The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-31

OF thunder sent Nell, forward with
bounding leaps, just as II someone
had given her a singing blow In
the flank.
Paul bent lower clinging to the
saddle, and prepared for what ever
might happen. He was only twelve
and half, but he had ridden since
he was six, so he was not going to
be afraid now
Nell was running wildly, and was
for the time completely out Of
hand. She often did bolt in a
thunder storm, but providing she
kept straight on, there would not
be much harm done, and although
he could not see the way they
were going, he knew that boiling
horses rarely stumble.
A fash OF lightning showed the
road clear before him, so he
crouched lower still, clinging to the
saddle like a limpet to a rock, for
Nell punching her feet together,
was progressing by series of bob
bing bounds, something between
the hopping Of kangaroo and a
bounce ball.
Another fash of lightning Of
brilliatn violet streaked with vivid
green, and Paul saw that they were
racing along by spruit.
The next moment dense dark
ness came down upon them, and,
by the sensations only, he knew
that Nell was in the water. Then
came violent jerk, and, despite
his clutch of the saddle he went
flying over his horses head plump
into the stream.
1t was deep, too. Plainly Nell
had fiOundered into hole. Gasping
and choking Paul came to the sur
face, and was Immediately con-
sci0us Of drag on his left wrist.
Then he remembered that he had
twisted the reins around his left
arm, so that It must be Nell pull
ing, and, though he had no desire
to get anywhere near her heels
while she struggled he was very
willing that she should pull him
out Of the water. Letting Nell tug
him along, he soon found firm
ground beneath his feet. But 1t
was so pitch dark that he could
not see where he was going, and in
a minute fiounde1ed into another
deep hole.
He still kept his clutch on the
rein, however, while the horse
tugged forward all the time, and
when he began to stumble at the
rising Of the ground, he guessed
that he was on his way to dry land
once more, or at least land that ,
should be dry, only now the rain
was coming down in torrents, and
it was pretty nearly as bad as be-
ing under pump.
The bag with the medicine was
strapped firmly across his back,
and Paul knew that his father had
packed 1t securely, SO he did not
bother about 1t.
What did IVORY him was that, ow-
ing to his fall and the black dark !!
ness, he did not know which way
to go and he was afraid that II he |
mounted and gave Nell her head,
she would set OIL back to Bloem !
vile as hard as she could pelt.
But the medicine must be de-
livered somehow. His father had
said that the child would die IL he
could not get relief before mid
night, and Paul shivered at the
thought Of failing in his errand,
seeing that human life hung on
It's being promptly done.
He was by Nell's head now,
soothing and patting the badly
scared little beast, and trying to
get her quiet enough to allow of
his mounting.
Thunder always did upset the
nerves of the little roam, and the
plunge into the spruit hole had
made her more FESTIVE still But
Paul had way with horses that
was hard to beat, and 1t was not
very long before he had Nell pac-
ing steadily along, with her nose
poked insinuatingly into hiD hand
IN the hope Of bit more Of that
rather sodden current loaf which
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