Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-02-24

hsn the other day. He pulls sill my
arms ache"
Miss Annesley shrugged and psttec
f1rs<e on the nose and offered him a
lump OF sugar Ths thirst for freedom
In Pirates far-of gazing eyes, and he
ignored the sign OF Cancellation which
his mistress made him.
Il am not afraid OF him. Besides.
Dick can ontrun and outjump him"
This did not reassure Warhurton,
nor did he know what this compare
son meant, being an ordinary mortal.
With all respect to you. Miss An
nesley. am sorry that you are deter
mined to ride him He Is most en-
phatically not a lady's horse. and you
have never ridden him. Your skirts
will irritate him. and IL he sees your
crop, he'll bolt"
She did not reply. but merely sig
nined her desire to mount. No sooner
was she up. however than she secretly
regretted her caprice: but not for a
hundred worlds would she have per-
mitted this groom TO know. But Pr
rate. with that rare instinct OF the
! horse, knew that his mistress was not
! sure of him. He showed The whites Of
his eyes and began paving the gravel.
The girl glanced coyertly at her groom
and found no color in his cheeks. Two
small muscular Jumps appeared at the
corners OF her jaws. She would ride
! Pirate. and nothing should stop her;
nothing. nothing womanlike. know
| ing herself 20 be in the wrong. she was
furious
And Pirate surprised them both.
During the first mile he behaved him
| self I'm the most gentlemanly fashion:
and If he SHE'D once OF twice. waltzed
a little. 81 was only because he was
| full Of life and spirit. They trotted.
they csntered. ran and walked War
/ burton. hitherto holding himself In
readiness for whatever might happen.
/ relaxed the tension OF his muscles. and
/ his shoulders sank relievediy. Per-
/ haps- after all. his alarm had been
/ needless The trouble with Pirate
+ might be the infrequency with which
he had been saddled and ridden. But
he knew that the girl would not soon
forget his Interference There would
be more humiliations, more bitter pills
for him 10 swallow. 1t pleased him.
however, TO note the ease with which
/ Dick kept pace with Pirate
AS for the most beautiful person in
all the great world, I am afraid that
she was beginning 10 feel self-import-
ant Now that her confidence was full
" restored. she never once spoke TO
81 -
from the corner OF her eye she could
sec the white patch on Dicks nose.
James she said lic.ousiy and
suddenly. go back i've yards. I wish
to ride alone"
WarburtoH. his face burning. fell
back. And thus she made her first mis-
f take. The second and anal mistake
came Immediately after She touched
Pirate with her heel. and he broke
IRON a trot into lively gallop. Dick.
without touch OF the boot. kept his
distance 10 foot Pirate. no longer
seeing Dick at his side. concluded that
he had LETT his rival behind: and the
suppressed mischief In his black head
d began TO find an outlet. Steadily he
srched his neck; steadily but surely
be drew down on the reins. The girl
felt the effort and tried to Illustrate
It. In backing her pull with her right
! hand. the end OF her crop flashed down
the side Of Pirates head-the finish
Ing touch. There was a Wild leap. a
blur OF dust. and Mr.. Pirate. we'll
named after his freebooting slres. his
head down where he wanted Il. his
feet rolling like snare-drum. Mr.. Pr
rate ran away. headed for heaven only
knows where.
! For brief moment Warburton lost
| his nerve; he was struck with horror.
II she could not hold her seat. she
would be killed or dreadfully hurt. and
/ perhaps dishsured 70 seemed rather
strange. as he recalled IL. that Dick,
Instead q himself should have taken
the Initiative The noble sorreI. for
merly cav l-y horse. shot forward
magniicently. Doatt-ss his horse
sense took In the situation. or else
he did not ike the thought of youder
| proud, srpercilious show-borse beating
him IN running race SO. very fast
mile was put 20 the rear
The girl, appre -iating her peril. did
as all good horsewomen would have
done; locked her knee on the horn and
held on The rush Of wind tore the
pins from her hair which. like a golden
plume. stretched out behind her. Have
you ever read any thing like this be-
fore? dare say. But 20 Warburton
and the girl. IL never occurred that
other persons had gone through like
episodes. II was real. and actual, and
single, and tragic to them)
The distance between the two horses
began slowly 10 lessen, and Warburton
understood. in nebulous way. what
the girl had meant when she said that
Dick could outrun Pirate II Pirate
kept to the road. Dick would t.r!ng him
down; but II Pirate took Il into his
head to vault fence! Warburton
shuddered. Faster. faster, over this
/ roll of earth clafterfne acroes tb,s