The Meeker herald., 1921-12-17

pietely muflled in lavish furs of cray-browts rae.
coon. His cutter shone In the sunlight and his
big black horse cuircd until he cleaned Us
II he were oiled
But why were they waling2 Why was Indy
Cinire's face like stricken flower. pale cheeks.
despairing eyes that seemed be seeking some
thing beyond the excited crowd down the long
frosty road? Instinctiveiy the huslcd crowd fol.
lowed Clares glance. lnstinctively they. 100.
looked and wished for tho absent Philippe Beau
clerc.
Then there swept around the corner and up to
the astonshed crowd the most curious eQuipage
that their eyes had ever beheld Philippe Eenu-
cierc, looking like some glorious savage clad In
shaggy black buffalo robes held taut the home
made reins of bison hide that guided a curious
pony. He was small and shaggy and spotted like
quail. His neck was long and his hend WAS lean.
HIS hind legs seemed shorter thnn his fore legs
Beside the well.groOned horses Of the other con.
testants he wns grotesque parody The cutter
was rudey wrought Of ironwoOd But the drivers
face was serene and eagcr. He glanced townrd
Claire. Their look held. ClaIre smiled. Then
they were or on the signal Of the Scgneur.
The crowd loosed Its pent-up laughter ns they
saw Beauclercs lean. dnpped benst fall behind
pace by pace. The other ponies were skimnIns
on like swallows In the wind. But leading them
all was old Va-debon- Occurs black stallion There
was a sympathetic shudder for Cinire. But she
seeming not to mind. smiling like II dainty
witch.
Nu-uc-DOn-tocuFS Dlnck WIS tHe nfst 10
dash up to the blasted oak. lie was fecked with
foam. His quycring hnnks were streaked with
the lnshes of the old mans whip. 1t plain
he was well spent but his driver allowed him not
IL moments respite. on they sped again. Then
two soldiers came gnoping In. neck to neck The
others followed in quick succession.
Close on the heels of the last sleigh came Benu.
clerc, his sinewy little pony stout and fresh
when he first set out. his reins still drawn tnut.
He wheeled about defty. then oosened the leather
ribbons. The ugly pony stretched out his long.
thin neck md lenped forward.
He gained the last horse, passed him. Sailed
by the second the third. passed the rest of them.
was neck and neck with the leader, Na-de-bon-
Coeur's painting bIack stallion. Further and far
ther he stretched out his hoofs TIL he dashed by
the leader.
on the hnnk the enger crowd crnned their necks.
Their eyes opened with incredulIty when in the
flying sfnpe that wns dashing toward them they
recognized Benuclerc md his uncouth spccked
nag on In the distance. far behind him. struggled
his vnnquished rivals. 1nstinctvely the onlookers
glanced townrd Claire and. though she WINS hiding
her rosy cheeks behind grent mum. they could
zee that her eyes giowed with the light TINT was
never on land or sen.
The spectators surged up about the victors
sleigh. There was n torrent Of welcoming cheers
for the tall dark hero. But he had fnr their
acclnmations. lie wns running to the little knoll
where Claire stood beside her father who In spite
OF himself was looking rather relieved and joyous
They wutchcd Claire she put out her hands to
the good looking but hreathess youth who In
closed them In his own 80 eagerly. They watched
him bend above them with grace Of cavalier. And
~ he did so they heard the old Selgneur exclalrn
"Sacre where did you get that windshod demOur
Philippe Bcnucerc's answer came back, laugh
ing, "Oh, that's old Menetepah's Indian pony. I've
been training him for weeks In the forest"