The Port Gibson reveille., 1908-04-02

| fore. they ran in their own horses.
placing them in the same yard with
that of Mollys.
After a watchful morning they re-
tired to their quarters for lunch. The
meal was destined never to be COM
pleted. The thud from without Of fast
moving hoofs sent knives, forks and
tin plates to the ground with clatter.
Arrived at the doorway, the sight Of
Molly cantering away down the track
met their eyes. SO unexpected was the
move that their own horses were not
even saddled
They made for the harness room,
entangling reins and stirruD feathers
in their haste. The horses in the yard.
startled by the human avalanche that
bore upon them, plunged and reared
furiously The shouts of the men, the
rattle of the hoofs as they struck the
wooden rails, the jingle of bits re-
jected by frightened mouths, and the
loud complaints of ian Robinson, who
felled by a backing horse, went roll
ing among human and equine legs
all this made feeting pandemonium-
The first to emerge from the vortex
was Allenby. Gathering through the
open gate, he sped on at top speed,
bent forward in the saddle Behind
him came Robson and Jerry Maine.
VIII Harding, whose too hastily
girthed saddle had turned turtle at
his first mounting, hustled along
some distance in the rear.
The dust cloud swept rapidly for
ward as they pounded along the. curv-
ing track. After while they caught
sight of Molly. 1t was but a fieeting
glimpse; then she had rounded a cor
ner half mile ahead. By this time
Will Harding, by dint of furious spur
ring, had recovered his lost ground.
The four were racing together in a
bunch
In their turn they swept round the
leafy promontory behind which Molly
had disappeared. Then-Allenby
pulled in his horse with so sudden a
jerk that his followers, crashing
blindly on to him, swept him for
ward again for a space, in the fashion
Of wave-borne cask. Vi
The tangle of men and horses
swayed together in confusion. Then
something not unlike a hollow groan
rose up from amidst the creaking of
the leather and the jarring of hoofs.
To the front stood Molly's horse. 1t
had halted by the side of another upon
which sat the blacksmith. The figures
of the pair formed two sides of a
triangle, their heads it's apex. 1t was
the apex that constituted the outward
sign of the everlasting wreck of their
hopes. 81
The four walked their blown horses
homewards. They were little addicted
to self-analysis. Nevertheless, they
found their mental attitude surpris-
ing. The conclusion had dawned up
on them that full knowledge of the
worst is lighter to bear than sus-
pense. 1t was astonishing in what COM
forting hues the compensation for the
state they had missed pictured them
selves.
SnOrLly. dILST LuelF TeJuTu MOlly anu
the blacksmith arrived at the station.
Their attitude was defensive and
blushingly dignifed.. The reception
awaiting them surprised at least one
Of the newly engaged pair. In order
to demonstrate their adaptability they
showered forth a wealth of congratu-
lations Indeed, the transparent hon
esty of this all but rued Molly's peace
of mind But Molly was woman.
A bottle of whiskey sent out from
the house to mark the occasion sealed
once more within their hearts that
peace that had been a stranger for
weeks. AS Allenby remarked, in pla-
cid but unsteady tones after his fifth
partaking:
"Girls are all right-so far as they
go. Sos courtin', and SOS marryin'.
But what with the boiled shirts, an
the blackin' of boots, and the muz-
zle on yer mouth-it's all of it COO
wearin' for a man that's not an an
gel!"-The Graphic.