Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-07

Copyright, 1905, by A. Conan Doyle. Cop
horse bore himself and his rider toward
the wall. Would Nigel spring off? To
do so would be to bend his will to
that of the beast beneath him. There was
better way than that. Cool, quick and
decided, the man swiftly passed both
whip and bride into the left hand, which
still held the name. Then with the right
he slipped his short mantle from his
shoulders, and lying forward along the
creatures strenuous, ripping back, he
cast the tapping cloth. over the horse $
eyes.
The result was but too successful, for
it nearly brought about the downfall of
the rider When those red eyes strafning
for death We're suddenly shrouded in I'M
expected darkness the amazed horse
propped on its forefeet and came to- SO
dead a stop that Nigel was shot forward
onto it's neck and hardly held himself by
his hair-entwined hand. Ere he had slid
back into position the moment of danger
had passed. for the horse, its purpose
all blurred in its mind by this strange
thing which had befallen, wheeled round
once more, trembling in every FIBRE
and tossing its petulant head until at
last the mantle had been slipped from
its eyes and the chilling darkness had
grass once more.
But what was this new outrage which
had been inflicted upon it? What was
this defiling bar of iron which was locked
hard against its mouth? What were
these straps which CALLED the tossing
neck, this band which spanned its chest !?
In those instants Of stiffness ere the man.
tie had been plucked away Nigel had laid
! forward, had slipped the snaffle between
"a nj a N mi in foe md I,r,1
cured it.
Blind, frantic fury surged in the yellow
horse's heart once more at this new
| degradation, this badge of serfdom and
lnlamy. Ills spirit rose high and mem
aclng at the touch. He loathed this
place. these people. all and everything
which threatened his freedom He would
have done with them forever: he would
see them no more! Let him away to the
| uttermost parts of the earth. to the great
| plains where freedom isl Anywhere
| over the far horizon where he could get
away from the defling bit and the in
| sufferable mastery of man,
He turned with rush. and one mag
| nificent deer-like bound carried him over
| the four-foot gate. Nigers hat had
| flown off, and his yellow curls streamed
| pehlnd MN as he rose and fell in the
| leap. They were in the water-meadoW
| now, and the ripping stream 20 feet
/ wide CLEANED in front of them run-
ming down to the main current of the
| Wey. The yellow horse gathered his
| launches under him and flew over like
an arrow. He took off from behind
boulder and cleared a furze-bush on the
farther side. Two stones still mark the
leap from hoof-mark to hoof-mark. and
they are IL good PAGES apart. Under
the hanging branch of the great oak tree
on the farther side Chat Quercus Til
fordiens Is still shown as the bound OF
! the Abbey's immediate precincts) the
great horse passed He had hoped ia
sweep off his rider but Nigel sank low
on the heaving back with his face buried
in the flying name. The rough bough
rasped him rudely. but never shook his
spirit nor his grip. Rearing plungins
and struggling. Pommers broke through