The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-01-05


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, l could hear the cracking of
sticks and low voice. Shortly two
lrishmen stuck their heads out of a
bush. NY heart gave leap in me,
for | saw they were members of my
troop.
Hello, there!" | called in a 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 a saddle. AS they told me after
ward, it was enough to make a lion
yelp.
ilOig MULTI. Sdlu one, DIS lney
broke through the BUSH running for
their lives. | knew not their names,
but | called them as loudly as | dared.
They went on, never Stacking pace 1t
was bad go, for | was burning for
news of D'ri and the rest OF them.
Now | could hear some heavy animal
bounding in the, brush as if their run
III, 10 l.; I
the corn for another stand. Suddenly
a horse came up near me, cropping the
brush. / saw he was one off the boat,
for he had bride and Saddle. a rein
hanging in two strings, and was badly
cut. My friendl the sight of horse
did warm me TO the toes. He got
taste of the tender corn presently, and
came toward me as he ate In a mo-
ment | jumped 10 the saddle, and he
went away leaping like wild deer
He could not have been more fright
ened il | 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 on
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,
| can tell you. / was never so put 10
it for the right thing to do, but
chung on. The big hat shook down
upon my collar. In all my life | had
never saw a hat so big. Through the
break in it l could see a farmhouse.
In a jiffy the horse had cleared
fence. and was running, with the feet
OF terror, in a dusty road. | 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 chafing
my chin. | had something under my
arm that would sway and whack the
side of the horse every leap he made.
| bore upon it hard, as if it were the
jewel of my soul. | wondered why,
and what it might be. In a 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 l have never known, but, for
some reason | he's to it. l 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 | 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
a great wad Of it hung under my chin
like bushy beard | would have Civ
en- anything for a sight Of myself, and
laughed 10 think of it, although fac
ing a deadly peril as I knew. But 7
was young and had no fear in me
those days. Would that man could
have his youth on his death-bed 1t
was a leap in the dark. but 1 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, whoopng like an
Indian They ran back to the fences
with start of fear. AS passed them
they cheered loudly waving their hats
and roaring with laughter. An old
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
stone wall. Geese and turkeys flew in
the air as I neared them. The people
had seemed to take me for some vii
lage youth on masquerade We
flashed into the open country before
the sound of cheering had died away.
On we went over long strip of hard
soil, between fields, and off in the
shade of a thick forest. My horse be-
gan to tire. tried to calm
him by gentle words. but
could give him no confidence in me.