding
WITH usaEg-fsceted fce-5isno0r0s. eren the
Ugly Old fencea became beautiful with
crgEislne pendants. ard the seyel hsids,
a. far - eye oO8ld reach. ore vast glare
q shining. binding Wh4teness.
TIE lsndscspe was a EymDh ony n white.
gray and black. win tODeleE Of most del
icate gO31 and blue aDd rgsset- A sofi.
pesriy mist hosted toward tbe south west
ami our orchard hung OF the hllsds Ike
a csoud strangely h~surifui with lts fill
gree q twlgs IN silver and black. II
Seemed % bower 20 Igaty over the icy
ground that one would have oeeu biz
astOuished had ID risen and Grifled away.
The W5ose seemed as unreal az .
dream
No one bat myself appeared 70 Be abroad
and As walked oui 20 the gate not
sound was to ~ hard but the cracking
Of ice particles under my feet Every
sfep meant the risk Of fail and how 70
get down the nm 70 the creek and up
again On the other SIDE was a problem. To
walk 81 seemed impossible and 70 drive
q snooth-sho-d nOrse over thai CLASSY. icy
road. altogether out Of the question. The
fields were equally a. impFaetics be as the
road. 50 ! stood and wondered and pom
dzred. holding On % the gate TO keep from
slipping 7 wanted 20 go 10 town. but
forgot al about Il a fen minutes later.
The low. mellow note % a horn sounded
through the stiffness IL the morning. II
came from across the beech woo1s. where
the pike curves a way to the northeast. and
skirts wilIow thickets end trisry patches
Some one was out hurting ard hunting
with q pack of hounds. for could hear
their Dsying and my nerves dngIed 70 Jhs
music.
Tire sound of the baylng came nearer
and nearer and the chae II such Il was
HEADED my way. But how in the wolf
did the fsuBfsTE get over the icy surface
For a few moments stood and istened
Then 7 SAN a number Of hounds bo1nclnz
over ran fence. and the dark figures Of
men following not FAR behind. issuing our
Of the woods.
Down toward the creek headed the pack
che. two three. four. five heauties-an3
nov / could see what they were affe- II
was rabbit forced from iis form in the
briary tblcket and running for dear life
a0ing the creek bottom. And the men
why. hey sere GA skstest On skates, II
WISE tbe very ides Why had ! not thought
OF IL befores made dash for the house.
fell two or three firnen fOited every bone
IL my body. but the Eteel runners were
under MY FEET IN 5itfy and out 20 the
gate. into the road. ! few, just an the
hounds swept past, ye!psng ana baytnR.
fItHng and slipping, falling and running.
the men. five Of them. close behind each
carrying q gun and sailing I'D the hill Nith
The impetus gathered On the descent be-
yond~tae creek. A. they came they call
ed 10 me 70 come On and join the chase.
50 away We went. down the road. after the
hounds and rabbit. the steel under IA hiss
ing and singing with the sped.
How the rabbit and the pack managed 10
run hardly know. but they did. and every
once In while, We could see bunny, q
small dark bail. slipping along swiftly,
Just ahead Of the leading hound
Straight along the road ne went. for
quarter Of o mile. then swerved. lodged
through fence and took 40 the fields the
pack losing time and falling over one an
other In tie efforts to scale the tOp rsIl.
We caught up with the dogs and tumbled
Over the fence aWkwardiy, for skates are
not made to climb fences with. and there
vss tangle Of hounds and men, trying
90 get on their feet; but the hounds won
aTd on tney dashed again. first slowly
then gathering impetus and surety OF mo-
ton.
The RABBIT had gained nearly an eighth
Of a mile. Away We went after the pack
laughing, shouting. yelling like mad Talk
OF anow-sh0ging after big game. why the
poor things can't run IN the deep snow
ana the hunter himself makes compare.
tiyely sl1w speed. while We were racing
affer our quarry at a terrific gait, with
oil The excitement OF climbing over fences
and through weed patches or other OBJ
structions with gum In hand, sometimes
going down with a bone breaking thufnp
ana sliding and whirling along on our
backs for yards before we could regain
OR feet. Riding to hounds and fox was
not SIN II"
TIE ice few In sparkles from the steel
as we swept over q level meadow then
wheeled into cornde,d. gliding along
more carefully and watching the guns as
we crossed the rows or followed them 1t
sf1sned as II surely sone one would get
bad fall AZ the pace.
Wow. Wow--oo-ouAoo" sang the
hounds as they Sid and tumbled ana ran.
blt bunny gained on us In spite of efforts
and baying. Past woods he raced, but
could not turn into II or double on account
81 the smooth. gliddery surface and
straight on haliooed the chase, over half a
Tpile OF level ground. binding white with
me runshine upon ". and then the coun-
try dropped down toward "A creek
We saw Inc incline, but there was no
stopping. no hslting, no turning at the
gait We were racing. Master Rabbit struck
II first, and away he went as " shot out OF
cannon, the hounds chose behind. Down
went the leaderl down went the NEXT uu-
III they al sailed along in bunch, paw
ing and kicking, ye.ping and struggling
against fate. down over the smooth sur
face toward the bank and the stream some
ten feet below and there they pitched out
OF sight; but We knew they we're safe for
we heard them almost Immediately again
baying In pursuit
But We also had. struck the incline and
while we could, guns were unDreeched and
cartridges taken out. for there was no tell
Ing what sort OF tumble there might be
to the bottom.
With shout we started down abreast
feet close together swifter and swifter
swifier and swifter. until the very breath
seemed TO be snatched away before Il
could be Inhaled The keen air stung and
prickled our faces ike tiny needles. There
was not a sound heard but the Whizzing
OF the skates, nothing seen but the giisten-
ing ce-path ahead II was a tremendous