Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
bred the best that ever yelped in cyarliner

| RUDY, the feQ-Oay mare, was q CLnkeT,
| The purest blood bay, her coat newly she'd
| ded. shone like FURNISHED metal under dap
| Piles Of spring sunshine. She stood almost
| sixteen hands, and was pattern OF bone
! and beauty. clean-limbed, sinewy, with q
| beautiful lean head, white-starred fore
| head. waving silky name and streaming
| tail. Somehow she put the regular hunters,
| with clipped coats and niggard docked fans,
quite out of court. made them seem poor
| and artificial. Somehow, too, Patricia s
| linen habit and SLOUGH hat became her bet
| ter than the other women's riding gear,
| If they were turned out by London shops
! as II for hunting in the shires.
| Mrs. Loudon admitted as much to herself
| almost despairingly. Patricia had been
nineteen days at Wake Forest. They were
out for what was to be her last run with
| teriously at daylight-Tregars never hunt
| ed Neither did Van Lewis-he preferred
| to chase bugs and butterflies. Taplow was
busy busy with the dogs-Molly had taken pos,
| Dick Morton had no choice but to ride with
| Missile and the bold Loudon.
How many times has she refused your"
Mrs Loudon asked bitterly, inclining her
| head toward Patricia. Rothwell laughed
| constrainedly: 81 believe 1 have not quite
kept count" he said, although Anstruther
advised me to do it, and quoted the Scotch
proverb, Nineteen naysays are half a
| grant, "
Really! I wonder is he keeping count!
It's absurd of course to say that-no wo-
| man Will ever play WITH him.. MIS-. LOU
| don aswered Miss Rhett 1 fancy knows
as much
"Why, how do you happen to ride livery
| hunter today" Rothwen interrupted ir-
| long look, saying:
rs it possible you take notice of any
thing about me? 1 bought Cairgorm three
days back, and have ridden him in my
morning gallops ever since"
We'll! You have got a bad bargain
| isn't it nasty to tell you so?" Rothwell said,
trying to laugh: why did you not tell me
you thought of buying? No doubt you paid
a good price-but you truly got bad horse
for it."
II think not. He suits me-goes like the
wind. and takes whatever I set him at
without checking" Mrs. Loudon said: LAS
to telling you-why should 1 bother you
with my small concerns Since you have
been under SPELL you have made me feel
that even thought of friendship between us
was an impertnence.'
You have a talent for misunderstanding
but let that pass Rothwell said. What
l cannot let pass is-that beast you are on:
know him of old-knew him long before he
was brought down here He is all you
say as to speed and action-when he
chooses there is hardly better hunter on
top of ground. The trouble is he does not
always often choose. He's the worst
| rogue possibe-may carry you like lamb
through three parts of a run then bore
into tree or fence or gatepost, and dash
out your brains
II suppose you mean to say he is as will
full asa man. Mrs. Loudon said, laughing
| recklessly. Thank you very much for
telling me all about him. l bought him be-
cauSe-Well! because | wanted a horse of
superior weight and substance"
IF you will not go back for remount
at least change with me- Rothwell en-
treated. THAT brown devil can outrun
anything in the fed today. When he runs
man has some chance to keep him
straight
Thank you for nothing-I shall keep him
straight-and ride my own line Mrs Lou
don said meaningly whipping ahead.
The cast-off was in the edge of big
deserted sedge-grown plantation, over
grown with clumps and blotches Of tan
went away down the wind, the riders
streaming after, with the view halloo ring
ing cheerily all about Half an hour saw
double, with dash to pine woods after
drying pine straw. 1t had been misty
mild at daybreak, but the Strengthening
sunshine had brought wind underneath.
While the dogs ran in circles, picking out
clustered upon little clear knoll, saw the
beginning of battle. Patricia had refined up
at the knolrs farther edge. She held Ruby
lightly barely feeling the mares mouth,
while she talked gleefully with Ned En-
ber a freckled lad. and barefoot, who had
run away from school to follow the hunt
afoot.
She hardly noted that Ruby's ears were
batted, her eyes angry. Something in the
background had ruffied the bay-quickly
she half-wheeled, let fly with both hind
feet against the ribs of another horse: and
as she came down, whirled completely
about, to savage her antagonist The an
tagonist was big and brown, dulleyed, but
with much white showing within the lids.
He. too, laid back both ears, and snapped
savagely at his assailant. Both half
reared and before they could be separated,
struck out with the forehoofs.
Ruby! Ruby! Shame! Shame!" Patricia
tod thnr al n,,clry fhn &c
rider: Mrs. Loudon, I'm so sorry; Really,
deserve to be sent home in disgrace. Do
believe it is not often Ruby and l are so
you. May get down and see if her heels
did any damage?
Don't trouble yourself" Mrs. Loudon
said CURLY, then over her shoulder she
wheeled: MY horse, like his rider, can take
care of himself
Rothwell was some little way off-still
near enough to be cogniZant Of the dis
turbance. He came rapidly toward Mrs.
Loudon, his eyes anxious-just then the
pack caught scent again, gave tongue and
were harl1ed forward. After, still after,
the riders went pellmell, out Of the pine
woods, down a little hill, then into a
stretch Of open common, bare of everything
save starveling sedge and marsh weeds,
beside the wet weather stream that cut the
spread Of it In half. The stream had bog
gy banks-altogether it made nasty water
jump. Two horses alone got over 1t clear,
without scrambles, or the mischances of
strained girths. Ruby the peerless Cairn-
germ the wicked. The pack in full cry ran
two hundred yards ahead-the mad dog
music set both hunters wild. Fast faster,
faster they went, quickening at each stroke,
street ching, straining, cycling each other
emulously, though they ran twenty yards
apart.
Without another check the rest were hope
lessly out of it-even Jack Wirshs keen
halloo came but family to the ear. The
common crossed, the chase swept on
through ploughland, stoutly fenced and
rising the least bit. Both horses took the
the boundary fence without checking, and
together, going over it, as by one impulse,
but came to the inner fence, a hundred
yards Off with Ruby leading clear length.
Patricia gave a little gay triumphant shout
as her mare rose to the leap, and once over
set Ruby galloping slantwise the dun fur
rows. The route was still uphill-a gentle
rise, but enough to show the struggling
pack line clear against the crest Still it
ran fast and true giving tongue CALAMITY,
though the hot pace was telling.
The scream of a horse, low and hoarse,
made Patricia turn her head. Carngorm
mouth open, eyes rolling, was charging
straight at her. His rider bent forward
lathering him with the whip, urging the
mad brute to madden speed. AS she caught
Patricia's eye she shouted menacingly, "Out
Of my way! Out, do you hear! Your blood
on your own head unless you clear my
path!'