Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-10-15
A Race Between
A Blown Horse
And a Sound Man
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

He had no preferences for either side,
but found it more convenient to go to
England and enlist there. Having
been a national guardSman at home.
he knew something of the duties of a
soldier and was enrolled with a corps
that crossed the channel after the first
eXpeditionary force of regulars He be,
longed to the cavalry.
One cold day in December he was
scouting with a small portion Of his
regiment when they encountered a SUI
perior body of uhlans and were not
only put to flight, but scattered. Ben
instead of getting started toward the
lines of the allies was headed in the
other direction. 1t was near nightfall,
and he got away from his pursuers
under cover of the darkness. Wander
ing about. he came upon house.
Quite sure of welcome from any
Belgian, he rode boldly up to the door
and shouted. An old woman appeared
Ben told her that he was soldier in
the British army and received a well
come. He was invited to put his horse
in an clubhouse and make himself at
home in the dwelling.
The oldest daughter of the family
was a pretty girl year or two younger
than Ben. He was a good looking
young fellow, and the girl could not
conceal her admiration for him. AL
ready Red Cross supplies for the Bel
gians had begun to arrive from Ameri-
ca, and when Ben avOwed that he had
come from that liberal land the whole
family was quite ready to fall down
and worship him. They persuaded him
not to try to regain the British lines
until the next Cay, when some expe-
dent might occur to them by which
they could assist him to do so.
Early in the morning Ben was awak-
ened by men talking German under his
window, and the Belgian girl raped
at his door and warned him that uh-
lans We're below. Ben sprang out of bel
and hurried on his clothes, and the girl
led him to a garnet, where she hid him
under some old furniture. The uhlans
found his horse in the shed and de-
manded to know where its owner was.
They We're invited to search the house,
which they did, not overcarefully, and
failed to find Ben. After a brief stop
they made off, taking Ben's horse with
them.
Scarcely had they departed when a
violent SnOwStOrm came on, with a
high wind which blew the snow in
huge drifts. The family with whom
Ben was in hiding owned an old sleigh,
but the horse had been appropriated
by the army. 1t was suggested that
if they could borrow horse some one
might drive Ben in the sleigh to a
place where he could make run for
the lines of the allies. A boy about
fifteen years old volunteered to scour
the country for horse and found one
that had been left in a barn by a SOL
der who had taken better one in his
place. The boy brought the horse home,
and, since there was harness at hand
the animal was hitched to the sleigh.
The oldest daughter, whom they call
ed Elizabeth. was selected to drive the
American eastward. He doubled him
self up under the seat, and blankets
were used to cover him. When all was
ready the girl touched the horse with
the whip and Ben left his hosts, fol-
lowed by blessings as one coming from
the liberal land
German troops were passed on the
road, and had it not been that a pref
ty girl was driving it is doubtful if the
couple in the sleigh would have got
very far. Twice German soldiers de-
bated whether or not they should take
the horse, but in the first case Eliza
beth kept them off by smile, and in
the second it was decided that the ami
NAL was not worth appropriating.
But after these two escapes they en-
countered a third, more serious. APP
preaching a house, Elizabeth saw a
man in the uniform of uhlan leaving
it with the evident intent to intercept
her. She concluded that he was in
need of mount and would take any
horse he could get. Applying the whip,
she succeeded in getting by the house
before the uhlan reached the road. He
called on her to stop and when she
She paid no attention to this, and the
man followed her on run.
The horse was already winded and
despite a sound drubbing could not be
urged to a pace that would enable his
driver to gain on the man. She mott
fed Ben that he would be captured,
and he cam 40 the conclusion that he
must fight fol<s liberty. He had his
revolver, but -sht within the enc
my's lines was liable to call new enc
mics, and he preferred some other
method.
They came to a rise in the ground
on the other side of which was a deep
hollow. On either side of the road was
a ditch that had been filed with snow.
Whea they reached the bottom of the
depression Ben, who had come out
from under the seat and was looking
about for means of escape. seeing the
drift, jumped into it, sank to his waist
snd managed to get the rest Of his
body under before the pursuer came
to the crest. Ben lay still Elizabeth
drove on. and the uhlan passed with
out seeing him.
Whether the uhlan captured the
horse or not does not signify. Ben,
after his pursuer had passed, emerged
from the snow, took to wood and
the same evening appeared in camp
none the worse for his experience.
Only One Drawback.