Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-03-03

men | lifted the beaver and looked
about me. There was not a soul in
sight. From that level plain the field
ran far to a thick wood mounting over
the hill. | moved cautiously that way,
for l was in the path of people who
would be coming to see the wreck.
| got near the edge of the distant
wood, and hearing a noise, halted,
and stuck my stake, and drew my
hands back in the sleeves, and
stood like a scarecrow, peering
through my hat. Near me, in the
woods, | could hear the cracking of
sticks and low voice. Shortly two
Irishmen stuck their heads out of a
bush. My heart gave leap in me,
for | saw they were members of my
troop.
Hello, there!" l called in loud
voice.
1t startled them. They turned their
heads to see where the voice came
from, and stood motionless. | pulled
my stake and made for them on the
run. | should have known better,
for the sight of me would have tried
the legs of the best trooper that ever
sat in saddle. AS they told me after
ward, it was enough to make a lion
yelp.
Holy Mother!" said one, as they
broke through the bush, running FOR
their lives. | knew not their names,
but l called them as loudly as l dared.
They went on, never Stacking pace. 1t
was a bad CO. for l was burning for
news of D'ri and the rest of them.
Now l could hear some heavy animal
bounding in the brush as If their run
ming had startled him. | went back to
| the corn for another stand. Suddenly
a horse came up near me, cropping the
brush. l saw he was one off the boat,
for he had bride and saddle, a rein
hanging in two strings, and was badly
cut. My friend! the sight of a horse
did warm me to the toes. He got
taste of the tender corn presently, ami
came toward me as he ate. In a mo-
ment | jumped to the saddle, and he
went away leaping like a wild deer.
He could not have been more fright
ened if | had dropped on him out of
the sky. | never saw such energy in
flesh and blood before. He took a
mighty fright as my hand went to his
withers, but the other had a grip Oh
the pommel, and | made the stirrups.
l leaned for the strings of the reign,
but his neck was long, and | could not
reach them. Before | knew it we were
tearing over a hill at a merry pace,
l can tell you. | was never so put to
it for the right thing to do, but l
chung on. The big hat shook down
upon my collar. In all my life l had
never saw a hat so big. Through the
break in it | could see a farmhouse.
In a jiffy the horse had cleared
fence, and was running, with the feet
of terror, in dusty road. l grew an
cry at myself as we tore along-I
knew not why. 1t was a rage of dis
comfort, | fancy, for somehow, | never
felt so bounded and cluttered, so up in
the air and out of place in my body
The saber was working loose and
hammering my knee: the big hat was
rubbing my nose, the straw chafng
my chin. | had something under my
arm that would sway and whack the
l bore upon it hard, as if it were the
jewel of my soul. | wondered why
and what it might be. In moment
the big hole of my hat came into con-
junction with my right eye. On my
word, it was the stake! How it came
there I have never known, but, for
some reason | held to it. | looked
neither to right nor left, but sat erect,
one hand on the hilt of my saber, the
other in the name of the horse, know
ing full well l was the most hideous-
looking creature in the world. If I
had come to the gate of heaven I be-
lieve st. Peter would have dropped
his keys. The straw worked up, and
great wad of it hung under my chin
like bushy beard. | would have Civ
en- anything for a sight of myself, and
1 laughed to think of it, although fac
ing a deadly peril, as I knew. But I
was young and had no fear in me
those days. Would that a man could
have his youth on his death-bed. 1t
was leap in the dark, but l was
ready to take my chances.
Evidently I was nearing a village.
Groups of men were in the shady
thoroughfare; children thronged the
dooryards There was every sign of a
. holiday. AS we neared them | caught
my saber under my knee, and drew
my hands into the long sleeves and
waved them wildly, whooping like an
Indian. They ran back to the fences
with a start of fear. AS passed them
they cheered loudly, waving their hats
and roaring with laughter. An old
g horse, standing before an inn, broke
his halter and crashed over a fence,
A scared dog ran for his life in front
Of me. yelping as he leaped over a