The Press., 1904-05-18

' la and Dan. Another moment and they would be upon them. At the foot of the hill|was a rocky ford waiting to en- gulf the fated occupants of the vehicle l if they should reach it alive. Paralyzed by fear, Priscilla knew in a maze of terror that Dan sprang from his horse, throwing her the bridle. Then she saw him through fear dimmed haze rush just in time for the salvation of them all straight in front of the maddened brutes with arms out stretched to stop them. She heard his masterful command, "WhOa, boys; whoa!' as he made a dash for their foaming bits.
 He sprang nimbly from side to side to avoid being trampled under their hoofs. Again and again 1t seemed that their brute strength would overwhelm him as they plunged forward straining to get free.
 The man and the beasts strove, 1t seemed to Priscilla eternal ages, until at last, at last, he was conquerins them. With mouths dripping bloody foam, eyes starting from their sockets. they finally stood trembling, but still, save for an occasional trampiing and champing of their bits. This, too, ceased at Dams command:
 "Whoa, boys! Steady, boysw
 Their brute instinct responded to the master without fear. He stood at length stroking their names.
 Even then Priscilla realized in a dim, unworded way a thing that was better than the subjection of signs and sym bols to rule and law.
 She emerged from her crucible of agony with an aching relief that her husband was alive, while her own soul, shriveled by the refining fire, saw him with larger vision, deeper under standing.
 Proudly she marked his chivalrous bearing toward the unnerved, fright ened women, who lauded his exploit in words of intensest gratitude.
 She noted with a swelling heart his bluff kindness toward the bruised and distressed driver, who came nmping up to see the extent of the calamity, bloody and battered from his terrible fall.
  calling 1t nothing"
 When the trembling animals were quite pacifed. greatly to Priscilla's ap- prehension, her husband turned the ve- hicle around about-a thing not done without much ado on the narrow shelf of a road-got into the carriage and took the reins with a firm hand to drive the ladies to their home, which was ''but mile or so back" they had told him. Priscilla led his horse for him until he could deposit his charges at their own door.
 "Your man is too knocked up to drive" he tactfully explained as he saw the ladies tremulous at the thought of being trusted again to their unlucky jehu. ~ .s.
 "Dan, you are simply great" Priscil- la told him as they rode down the hill again toward home "Im proud of you through and through. But prom ise me never, never, never, again to take so dreadful a risk. It makes me faint but to think of 1t. What if those awful runaway horses had killed youw And she shpddered.
 Then. you could, should and would have been u widow, Priscillaw
 "I neither will nor shall nor could, should or would be a widow! I'll die when yoa do, Danv' sobbed Priscilla hysterically.
 Never say die, little girl. We will be happy. Nothing shall prevent 1t. my Priscillav'
 You are a hero, Danw The girl reached out her hand to him, and in their clasp thrilled between husband and wife the love that is above and be- yond all speech and language.