The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-08
GHOST OF RAMsEYs IHIcKET.


who had been there too, said such a horse
vas a treasure and that two OF his sub
altern surgeons had been knitted by the
heathens at the very moment when the
Christian sawbones were ready 10 minis
Ter 10 the wounded. Most OF the yarns
were dreary enough. for they related 10
The passage Of the Tugela. the siege of
-adysmith and a lot OF recent passages
in British military history that make poor
entertainment for an officer of his ma jes-
" army. The talk was getting a bit
scandalOus. DUnlevy was railing at the
war office and Treveiysn himself. Well
charged with four-star and soda. had let
fall a few hot ones at the Sidar. when
Blakely OF the Rifles, they call him
Munster Biakeiy in the army-started
of on a tangent about cross-country
hunting that gave the smokers chance
TO forget their grievances.
20 Brien's Omdurman horse reminds
me Of the quarest thing that ever hap
pened me. and that's saying a deal for
It's every one here knows I've been in
many. Twas just before Bobs, God bless
him. went down 10 the Transvaal and the
Rifles were on six wee S waiting orders
at Queenstown. that got five days leave
and went down TO Kildare for a farewell
chance with the hard-riding gang that
rides with Phelim Ormonde once year
We'll, down l goes 10 ormonde house
without as much as by your leave. ]
didn't mistrust his welcome, mind We,
for twas I knew he was the game
sportsman and q rale Irish gentleman in
everything but his dislike for me. Well.
sirs, divil such bowling halloing. swear
ing, snarlins mob of dogs and hunters
ever was seen as that I saw when 1 got
down at his front stoop. The lawn was
alive with the knowingest hunters in
Kildare. Old Jimmy Fair. tie Galway
whipper, with 2 pack of fifty keen devils
he's coming sixty miieS-was sitting in
a window plating a lash and talking to
lis dogs. The house was fun Of dogs
and men and not the sign of a pctticoat
about the place. l found ME urcle at the
breakfast table, red al the face
Have We a mount for me, Phelim?"
sayc l. grabbing his hand and grinning.
4 have an I haven't, says he. look
ing at me kind Of mysterious. Are YOU
bent on folleying the hounds this mawrn-
ing?
I am says I. suspicious like, and
thinking he would put me on a cart
horse But twas too late for choosing.
lie called old Frinzie and, says he:
'Frenzie, sa6dle O'Shanter for Captain
Blakely, and lead MIN round behind the
dairy till the captain is ready
And then he told me, 'O'Shanter may
suit We, and thin he may not, but, any
how, he's the speed of a ghost an the
spirit of forty divils. Kape him away
from the dogs, and If We value yer life
kape him out o the timber. And what
ever ye do, Munster, don't try t lead yer
field. If yer do-mind what I tell ye-
they'll be a Imply commission in tn
Rifles
We'll, with that he left me and I got
into tn buckskins and went out behind
tn dairy, where, sure enough. Frenzie
was walking Up and down before the
finest bit of thoroughbred horse-Iiesh
ever saw in Ireland or out Of it. didn't
like the way he was bitted-curb an snaf-
fie like a lady's saddle-cob-and I didn't
like the new moon, fit only for a curate
going to mission, but Frinzie swore that
horse and trappings was the last in the
stable, and so there was nothing for me
but TO throw a leg over O'Shanter and
try his mettle.
by the Rock o. Cashel. Trevelyan.
twas like riding Aeohs He hardly
touched the ground. He'd the mouth Of
a vestal and the manners of a lady in
waiting. In two minutes I was telling
him what to do. and he did it like sold
Ter of twenty battles. ] stood him before
the five-barred gate leading into the
meadow and he took it like cat over the
rung of a chair. 1 didn't see how big he
was till l was up, for he was fine drawn
and his sixteen hands Of symmetry. bone
and muscle, fit together Ike a ballet girl
in silk tights. The Lord forgive me, but
l swore right then that I'd win the brush
or Kill O'Shanter trying. The company
was going when 1 cleared the gate, the
dogs well up and all heading for Ram
sey's downs, but Noticed the leer on
Frinzie's face as I cantered across the
lawn and when 1 got to the gate his
wife, who had run down to see the start.
l. a
'ANirra, wirra, May the Lord preserve ye,
Master Bakelyv
ITO make a long story short I kent out
Of the melee till they found the fox, and
the hounds went away in full cry toward
| Ballynaff with forty Of the hardest rid
ing divils in ali Ireland streaming after
them. At first 1 was for trailing me
field, for / couldn't forget Phelims warn
ing. but when O'Shanter struck his gait
and laid awSy like a fash Of rife artil-
iery me blood got up and I gave him his
head. He went through the ruck as If
they were standing still. but 1 could
hear some of them shout. Hold him back
and He'll kill We as we challenged the
leaders laundering across a fallow field.
Here Ormonde. on the best hunter in Kill
dare. was leading, his horse pastern-
deep in the loan, but riding easy like
cocksure winner.
him. O'Shanter skimming the mud like a
swallow. Look out for the timber Nun
sterr he shouted, and then l noticed that
the dogs mad vanished across the crest Of
the hill and were mounting away into the
/ dark thiCket before us. Ny horse was for
following them in, but I fought him
across the slope til, my arms We're sore,
and 1 wondered If / could lift him az the
store walls that stopped the road TO our
right. He was furious, but needed no
lifting. for he took both walls III his
strides ana was out or the moor IN time
to see the hounds racing south and away
from the timber.
'gt was then a quare thing happened.
felt as II two arms were thrown around
my waist and a voice low say. An O'Shan-
teri All. O'Shanter. he pricked up his ears
and trembled as if he heard the voice
too. and J turned in nay saddle. haif
afraid that some woman was riding be-
hind me. As I turned he bottled again for
the timber. but I fought him back into
the open ground and gave him his first
touch OF the steel. Then he few as no
horse ever few. The voice came again. but
o Shanter raced till the foremost horn died.
II turned TO check him now. for he was
dashing full tilt into the pack. re went
ers fen away in terror. He -e-t through
the Galway hounds like q ghost and they
quit Ike ours and scattered. Every dog
we passed quit having and howled as 81
he'd seen a banshee. and then the leaders
IN fun view Of the racing fox. turned
tail and skunk away silent or mourning
in dismal. evu yelps. as Il their blood
had frozen with some sudden terror.
had not time 70 wonder AZ them thea. che
voice 81 The woman was in M ears,
O'Sbauter. his eyes on the Tex. his ears
ssiart. his muscles ca.Vering and alert
with the ecstacv u battle. was bearing
fuE upon the quarry AZ the toy q the
hin he was abre8st - the game Afy